Top-ranked state players to impactful freshmen: Volleyball players to watch on Cape Cod
The Bourne girls volleyball team remains as the only unbeaten team on Cape Cod at 10-0, but that does not mean other teams are not having success.
There are six other teams sitting at records above .500, and three more teams one win away from reaching that mark.
After three weeks of action, here are players to keep an eye on for the rest of the season.
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Molly Fredo, Barnstable
Fredo is the Red Hawks' top offensive player with 121 kills and is ranked sixth in the state in kills.
Molly Gleason, Barnstable
Gleason leads the Red Hawks in digs, service points and aces. She has 79 kills and is a six-rotation player.
Sadie Wellbeloved, Barnstable
Wellbeloved is currently fourth in the state in assists and is closing in on hitting the 1,000 career assist milestone.
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Michaela (Mayla) Muldoon, Bourne
Muldoon is a sophomore outside hitter and the primary passer for Bourne.
"Mayla is a very good athlete, has good court sense, and is a player you want to have the ball when you most need a big play. She loves to laugh and gives it her all on the court," Bourne head coach David Moore said.
Lily Russell, Bourne
Russell is a sophomore libero, and the Canalwomen's defensive specialist and primary passer.
"She has a very aggressive serve. She is intelligent, works very hard to be good and takes her role, leading the defense by example, very seriously," Moore said.
Elena Timo, Bourne
Timo brings veteran leadership as a senior tri-captain setter and outside hitter. She plans on playing in college next year.
"Elena is a made player and has developed over time to be reliable and consistent," Moore said. "She is a leader, and an offensive threat at the opposite position, and a very good setter."
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Vivian Castano, Dennis-Yarmouth
Castano is a junior setter and a starter for the third straight season. She has already amassed over 1,700 career assists, which is second in D-Y history. D-Y head coach Dru Sisson called her the "quarterback of the team."
Mariah Eaton, Dennis-Yarmouth
As a junior middle hitter, Eaton leads the team in kills and hitting percentage this season, after leading them in blocks last season.
"Mariah has been a part of the varsity team since her freshman year, showing experience and growth each year," Sisson said.
Ellen Swanson, Dennis-Yarmouth
Swanson is a senior libero for the Dolphins.
"Ellen is a true leader on and off the court," Sisson said. "She has played a multitude of positions throughout her career here at D-Y and has excelled wherever she is placed. All three (Castano, Eaton and Swanson) have truly stepped up in their captain roles this season and are helping shape a young D-Y program as role models."
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Christina Femino, Falmouth
As a junior setter, Femino leads the Clippers in assists and serving percentage. She had a career-high 35 assists in a 3-1 win over Cardinal Spellman.
"Christina is a well-rounded student-athlete who is an incredible teammate," Falmouth head coach Nicole Shea said.
Maggie McLean, Falmouth
McLean has an 85% serve percentage with 35 kills, and only seven attacking errors on the season so far.
"Maggie is an aggressive front-row player who disrupts the opposing hitters," Shea said.
Delia Roulston, Falmouth
Roulston is a senior libero with 28 aces while serving at 88% so far this season. She leads the back row with over 100 digs and leads the team in receive percentage.
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Loc Phu, Mashpee
The senior libero leads the Falcons in digs with 280 through eight games and has 45 aces as a spin server.
"Phu is a force from the service line," Mashpee head coach Andy Mather said.
Yahely del Rosario Gomez, Nantucket
The senior setter Gomez has over 138 assists and 18 aces over her last seven matches for the Whalers.
Chloe Marrero, Nantucket
The senior outside hitter was last season's MVP. Marrero has over 81 kills over her last seven matches this season.
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Vicki Todorova, Nantucket
The junior libero was an all-state player as a sophomore and is making a case to be named as one again. She has three games with over 20 digs and had 46 digs in a 3-0 win over Bridgewater-Raynham.
Zlata Alioshka, St. John Paul II
As a freshman captain, the setter has put together 18 kills, 19 aces, 59 digs and 123 assists so far this season.
"Zlata is another lady Lion coming into this season taking on a bit of a different role," JPII co-coaches Shannon and Haley Kennedy-Cabral said. "This two-year varsity player stepped up to the plate this season, taking over the JPII setter's position. Zlata approaches each game with determination and heart. Zlata has a drive to win and put her best performance out there, each and every game."
Molly Pulit, St. John Paul II
Pulit is also a captain as a senior libero and has two kills, 10 aces, 147 digs, and six assists on the season.
"Molly came into this season taking on a new role for the JPII Lions. After being the Lion's all-around right-side hitter for the past two seasons, Molly came into this season taking on the starting libero position. Molly is able to control a game with her defense and is always backing up her team," Shannon and Haley Kennedy-Cabral said.
Rosanna Sullivan, St. John Paul II
Sullivan is a senior captain and plays at outside hitter. In just the first month of play, Sullivan has racked up 53 kills, 45 aces and 71 digs.
"Rosanna is, not only a strong player on the JPII volleyball team but also a confident leader of our team," Shannon and Haley Kennedy-Cabral said. "Rosanna handles herself on and off the court with poise and strength."
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Ella McCabe, Sandwich
The senior captain is an outside hitter and is tied for the most kills on the team with Alanna Schreibeis (more on her in just a second).
"Ella is a very strong hitter," Sandwich head coach Giulia Leite said. "She kills the ball on the outside. She also is great at defense, often getting many saves and consistently passing accurately on serve receive. She has a killer serve that she is working on getting more consistent. She can play any position on the court, which makes her an asset on the team."
Mia Mulcahy, Sandwich
Mulcahy is junior setter.
"Mia has been one of my most consistent setters in my years of coaching," Leite said. "She rarely doubles or carries her sets. She has a very high court IQ, meaning she knows where to look for open spots, and what plays to run to get the best result. She loves the game and puts in immense effort in every single set that we play. She has a great attitude on and off the court and has a strong desire to win every game."
Alanna Schreibeis, Sandwich
Schreibeis is a senior captain middle hitter and is tied for the most kills with McCabe.
"Alanna is another strong hitter who places the ball very well. When she gets her block up, she is like a wall. Alanna also has a line drive serve that gets us many aces during games. Alanna is constantly learning new plays to run and is learning more and more each practice," Leite said.
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Mariya Marias, Sturgis East
As a freshman last season, Marias did not have a lot of time on the court. In her sophomore campaign this season, she has stepped up.
"She has shown incredible growth on the court and has become one of our all-around players for this season," Sturgis East head coach Sheri Hall said. "She hustles, is always looking for ways to increase her skill, and is willingly doing off-court work to better her game. We have high hopes for her development during the rest of the season."
Katie Murphy, Sturgis East
Like Marias, Murphy also did not see much playing time last season as a freshman but is one of the key players this season as a sophomore.
"Her on-court positivity and quick reflexes make her a strong contributor to the starting lineup. Katie was a DS last year but now sees all-around play. She’s fine-tuning her hitting skills and we’re excited to see her growth," Hall said.
Diana Richards, Sturgis East
Richards is a senior captain for the Storm.
"Diana’s growth as a libero has been incredible. Her court confidence and speed make her a force. She can do it all: serve, hit, set, so her contributions to the team are extensive," Hall said.
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Brodie Gerlach, Sturgis West
Gerlach is a junior middle blocker and leads the team in both kills and aces.
"Brodie is involved in nearly every play, whether passing, blocking or hitting," Sturgis West head coach Dana Gerlach said. "She is a leader on the court and an anchor for the team."
Noe Kittila, Sturgis West
Kittila is playing on varsity for the first time as a sophomore opposite hitter.
"She is already making an impact with her blocking and positive energy. She has adjusted well to hitting on the right side, learns quickly, and will only get better," Gerlach said.
Chase Liimatainen, Sturgis West
Liimatainen is a senior outside hitter. She ran cross country for two years before switching to volleyball last season.
"From the moment she walked on the court, she made a difference with both her passing and strong defense," Gerlach said.
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Nigella Johnson, Upper Cape
Johnson started playing volleyball last season as a freshman and is a sophomore setter this season.
"In the offseason, she participated in club and mastered the art of setting," Upper Cape head coach Nicole Botelho said. "Nigella is a varsity starter, she has a big heart and a lot of love for the game. You can find her on the court serving aces and quick setting the ball."
Ella Kerrigan, Upper Cape
Kerrigan is a junior defensive specialist, a three-year player and a two-year varsity starter.
"You can find Ella on the floor digging some of the most powerful hits in our league. Ella is a positive role model for her peers and her sportsmanship is top-notch," Botelho said.
Miranda Soloman, Upper Cape
The junior outside hitter is a three-year player for the Rams.
"Miranda put in the work in the offseason. Miranda is the smallest outside hitter Upper Cape has had. Don’t let her size fool you though. She jumps high to block some of the best hitters in our league and her court awareness is extremely impressive," Botelho said.
Contact Courtney Jacobs at cjacobs@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @CJ_Journalist.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: 31 Cape Cod high school girls volleyball players to watch this fall
