Rangers, Trojans top All-State teams Greely earns three first team selections

It won’t come as a shock to anyone familiar with the past Maine high school volleyball season that the 2007 All-State Volleyball first team is dominated by state championship finalists Mount Desert Island and Greely of Cumberland Center.

The team is chosen by the state’s coaches.

The Rangers, who won their fifth straight state title with a four-game win over MDI last month, have three representatives on the first team while MDI has two. Only two first teamers – Woodland’s Courtney Cochran and Biddeford’s Danielle Drapeau – don’t have ties to either program.

MDI senior middle hitter Mariah Grover, a second team pick last year, heads up the 2007 squad with teammate Alyson Yau, a junior setter and service specialist. The other members are Greely senior setter Erika Zambello, junior outside hitter Hillary Cederna, and sophomore outside hitter Michaela Campbell.

The second team consists of Woodland’s Mikayla Sabattis and Ariel Knights, Yumi Mahar from Washington Academy of East Machias, Nicole Osborne of Calais, Gorham’s Sara Burnheimer and Lindsay Hansen, and Biddeford’s Lindsey Mininnie.

First Team

Cochran, an honorable mention as a sophomore, is a two-time first team selection and the lone returning all-state pick. The senior star led her team to the Eastern Maine final with 226 kills and 110 digs. She was no slouch behind the service line either as she hit on 90 percent of her serves (181-for-201) and had 47 aces. She also finished with a hitting efficiency of 38.2 percent.

Grover was an intimidating presence at the net for MDI all season long, finishing with 131 kills and 54 blocks. She also had 21 assists and was a solid server as well with 32 aces on 91 percent (124-for-134) service while leading the Trojans to their fourth straight Eastern Maine title.

Yau, who attended a few offseason camps to further develop her serve, was an intimidating presence behind the service line as she notched 66 aces on 87 percent serving (201-for-231) to go along with 104 assists.

Zambello and Cederna, both honorable mentions last year, stepped up their games this season.

Zambello hit on 154 of her 164 serves, hit for 36 aces and led her team with 252 assists.

Cederna led the Rangers with 153 kills, was 130-for-147 on service, and had 25 aces.

Campbell burst on the scene and filled some graduation holes for Greely with 134 kills, 42 aces, and 172-for-187 serving.

Drapeau led her Tigers to the Western Maine finals by logging 61 kills, 48 aces, and 14 blocks. She was also a 92 percent (126-for-137) server.

Second Team

Osborne, a sophomore middle hitter, did a bit of everything for the Blue Devils. She was 211-for-236 serving (89.4 percent) with 67 aces, 116 kills and 29 blocks.

Knights is another sophomore who came of age this season. The outside hitter had 113 digs, 94 kills and 41 aces out of 94.8 percent (275-for-290) serving.

Sabattis was another key cog for the Dragons as the senior hitter served 91.4 percent (159-for-174) and had 88 digs to go with 80 kills.

Mahar, a senior setter, hit 95 percent (291 of 307) of her serves and led her team with 169 assists.

Gorham’s 1-2 punch of multi-sport standout Burnheimer and Hansen got the Rams to the West semifinals. Senior outside hitter Burnheimer had 131 kills and 29 aces while senior middle hitter Hansen had 86 kills, 68 digs and 37 blocks.

Mininnie, a senior outside hitter, was a 95 percent server, hitting 93 of 110 serves, and had 25 kills.

Honorable mention status was given to MDI junior hitter Hannah Adelmann and senior hitter Carissa Tinker, Scarborough senior hitter Amanda Bilodeau and senior libero Elise Pierce, and Biddeford senior setter Kayla Binette.