1995 All-Anne Arundel County volleyball team

The teams

Player of the Year: Julie Allen, Severna Park

Coach of the Year: Maureen Carter, South River

First team

Name, School, Year, Position

Julie Allen, Severna Park, Senior, Hitter

Amy Hutson, Glen Burnie, Junior, Hitter

Lauren Butler, Severna Park, Senior, Hitter

Kim Thomas, South River, Senior, Hitter

Crystal Henderson, Spalding, Senior, Hitter

Amy VanDehei, Broadneck, Junior, Hitter

Rachael Benton, Severna Park, Junior, Hitter

Robin Catterton, South River, Junior, Setter

Second team

Name, School, Year, Position

Marybeth DuVall, South River, Senior, Hitter

Julie Gosewich, Severna Park, Sophomore, Hitter

Kara Johnson, Broadneck, Senior, Setter

Shauna Gooding, Arundel, Senior, Setter

Chavonne Hammond, Arundel, Senior, Hitter

Stacey Ellenberger, Glen Burnie, Senior, Hitter

Andrea Williams, Northeast, Senior, Hitter

Cathy Porter, Old Mill, Senior, Hitter

Honorable mention: Holly Shaffer, Old Mill, Sr., hitter; Jessica Gibson, North County, Sr., hitter; Danielle Kaegel, Severna Park, Sr., setter; Sandy Sandifer, Spalding, Jr., hitter

Player of the Year

Julie Allen, Severna Park, outside hitter: Name any phase of the game and Allen was very good at it. She first gained notoriety as a junior power hitter with 277 kills last year, but she came back this season to excel in serving, blocking, hustle, leadership, dinks, digs and power hitting. Allen rolled up 312 kills this season, with some of them going over the net so fast that her coach, Tim Dunbar, and teammates looked at each other in disbelief. It was quite a sight to see the 5-foot-10, strongly built Allen simply attack the ball for kills by taking a few big strides and sending the ball down in somebody's face. She served at 85 percent with 42 aces, but more importantly was known for her ability to serve in crucial situations in big matches. Allen's outstanding serving helped the Falcons rally from two games down to beat Calvert High in five games in the opening round of the 4A East Region playoffs. In the final match of her high school career against Northern of Calvert in the quarterfinals of the 4A East, Allen excelled against the team that is in a class by itself in Maryland high school volleyball. Allen played her heart out in an attempt to bring Severna Park back after it got shut out, 15-0, in the first game, but she appeared to wear out midway through the fourth game, which Northern won, 15-11, to take the match.

Coach of the Year

Maureen Carter, South River: Carter took a small group of unheralded players from a little school and turned them into a team that could play with anybody, including a vaunted Severna Park squad. Carter guided the Seahawks to a 13-3 record, the 2A East Region finals, the No. 8 ranking in the final Baltimore metro poll and had them leading Severna Park, 2-1, after three games. The fourth game of that match against Severna Park was one that Carter will be replaying all winter and spring because her team had several good opportunities to close out the match before losing, 15-13, to force a fifth game, which turned out to be an embarrassing 15-0 loss. But still the Seahawks had gained a lot of respect that day with their hustle, execution, quickness and incredible digs. Carter went with the same six players the entire match (there were only nine on the team) and nearly stunned the Falcons. South River didn't have the overall talent of many of its opponents, but Carter had her players believing in themselves, playing text book volleyball and overachieving. The Seahawks even found a way to get by for 17 games in a 16-match season without big hitter Kim Thomas, who had an ankle injury.

First team at a glance

Rachael Benton, Severna Park, Jr., outside hitter: After playing all season in the shadows of more celebrated teammates Julie Allen and Lauren Butler, Benton is "ready to take over" next season, said Severna Park coach Tim Dunbar. Consistency and all-around play were her primary contributions to the top-ranked Falcons (21-3). Benton led the team in blocks (51), was second in serving (90.1 percent and 57 aces) and third in kills (134).

Lauren Butler, Severna Park, Sr., outside hitter: She developed a friendly rivalry with Player of the Year teammate Julie Allen and the two wore out the opposition in the county and could only be stopped by a Northern of Calvert team that waltzed to a second straight state 4A championship. Butler was a gifted server (93.8 percent and 70 aces, both tops on team) and was second on the team to Allen with 170 kills. She was also an excellent passer and was praised by coach Tim Dunbar: "Because Lauren passed so well, Julie was able to get a lot of kills." But her trademark was the low line-drive serves that handcuffed many opponents.