Ellsworth High School senior Sarah Shelton has been named the 2014-15 Gatorade Maine Volleyball Player of the Year.
She is the first Ellsworth player to earn the honor, which recognizes not only athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character, according to a news release from Gatorade.
Shelton, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, slammed 192 kills while producing a .508 kill percentage this past season, and she led the Eagles (8-7) to the Class A state quarterfinals.
She also was named the Maine Volleyball Coaches Association’s Player of the Year while recording 157 service receptions, 102 digs, 84 assists and 56 service aces.
In two Class A state tournament matches, Shelton collected 33 kills, 27 digs, 25 service receptions, seven assists and a service ace.
“Sarah Shelton is definitely a standout in the state,” said Maine Junior Olympic Volleyball Club coach Andy Pohl, Shelton’s summer coach. “She is one of the best outside hitters in the state, but because Ellsworth needed her skills elsewhere, she didn’t get to play much at outside hitter. They had her playing other positions, including setter, and even still, she led them in pretty much every category.”
Also a tennis standout, Shelton has maintained a 3.87 GPA in the classroom and serves as treasurer of her school’s student council. A member of the National Honor Society, she has also volunteered on behalf of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
She remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
Past Gatorade Maine Volleyball Players of the Year include Katrina Meserve (2013-14, Falmouth), Mariah Hebert (2012-13, Biddeford), Brittany Bona (2011-12, Scarborough), Keila Grigware (2010-11, Biddeford), Michaela Campbell (2009-10 and 2008-09, Greely), and Mariah Grover (2007-08, Mount Desert Island).