* Christina Bhanos, Loch Raven, senior, hitter -- Bhanos saved her best effort for the Baltimore County championship when she had 13 kills to lead the No. 9 Raiders over Perry Hall in three games. In that match, she was perfect serving and receiving serve. Time and again in that match, she used a tremendous vertical jump to hit the ball over the opponents' blocks. A balanced player, the 5-foot-10 middle hitter had 128 kills this season. She also averaged 96 percent serving and blocked 40 spikes for the Raiders (13-2), who went unbeaten against county competition.
* Abby Burk, Towson, senior, hitter -- Burk emerged as a powerful hitter this year on an improved Generals' squad that made its first playoff appearance in five years. A 5-foot-10 hitter, Burk averaged just over four kills per game. She served just as powerfully with 81 percent accuracy and 53 aces. An all-around solid player, Burk turned the regional playoffs into her personal showcase. In a semifinal victory over Hammond, she slammed 15 kills and had eight aces. In the final, she had 13 kills as the Generals (11-4) fell to eventual state champ Mount Hebron, 16-14, 16-14, 15-13.
* Gabrielle Clark, Catonsville, senior, setter -- Clark was the one who maked everyone else look good. A setter with velvet hands, she could convert almost any pass into a hittable ball. In the No. 5 Comets' 5-1 formation, Clark was the only setter. The team had 550 successful hits this season and Clark set all but a handful of them. A two-year starter, she averaged 19 assists per match for the Comets, who reached the state Class 3A semifinals. Clark also served with 93 percent accuracy. Excellent endurance and hand strength helped her develop a solid repertoire of sets, including quick sets and tandem sets.
* Debbie Kasten, Seton Keough, senior, hitter -- Kasten's power led the Gators (11-3) to the Catholic League regular-season championship and the runner-up spot in the tournament. The 5-foot-9 senior had kills on 63 percent of her hits. Her serving average for the season was 87 percent and her blocking average was 48 percent. In her best performance of the season, Kasten had 25 kills and six aces in a match against Mount Carmel. She was named to the All-Catholic League first team.
* Tracy Morgan, Perry Hall, senior, hitter -- The best all-around player on a balanced squad, Morgan led the Gators to a 16-2 season, the state Class 4A semifinals and the No. 3 ranking in The Baltimore Sun poll. An excellent defensive player, she could dig as well as anyone in the area. But the 5-foot-7 middle hitter also displayed a powerful spike and accurate serve. Even though the Gators had three strong hitters, Morgan compiled 144 kills during the season, a 2.4 per game average. She had a 93 percent serving accuracy and 43 aces.