Seven prep volleyball players, one of which was the league’s most valuable player, were named All-Heritage League selections at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
Trinity Classical Academy, which had a playoff run that stretched to the CIF-Southern Section Division 8 championship game in a loss to Oakwood, had the most players honored with five.
The Knights’ Nicole Amoroso, a senior, was named MVP. By the end of the 2019 season, Amoroso had amassed a team-leading 691 assists. She was also first on the team in terms of aces with 67 and added 223 digs.
“I wanted to get better location on my sets, become a better defensive player,” Amoroso said of what she wanted to improve on this season. “I’ve been known to not … I run down balls but I would kind of stand still sometimes. “So fixing that. Mentally being an example by never getting in my head for some of the younger players.”
In addition to claiming the MVP spot, Trinity also had three players named All-Heritage League First Team: Paige Kim, Reagan Fernandez and Riley Spector.
Kim, a senior, and Fernandez, a junior, were two of the most imposing players on the team. At middle blocker, Fernandez was first on the team with blocks (37 solo, 36 assisted) and second on the team in kills (211).
Kim ranked first on the team in kills with 263. Like Amoroso, she also wanted to be a role model for younger players on the team.
“Trying to be a role model for the younger girls on the team and trying to be someone that they can look up to,” Kim said of her objectives this year. “And also with that, being able to move on from my own mistakes. I gained a lot of confidence in my skills and being a senior on the team and I think that was something I tried to focus on.”
Riley Spector was the third Knights player on the First Team list. The junior libero led the team in digs with 414 and made an impact from the service line with 50 aces.
Santa Clarita Christian School’s Vanessa Gracia earned First Team honors as well and was also named All-CIF this season.
“My junior year, after high school season, I really just wanted to work on myself and work on my skills and just improve,” the senior said. “I spent a lot of time at Legacy (Volleyball Club), just taking the extra time and when the season came, I was competing for the libero spot and I fought and maintained a good attitude and leadership position on the team as much as I possibly could.”
Two area seniors were named All-Heritage League second team: Trinity’s Victoria Fay and SCCS’s Alicia Castillo.
Fay was third on the team in terms of kills with 116, right behind Kim and Fernandez. She also added 27 aces and 146 digs.
Castillo and the Cardinals reached the CIF-Southern Section Division 8 quarterfinals this year, where they lost to St. Bernard.
