Photos by Steve Galluzzo
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
After leading their team to the Open Division semifinals and 35 total victories, four Palisades Charter High School players were named to the 2023 All-City girls volleyball team.
Making the Open Division first team were junior middle blocker Hazel Irving and senior outside hitter Ava Pearce. Neither one of them played in Palisades’ CIF SoCal Regional Division III match against Pacific Ridge on November 27, a major reason the Dolphins lost in three sets.
Earning second team honors were senior opposite/outside hitter Carly Bloom and senior libero Gabi Kawasaki.
Alyssa Lee of Open Division champion El Camino Real was voted Coach of the Year while Royals senior outside hitter Claire Grasteit shared Player of the Year accolades with senior middle blocker Claire Mussell of runner-up Taft.
Rounding out the first team were libero Anika Bernardo, setter Addison Choi and middle blocker Niki Ghasemi of ECR; setter Francine Baltazar-Shine and opposite hitter Aleiah Carr of Taft; outside hitter Samantha Lortie and libero Tinoa Woodward-Hart of Venice; outside hitter Valeria Bellodas-Lazo of Granada Hills; setter Lauren Pun of Chatsworth; outside hitter Makana Pineda from Cleveland; and outside hitter Daisy Kabukuru of Birmingham.
Marshall’s Joseph Manahan earned Division I Coach of the Year recognition while Barristers setter Sascha Carmichael was selected Player of the Year. Andrew Paschen from Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies is the Division II Coach of the Year and Unicorns outside hitter Kalyani Olive is the Player of the Year. Division III MVP honors went to outside hitter Veronica Lanuza of City champion Rancho Dominguez and the Division IV Player of the Year was Viviana Cuellar of Lakeview Charter.
The last Palisades girl to be chosen City Player of the Year was junior setter Kaia Kanan in 2020.
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