The awards keep piling up for Tumwater High School junior Kennedy Croft.
Already a first-team all-state selection and 2A Evergreen Conference MVP, Croft, who helped the Thunderbirds go undefeated and win the Class 2A state volleyball championship this past season, was named the 2016-17 Gatorade Washington Volleyball Player of the Year.
The 5-foot-10 outside hitter paced the T-Birds with 480 kills, 263 digs, 47 service aces and 35 blocks. She also registered a .429 percent attacking clip during Tumwater’s 22-0 season.
“It’s an honor to be able to play with and against the best players in Washington,” said Croft, who becomes the first Tumwater athlete to receive the award. “And to be named Gatorade State Player of the Year is very humbling,”
During Croft’s three years as a starter, Tumwater has won three 2A EvCo championships, three district titles and two state championships.
“Winning state means a lot to our team because we worked so hard all season, and to reach our ultimate goal was the best reward,” Croft said.
This past season Croft broke her own school records for match and season kills totals.
Croft was especially dominating at the state tournament. In Tumwater’s straight set victory in the title match against Woodland, she finished with a team-high 19 kills to go with 12 digs and three aces.
“She loves this game and she has put a ton of time and dedication into it, just like so many of her teammates and friends,” said Croft’s mother, Tana Otton, who is also Tumwater’s head coach. “There are some tremendous players in this state. To have her get this honor, as a junior, is phenomenal.”
Croft becomes just the third junior to receive the honor, joining Bellarmine Prep’s Courtney Schwan (2012-13) and Lakeside’s Jennifer Barcus (2000-01). Both Schwan and Barcus duplicated the feat the following year as seniors.
“She improved her serve receive and has been developing more power in her hitting,” Otton said. “Kennedy’s volleyball IQ is unreal. She loves to keep learning and growing as a player. So, I don’t see a peak for her. I believe she will just continue to get better each year.”
In addition to Croft, the T-Birds will return juniors Mia Basso and Sara Schultz; sophomores Savannah Sleasman and Sophia Koelsch; and freshmen Ellis Bocksch and Leah Cairns next season in their attempt to win back-to-back state championships for the first time in school history.
“My goals for next season are to be a great leader and win state,” said Croft, who is already the school’s all-time kills leader despite still having one season remaining. “I think we can do it even with losing seven seniors.”
The Gatorade State Player of the Year 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 Croft as Washington’s best high school volleyball player and makes her a finalist for the Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year.
“Kennedy has grown as a leader and captain. She has a refuse to lose spirit that is contagious to her team,” Otton said. “I am a very proud mama. She was born while I was right in the middle of my season as head coach at Meridian High School. I literally went into labor at practice. She has been in the gym, with her hands on a volleyball from the moment she was born.”
Croft, who has verbally committed to play at Gonzaga University, has excelled in the classroom as well, maintaining a 3.72 GPA.
As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Croft will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program.
Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program, now in its 32nd year, 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 Player of the Year Selection Committee, 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.
