University of Minnesota Athletics
McNeil Named Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year
12/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Incoming Golden Gopher Kellie McNeil was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year according to an announcement by Gatorade Company in collaboration with ESPN RISE.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes McNeil as Minnesota’s best high school volleyball player.
McNeil is now a finalist for the National Gatorade Player of the Year honors, which were captured in 2009 by current Golden Gopher Ashley Wittman.
This past season, McNeil led Lakeville North to a 31-1 record and the Class AAA state title. She recorded 1,172 assists, 203 digs, 147 blocks, 132 kills and 66 service aces while averaging 13.1 assists per game. The 2010 Ms. Baden-Minnesota Volleyball Player of the Year and the 2010 Minneapolis Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, McNeil is the nation’s No. 8 setter as rated by PrepVolleyball.com.
McNeil has maintained a 3.82 GPA in the classroom. A devoted member of her church community, she has volunteered locally as a youth tutor and volleyball coach, and on behalf of multiple food and holiday gift drives for families in need.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
McNeil joins her future teammate Ashley Wittman (who won the honor in 2008 & 2009) among the state’s list of former award winners.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes McNeil as Minnesota’s best high school volleyball player.
McNeil is now a finalist for the National Gatorade Player of the Year honors, which were captured in 2009 by current Golden Gopher Ashley Wittman.
This past season, McNeil led Lakeville North to a 31-1 record and the Class AAA state title. She recorded 1,172 assists, 203 digs, 147 blocks, 132 kills and 66 service aces while averaging 13.1 assists per game. The 2010 Ms. Baden-Minnesota Volleyball Player of the Year and the 2010 Minneapolis Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, McNeil is the nation’s No. 8 setter as rated by PrepVolleyball.com.
McNeil has maintained a 3.82 GPA in the classroom. A devoted member of her church community, she has volunteered locally as a youth tutor and volleyball coach, and on behalf of multiple food and holiday gift drives for families in need.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
McNeil joins her future teammate Ashley Wittman (who won the honor in 2008 & 2009) among the state’s list of former award winners.
Players Mentioned
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