District 7B released the All-Conference

and All-State lists for the 2010 volleyball season and topping them

was Bigfork’s Mallery Knoll.

“Mallery is a great all-around player

who was universally recognized as one of the top players in the

league by the district coaches,” said Tracy Wicklund, Bigfork’s

head volleyball coach.

Knoll, a senior, was named to the

All-State list, and subsequently first team All-Conference, along

with two other girls from 7B  — Mission’s Adessa Durglo and

Eureka’s Selene Elster.

Bigfork’s Melissa VanDerveer, a junior,

made second team All-Conference having missed being on the first

team list by just two votes, according to Wicklund.

“Melissa was recognized as the second

best middle hitter/blocker in the district by the coaches,”

Wicklund said.

Also, making the cut from Bigfork was

senior Hannah Barrett, who was given honorable mention.

“Hannah was a great setter and the

Vals’ most consistent server over the year, so I was very happy for

her to be recognized by the committee of coaches,” Wicklund

said.

The first-year head coach for the

Valkyries said she was not only happy to see these girls be

recognized for their work on the court, but that she was also

pleased with what it said about the team as a whole.

“At the beginning of the season, we

were inexperienced at the varsity level, and I don’t think we

really scared anybody because of the heavy senior class we had

lost,” Wicklund said. “Filling the shoes of that senior class was

not going to be easy, but led by these three selections, we were

able to come out and hold our own and finish the regular season

7-3. To come out and win against some of these teams early on was

unexpected to some, but the girls believed in themselves and had a

good season. The selections prove that other teams in the district

are going to be very strong next year with several underclassmen

earning All-Conference, and we need to work very hard over the

summer.”

The Vals will again have some

rebuilding to do next year as they will lose seven players to

graduation in June, all of whom Wicklund said will be tough to

replace.

“The loss of Mallery, Hannah and all of

my seniors will be difficult,” Wicklund said. “I am so proud of the

way these girls handled themselves on and off the court.

“Next year’s Vals need to work hard to

fill the shoes of these valuable members of the team.”