PLAYER OF THE YEAR
* Sheri Kujawa, Centennial, sr., setter -- The quarterback of the No. 1 Eagles (24-1) who won a fourth straight state Class 3A title, Kujawa knew how to make all the hitters look good. With soft hands and the determination to set every pass, she could adjust to the opponents' blockers and put the ball where the hitters could convert. She finished the season with 597 assists, averaging 8.18 per game. The 5-foot-9 veteran could also hit (47 kills, 31.4 percent kill accuracy) and block (34 points). She served at a 92 percent rate with 56 aces. "She's come a long way since last year," said Eagles coach Mike Bossom. "This year, she tried to get her hands on everything. That makes a big difference, because it's so much more accurate than bumping it. She'd go to her knees and risk the call of double contact to make the set."
COACH OF THE YEAR
* Sybil Kessinger, Atholton -- When Kessinger took over this fall, she thought the Raiders had enough talent to be competitive with Howard County's best. But early on, a series of small problems upset the balance, including the addition of a talented transfer and the loss of three seniors who quit the team. Nonetheless, the Raiders steadily grew into a squad that pushed Glenelg and Mount Hebron to five games late in the season and then beat defending state champ Glenelg in the regional playoffs. Under Kessinger, the Raiders went from a 5-9 team to 14-7, earned The Baltimore Sun's No. 6 ranking and reached the state Class 2A title match for the first time in five years. "It was just a matter of coming together and being a team," said Kessinger, who coached unbeaten teams in Chincoteague, Va. for two years before arriving at Atholton in 1993. "That's what we worked on most of the season. We had the practices and we did the drills, but we spent a lot of extra time on building a team. When they worked together, they played great. When they didn't, they didn't play so well."
FIRST TEAM AT A GLANCE
* Elisa Davidson, Glenelg, jr., hitter -- A repeat first-teamer, Davidson was the top hitter for the Gladiators. She finished with 195 kills, an average of 3.4 per game, and she hit with a 32.2 percent kill accuracy. Although Davidson was more valuable as a hitter, she also set, contributing 149 assists. She also served at 91 percent with 58 aces.
* Lia Kaltreider, Mount Hebron, sr., hitter -- The Vikings' rock-solid player, Kaltreider raised her all-around game to a new PTC level this year. She tallied 108 kills, averaging 1.96 per game, and led the team in passing. One of the team's best defensive players, she rarely let anything hit the ground. Kaltreider also served at 85 percent with 42 aces.
* Jennifer Ponzette, Atholton, sr., hitter -- The transfer had an immediate impact on the Raiders, who reached the state title game in Class 2A. Ponzette led the Raiders with 195 kills, 2.9 per game. She also served at 81 percent with 95 aces and had 38 point blocks. The most powerful hitter on the team, she also excelled at defense.
* Krisha Svehla, Centennial, sr., hitter -- The county's most powerful hitter, Svehla had 293 kills with a kill accuracy rate of 39.54 percent and an average of 4.3 kills per game. At 6-1, she dominated at the net and also had 47 point blocks. She hit 92 percent of her serves and had 51 aces. But one of the most impressive parts of her game was defense where she was the team's most accurate passer.
* Dani Vissers, Mount Hebron, sr., hitter -- The fire in the Vikings' attack, Vissers provided the big hits.
She led the Vikings with 124 kills, averaging 2.18 per game. A force at the net, she also had 41 point blocks, but she also could play strong back-court defense. Vissers served at 87 precent with 33 aces.
* Amanda Williams, Atholton, sr., hitter -- The other half of the Raiders' double-barrel attack, Williams came on strong in the playoffs. The Raider veteran had 186 kills, averaging 2.58 per game. With an improved defensive game, she also made good on 84 percent of her serves with 45 aces.
* Kelly West, Centennial, sr., hitter -- Despite a back injury that sidelined her for a handful of games, West filled the role of the Eagles' No. 2 hitter. She had 133 kills and averaged 2.22 per
game. An outside hitter, West had the challenge of taking the less-than-perfect sets resulting from bad passes. She also served at 84 percent and had 48 aces.
1994 ALL-HOWARD COUNTY VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Player of the Year: Sheri Kujawa, Centennial
Coach of the Year: Sybil Kessinger, Atholton
First team
Name ... ... ... ... School ... ... Class .... .... Position
Elisa Davidson .. .. Glenelg ... .. Junior ... ... Hitter
Lia Kaltreider .. .. Mount Hebron .. Senior .. .. Hitter
Sheri Kujawa ... .. Centennial .. .. Senior .. .. Setter
Jennifer Ponzette .. Atholton .. .. Senior .. .. Hitter
Krisha Svehla .. .. Centennial .. .. Senior .. .. Hitter
Dani Vissers .. .. Mount Hebron .. .. Senior .. Hitter
Amanda Williams .. Atholton .. .. Senior .. .. Hitter
Kelly West .. .. Centennial .. .. Senior .. .. Hitter
Second team
Name ... ... ... ... School ... ... Class ... ... Position
Dori Brain ... ... Oakland Mills .. Senior .. ... Setter
Susan Geisler ... .. Glenelg .. .. Senior ... ... Hitter
Eileen McQueeney ... Atholton .. .. Junior .. ... Setter
Meredith Price ... Centennial ... .. Sophomore .. Hitter
Kerri Quinn .. .. Mount Hebron .. .. Sophomore .. Setter
Lisa Skaggs .. .. Oakland Mills .. .. Junior .. .. Hitter
PICKING THE TEAMS
The Baltimore Sun 1994 All-Howard County volleyball and field hockey teams were selected by Katherine Dunn.