Two Eagles players receive honors

ST. JOHN - St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse volleyball played Sunnyside Christian on Nov. 1 in the first round of the District 9 1B volleyball tournament.

Before the Eagles played the Knights, two of their players received awards at the conclusion of their regular seasons.

Junior middle hitter Kailtyn Hough was one of 12 to receive WIAA Athlete of the Week honors for Week 7 of the fall season which included 3-0 wins over both Pomeroy and Tekoa-Rosalia.

She was joined in honors by senior teammate, setter Addisen Becker, who received First-Team All America Best and Brightest honors by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The AVCA is an organization of more than 6,000 members. It is comprised of both collegiate, club and high school volleyball coaches and is based out of Lexington in Kentucky.

The Best And Brightest First-team honors are awarded to athletes who excel on and off the court with an unweighted 3.7 GPA, 4.2 weighted GPA or higher.

"I think that to my team, it means a lot," Becker said. "In this program we push for excellence both in athletics and education. I work really hard for everything I do and it's really fulfilling to see that recognized."

Hough had a similar sentiment to Becker about the fulfillment of the award as well as the positive representation it has for the program.

"It's really nice and it reflects well on the team," Hough said. "For myself, it's really nice. It makes you recognize your hard work and it makes you really appreciate all the time and effort you've put into this."

St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse finished the season as the No. 4 seed in the 1B Southeast-East volleyball standings with a 7-3 league record, behind only defending 1B state champions Oakesdale.

"I think it puts a big statement out there," Becker said. "We're committed to being the best and it shows in these achievements. And we're willing to push ourselves and it shows in these accomplishments."

Ahead of district play, Hough described the preparation that the team is taking ahead of districts.

"We're really focusing on the mental aspect of the game," Hough said. "Obviously the physical aspect is important but the mental aspect is what pushes you through the game."

Hough and Becker went on to say that the team has an amazing community and family atmosphere around him and described the reactions from their family when getting the news of the honors.

"My mom sent me all caps," Becker said. "'Oh my god, you got it, congratulations. I'm so proud of you.'"

Hough described that she got messages from families and coaches from middle school and club congratulating her on the achievement.

The two players and the rest of their teammates played Sunnyside Christian at 6 p.m. Nov. 1 in Sunnyside.