Riley James named Boston Herald Player of the Decade

BOSTON – Bryant University volleyball sophomore Riley James (Pocasset, Mass.) has been selected by the Boston Herald as the state high school Player of the Decade for the 2010s, as announced by the newspaper Sunday.

James was the only Boston-area high school player in the 2010s to make the Boston Herald All-Scholastic girls volleyball team four times and set a state record for kills in a career with 1,729 at Barnstable High School from 2015-18. A two-time Gatorade Player of the Year for Massachusetts, James was part of two state championship teams, tallying 510 kills and 441 digs in those two title campaigns.

The Bulldog outside hitter was a key contributor in her first season in Black & Gold, leading the team with 2.70 kills and 0.38 aces per set while ranking second with 2.87 digs per set. James was one of two NEC freshmen to stand in the top 10 in the conference in kills and aces per set.

James was joined on the Boston Herald All-Decade Team by Bryant alumna Julia Flynn, who enjoyed a stellar career at Notre Dame Academy before collecting 1,147 kills as a Bulldog and helping the Black & Gold to their first NEC crown in her senior year.

The full Boston Herald volleyball All-Decade Team can be seen HERE.

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