Flynn named Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year
NOTRE DAME ACADEMY STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE® MASSACHUSETTS VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CHICAGO (December 12, 2013) — In its 29th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Julia Flynn of Notre Dame Academy as its 2013-14 Gatorade Massachusetts Volleyball Player of the Year. Flynn is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Notre Dame Academy.
Flynn has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball on an athletic scholarship at Bryant University beginning next fall.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Flynn as Massachusetts's best high school volleyball player. Flynn joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including USA Volleyball players Kim Glass (2001-02, Horseshoe HS, Penn.), Kim Willoughby (1998-99, 1999-00, Assumption HS, La.) and Ogonna Nnamani (1999-00, University HS, Ill).
The 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter led the Cougars to a 22-2 record and the Division 2 state title this past season. Flynn recorded 312 kills, 197 digs, 70 service aces and 17 blocks while posting a hitting percentage of .463 and a kill percentage of .551. A two-time Division 2 First Team All-State selection, Flynn tallied 23 kills and 20 digs in a 3-2 win over Westborough High in the state final. She concluded her prep volleyball career with 719 kills and 438 digs.
Flynn has maintained a B average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally at a food pantry and on behalf of fundraising campaigns to benefit breast cancer research and victims of Hurricane Sandy.
"Julia Flynn is the best hitter in the state, bar none," said Roger Anderson, head coach at Westborough High. "Without her, they would not have won the state championship. Offensively she plays at a speed that is very, very difficult to keep up with."
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Flynn joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Volleyball Players of the Year Cassidy Stankowski (2012-2013 & 2011-12, Frontier Regional School), Maura Manley (2010-11, New Bedford High School), Morgan Thatcher (2009-10, Brockton), Caitlin Barrett (2008-09, Brockton) and Mina Baban (2007-08, Westborough) among the state's list of former award winners.
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