Farmersville junior Peighton Purser (15) has been named the District 13-4A Offensive Player of the Year. Photo by Victor Tapia / C&S Media
By David Wolman
It was another successful season on the court for the Farmersville volleyball team.
The Lady Farmers qualified for the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season, avenged a previous loss to Texarkana Pleasant Grove, defeated a Lindale team that made the Region II-4A Division I final and finished the season with a 29-13 record.
That success came despite several position changes and Farmersville losing one of its most versatile players, junior setter/outside hitter Rylie Cottongame, to transfer midway through the season.
Other coaches took notice of Farmersville’s success and perseverance and voted eight different Lady Farmers onto the All-District 13-4A team.
Junior outside hitter Peighton Purser earned a superlative — Offensive Player of the Year. Asked to play a variety of roles for the Lady Farmers, Purser handled that pressure with relative ease. She finished her junior season with team highs in kills (505), service aces (85) and blocks (45) while chipping in 351 digs and 35 assists.
Junior libero Isabella Lopez, sophomore middle blocker Cambrant Donaldson and senior setter Alexia Hernandez were honored on the first team.
Lopez thrived as Farmersville’s lockdown defender in the back row, posting a team-high 386 digs while contributing 26 aces and 102 assists. Donaldson tallied 173 kills, 53 digs, 37 blocks and five aces in her first full season with Farmersville’s top team. Hernandez thrived despite undergoing a position change midway through the season. She was moved from defensive specialist to setter and recorded 130 digs, 40 aces and 89 assists.
Junior setter Breelynn Pollard and freshman hitter Nidya Duran were placed on the All-District 13-4A second team. Pollard, who was a state qualifier in cross-country, took over the primary setting duties after the Lady Farmers lost Isabella Deluco to graduation. Pollard posted 568 assists to accompany eight kills, 196 digs and a team-high 47 aces. Duran, meanwhile, racked up 81 kills, 24 blocks and 27 digs.
Sophomore Brinlea McDole, senior Haley Watkins and senior Graycin Strawn earned honorable mention on the All-District team. McDole posted 54 aces, 204 digs and 33 assists. Watkins contributed 77 kills, 39 digs and 26 blocks. Strawn tallied 34 digs, 31 kills, four blocks and two assists.
Farmersville was also recognized for its efforts in the classroom, with Duran, Donaldson, Hernandez, McDole, Pollard, Strawn, Watkins, junior Presley McIver, junior Aaliya Corzine and senior Baylee O’Brien earning spots on the All-District Academic Team.
Sunnyvale had five players earn district superlatives after helping to lead the Lady Raiders to a third consecutive district championship. Senior Leah Devaraj garnered 13-4A MVP honors, senior Keira Fawcett won Libero of the Year, senior Destiny Arinze was named Blocker of the Year, freshman Paislee Maupin captured Newcomer of the Year and Kyla Menefee was named the district’s Coach of the Year.
Caddo Mills junior Abigale Cotten was 13-4A Setter of the Year, and Wills Point senior Cara Allen captured Defensive Player of the Year.
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