Here is The Republic's All-Arizona high school beach volleyball team for the 2023-24 school year. The top beach volleyball players are recognized in pairs. Also listed are honorable mentions and coach of the year. The pair of the year will be announced from this list at the Arizona High School Sports Awards, presented by Diamond Kitchen & Bath, event on June 17 at Arizona Financial Theater in downtown Phoenix along with players of the year in other high school sports for the 2023-24 school year. The show is produced in partnership with Western States Home Services.
Followthis linkto learn more about the event, or visit azcentral.com.
Emma McSorley and Lauren Watson, Notre Dame Prep
McSorley and Watson won the 2024 Division I pairs championship in impressive fashion. They entered the pairs tournament the No. 5 seed and defeated higher-seeded pairs in the quarter, semifinal and finals. That included defeating No. 1-seeded and defending pairs champs Devyn Wiest and Piper Rama of Sandra Day O'Connor in the semifinals. Wiest and Rama had defeated them in the regular season. McSorley and Watson then defeated No. 3 Xavier Prep's Trinity Tran and Kate MacDonald, 23-21, 18-21, 18-16, in the final. The two were paired most of the season, with McSorley, a junior, posting an 11-2 record and Watson, a sophom*ore, 13-2.
Lane Sheedy and Alexa Helms, Arcadia
Sheedy and Helms were seeded No. 3 in the Division II pairs championship bracket. They defeated the two higher seeded pairs, both of which defeated them in the regular season, for the Division II title. In the semifinals, they downed Salpointe Catholic's Megan Muehlebach and Sophia Hernandez, the No. 2 seed, and then defeated No. 1 Bella Reyes and Ava Cotton of Saguaro, 21-17, 12-21, 15-10. Sheedy, a junior, and Helms, a sophom*ore, were 13-2 in the regular season.
Ava Cotton and Bella Reyes, Saguaro
The No. 1 seed in the state pairs bracket had a dominant season, despite finishing runner up in the finals to Sheedy and Helms. They posted a 13-1 regular season record, with their only loss coming to Salpointe Catholic's Megan Muehlebach and Sophia Hernandez, the No. 2-seeded tandem in the pairs bracket.
Devyn Wiest and Piper Rama, Sandra Day O'Connor
Their loss in the Division I pair finals by no means takes away from the strong season the pair had for the No. 1-ranked team and eventual D-I team champion O'Connor. Wiest, a junior, and her partner Rama, a senior, went 14-0 paired together during the regular season and were the team's No. 1 pair all season, earning that No. 1 tournament seed. They lost only two games during the regular season.
Kate MacDonald and Trinity Tran, Xavier Prep
The teamed for an 11-1 regular season record and entered the Division I pairs championship bracket the No. 3 seed, but lost in the championship final to Notre Dame's Emma McSorley and Lauren Watson.
Sophia Hernandez and Megan Muehlebach, Salpointe Catholic
The pair of seniors had an outstanding regular season, going 16-0 paired together and losing only one game along the way. The entered the Division II pairs championship bracket seeded No. 2, but lost in the semifinals to eventual D-II pairs champions Lane Sheedy and Alexa Helms of Arcadia. They helped lead the Lancers to the D-II team championship for the fourth straight year.
Honorable mentions: Elle Evers, Tatum Riggs, Madisyn Crnjac, Izzy Mahaffey, Queen Creek; Katie Lambeth, Delaney Singleton, Iana Loera, Kinsley Singleton, Natalie Gilbert, Kate Smith, Alyssas Flores, Leyton Heldt, Sandra Day O'Connor; Kylie Helm, Danica Singleton, Highland; Natalie Lorenzo, Lucci Alexander, Desert Ridge; Kylie Barr, Kaelyn Putz, Holly Matchinsky, Finley Workman, Xavier Prep; Brinza Burness, Charlotte Gibson, Desert Vista; Gabbi Kucinski, Bella Martinez, Millennium; Maggie Pitts, Maddie Purdy, Ava Castro, Aubrey Easaw, Mesquite; Abbey Garner, Kylie Strang, Canyon del Oro; Kiki Muehlebach, Eleanor Sharp, Hannah Kynaston, Chloe Zhang, Lauren Jones, Grace Utz, Amelia Bartfalvi, Nicole Monge, Salpointe Catholic; Macie Moseng, Sophie Krassner, Flagstaff; Josie Fox, Isabella Scaramella, Arcadia; Natalie Guerrero, Ryan Poyner, Trivium Prep; Lillie Duitsman, Alex Heyn, Gilbert Christian; Audra Gorder, Kendall Story, AZ College Prep.
Coach of the Year
Jamey Spartz, Sandra Day O'Connor: Led the No. 1-ranked Eagles to an undefeated season and their third straight AIA Division I state team championship in 2024. The team finished the season ranked No 19 nationally by MaxPreps.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Republic's 2023-24 All-Arizona high school beach volleyball team
