Brooke Hershberger – Granite Bay – Volleyball

The middle blocker helped the Grizzlies to a California Interscholastic Federation Division I State Championship and a perfect 45-0 record. She was a major force at the net with 171 kills and 61 blocks for the season. Hershberger averaged 8 kills per match during Granite Bay’s run through the NorCal and State playoffs, which included a 3-1 victory over…

Granite Bay – Volleyball – Junior

   The middle blocker helped the Grizzlies to a California Interscholastic Federation Division I State Championship and a perfect 45-0 record. She was a major force at the net with 171 kills and 61 blocks for the season. Hershberger averaged 8 kills per match during Granite Bay’s run through the NorCal and State playoffs, which included a 3-1 victory over Los Alamitos in the state final. The state hardware gives the Hershberger household a second state championship in as many years as older brother Beau was part of the Grizzlies’ 2012 state football champions.

   IN HER OWN WORDS: “Going undefeated on the season was something that just happened. (Winning the State championship) is still kind of sinking in. You realize that you did it, but it is still like, ‘How did we do that?’”

   WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW: Brooke is extremely superstitious, especially when it comes to volleyball. She kept a number of “good luck charms” in her volleyball bag all year long and never cleaned out the bag. Included in the stash of superstitious belongings were old headbands that she no longer wore, as well as the Sac Joaquin Section runner-up medal from one of Granite Bay’s last losses, which came way back in November 2012.

HONORABLE MENTION

   Tanner Woods — The Del Oro-Loomis senior lineman had a career-high four sacks in the Golden Eagles’ 28-20 win over Serra-San Mateo in the CIF Div. I Northern Regional football championship.

   Najah Queenland —Sacramento’s senior guard scored a team-high 20 points in the Dragons’ 65-39 victory over Sheldon-Sacramento in the final of the St. Hope Classic basketball tournament.

   Nick Hilton — The Jesuit-Carmichael senior guard scored a team-high 27 points in the Marauders’ 80-69 victory over St. Mary’s-Stockton in the final of Jesuit’s Father Barry Christmas Classic basketball tournament.