After going undefeated in Big Smoky Mountain Conference regular-season play for the second straight year and advancing to their first 1A West Regional Final since 2011, the Lady Bulldogs were well-represented in the All-Conference selections.
Murphy senior middle hitter Torin Rogers led the way by winning Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year. Rogers had a team-high 412 kills on a ridiculous .418 hitting percentage, and helped power the best offense in the conference.
She was also first on the team in total blocks (86), second on the team in aces (27) and third on the team in digs (195). Rogers has now won Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year Award in two different sports, as she also won the award for girls basketball in 2019-20.
Fellows seniors Cailey Dockery and Amber Martin, along with junior Liv Payne, joined Rogers as All-Big Smoky Mountain Conference selections. Dockery was Murphy’s defensive backbone at libero, with a team-high 443 digs. She signed to play volleyball at Notre Dame in November. Martin was the Lady Bulldogs’ main setter, finishing the year with a team-high 852 assists.
Payne was the team’s main hitting option besides Rogers, and was excellent in both the front and back row. She finished second on the team in kills (298) and digs (248). With Rogers graduating, Payne will likely be Murphy’s top hitter next year.
Outside of its All-Conference selections, senior Ashlyn Stroupe and sophomore Maddison Seabolt were named honorable mentions. A defensive specialist, Stroupe finished with 166 digs and a team-high 28 aces. Seabolt showed some potential as a middle hitter, finishing with 142 kills and 49 total blocks.
The awards didn’t stop there for Murphy as head coach Jordan Lovingood was named Big Smoky Mountain Conference Coach of the Year. In her first year as head coach, the Lady Bulldogs finished with a 23-3 record.
For Andrews, seniors Kaylin Ellis and Brooke Phillips were named honorable mentions. Ellis was a setter and the Lady Wildcats’ spark plug, while Phillips was their best offensive option as an outside hitter. Andrews finished 5-9 and lost to Uwharrie Charter in the playoffs.
For Hiwassee Dam, seniors Rylie and Sydney Payne were named All-Little Smoky Mountain Conference, while fellow senior Payton Palmer was an honorable mention. The Paynes led the Lady Eagles’ hitting attack, while Palmer was a steady presence at setter.