Burroughs’ Grote shares Pacific League POY
Even with the Burroughs High girls’ volleyball team winning a league championship in 2015, Marin Grote was taken aback when she was named co-Pacific League Player of the Year along with one of her teammates.
This past season, it was Arcadia that stormed to a league title, while the Indians placed second. So, it came as a complete surprise to Grote when she was informed that again she was a top league honoree, as she was named tri-player of the year along with Apaches Rachel Reedy and Cammie Dopke.
“It is just so surprising for me this year because I thought I didn’t even have a shot because Arcadia won the league,” said Grote, a junior, who shared the league’s top honor in 2015 with Danielle Ryan. “I’m very, very honored to get that this year and it means a lot to win it alongside such great players.”
Grote leads a group of area players from Burroughs, Burbank, Glendale and Crescenta Valley who earned all-league accolades.
The 6-foot-4 Grote, who has committed to the University of Washington, was the focal point for the Indians. She helped Burroughs (22-10, 10-2 in league) finish runner-up in the Pacific League behind Arcadia (28-2, 14-0). The Indians also advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division II-A quarterfinals.
After moving from the middle to the outside during her sophomore year, Grote said she adapted to playing on the outside, although she is a middle blocker for her club team, the San Gabriel Elite.
“It was definitely easier for me this year, because when I moved last year, it took me some time to learn to play the new position,” she said. “It is really fun to play on the outside and I just wanted to do all I could to help our team win.”
Grote led the Indians with 182 kills in 12 league matches. She added 74 kills in three playoff contests.
“I figured Marin would have a chance to be up for the league MVP because she led us in kills in just about every match, even when we played Arcadia,” Burroughs Coach Edwin Real said. “Just her presence on the court is big.
“It wasn’t more of a question whether Marin would get the top award, but if the other two girls would get it as well. And because Arcadia won the league, everybody just agreed to make it the three. But if you take it player for player and you want to start a team around one player, I’m picking Marin.”
Burroughs also had first-team picks in senior middle blocker Caleigh Paster (74 kills in 12 league matches) and junior setter Lauren Zedlar.
“Caleigh played in the back when Marin was in the front and we just relied on her to put balls away and to be a leader in the front row,” Real said. “We also scored a lot of points on her serve and she was great at receiving and she just progressively got better throughout the season.
“The great thing about Lauren is that she’s very calm and she was the main one who set up Marin. She did such a good job at getting the ball to the right places and that helped make us successful.”
Crescenta Valley (17-12, 10-4) placed third in the Pacific League. The Falcons had two first-team recipients in senior setter Elise Boyle and senior outside Patty Kerman. While Kerman led the team by averaging 5.5 kills a game, Boyle averaged 26 assists and 1.8 aces a match.
“Patty is such a reliable player, but not just with her performance on the court, but with her leadership with the team as well,” Crescenta Valley Coach Kevin Boyke said. “She was our kind of quiet warrior, she doesn’t talk a lot, but she leads the way with her actions.
“The great thing about Elise is she just cares so much about the players she plays with. She does a lot of things for us and the team and I think it’s always been for her a matter of ‘What can I do to help my teammates succeed and help make them better.’”
Placing fourth in the Pacific League was Burbank (16-11-2, 7-7). The Bulldogs had a first-team honoree in senior outside Hailey Heath, who had 154 kills, 149 digs and 40 aces.
“Hailey was a great leader for us on and off the court,” Burbank Coach Karl Rojo said. “Being a senior, she had a ton of knowledge which she brought to the team. She was definitely consistent throughout the entire season and she was someone who we could rely on in terms of hitting, in terms of passing, in terms of serving and defending — she was just a great all-around volleyball player.”
Making the second team for Burroughs were sophomore middle blocker Juliana Van Loo and senior libero Cesera Suarez.
Freshman middle blocker Annamarie Alvarez (three kills per game and a .400 hitting percentage) was a second-team pick for Crescenta Valley.
Senior outside Melissa Daniel (151 kills, 172 digs) was honored on the second team for the Bulldogs.
Glendale (7-19, 5-9), which placed fifth in the Pacific League, had a second-team selection in junior outside Leila Manaois. Saku Yoshioka was an an honorable mention pick for the Nitros.
Also earning honorable mention were Burroughs junior outside hitter Julianna Cottrell, senior libero Noor Alanizi of Crescenta Valley and Burbank senior senior libero Carly Palmisano (112 digs).
Hoover didn’t have any all-league selections.
