The Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association named Felicity-Franklin High School volleyball standout Amber Lawrence a Division III/IV First Team All-City selection in November.
“She’s the best player on our team, a key player and she’s what made our team as successful as we were,” Felicity head coach Damon Smith said. “She’s an outstanding hitter from the inside and a great blocker as well.
Lawrence finished the season with 245 kills and 76 blocks.
“She seems to step up and offer leadership and knowledge to her teammates and she makes them better.”
Lawrence, a junior, plays for Cincy East Volleyball Club in the offseason; something that Smith is a key to her continued success.
“She is very coachable and really likes the game,” Smith said. “She puts a lot of time into it. Playing club volleyball all year round has made her a much better player.”
Lawrence ended her 2010 season with 40 service aces, scoring 131 points out of 233 total serves.
On the defensive side of the net, Lawrence had 82 digs.
Felicity went 5-16 in their 2010 campaign, but Smith expects with Lawrence coming back, along with a strong core from this past season’s team, the Cardinals should be a solid squad.
“I think we should be really competitive next year,” Smith said. “We only had one senior this year. Next year, with the returning players, we should be competitive in the league, possibly even winning it if the girls apply themselves and work in the offseason.”
With Lawrence returning, Smith expects her to be a key cog in Felicity’s drive to win the Southern Buckeye Conference.
“Amber brings a lot to the team with her skills, her ability and her knowledge of the game and if we can instill that into some of the other players, I think we’ll be pretty good.”
Other All-City selections from Clermont County include Williamsburg’s Tiffany Tibbs who was also named to the Division III/IV First Team. Two more Lady Wildcats were honored, Courtney Wagers and Alexa Tibbs, both on the Third Team.
The three selections were key components to the Wildcats’ 20-2 season.
Although Wagers and Alex Tibbs will be lost to graduation, Tiffany Tibbs, like Lawrence, was a junior in 2010 and will return to hopefully lead the Wildcats to another great season.
In Division I, Glen Este’s Stacy Howell and Milford’s Mallory Baker were picked to the All-City Third Team. Glen Este went 17-5 and Milford finished 12-12.
Goshen’s Kylie Collins and New Richmond’s Sarah Shoemaker were chosen to the Division II Second Team All-City. Collins’ Warriors finished at 14-7 in 2010 and Shoemaker’s Lions went 6-17.