Corona del Sol's Nuneviller named Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year

January 17, 2018 by Seth Polansky, AZPreps365


CHICAGO (January 16, 2018) — In its 33rd year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, today announced Brooke Nuneviller of Corona del Sol High School as its 2017-18 Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year. Nuneviller is the first Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Corona del Sol High School.

The 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 Nuneviller as Arizona’s best high school volleyball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year award to be announced in January, Nuneviller joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including USA Volleyball players Kayla Banwarth (2006-07, Wahlert HS, Iowa), Alisha Glass (2005-06, Leland Public HS, Mich.), Jordan Larson (2004-05, Logan View HS, Neb.) and Foluke Akinradewo (2004-05, St. Thomas HS, Fla.).

The state’s returning Gatorade Player of the Year, the 5-foot-11 senior outside hitter recorded 593 kills and 493 digs this past season, leading the Aztecs (41-3) to the Conference 6A state championship match. An American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-American, Nuneviller also tallied 49 service aces and 43 blocks with a kill percentage of .463 and a hitting percentage of .388. A libero for the 2017 USA Volleyball Girls’ Youth National Team which finished eighth at the World Championships, she concluded her prep volleyball career with 1,308 kills and 1,475 digs.

Nuneviller has volunteered locally on behalf of Feed My Starving Children and she has donated her time with the Special Olympics and as a youth volleyball coach. “Brooke is the purest six-skill player I’ve ever seen,” said Jordan Neal, head coach of Highland High. “She is solid in every volleyball skill. Defensively, Brooke really sets herself apart. She made plays in our gym this year that made my jaw drop.”

Nuneviller has maintained a weighted 4.50 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball on scholarship at the University of Oregon this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program 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.

Two-time winner Nuneviller joins Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Players of the Year Khalia Lanier (2015-16, Xavier College Prep.), Jenna Tunnell (2014-15, Desert Vista High School), Sarah Sponcil (2013-14 & 2012-13, Veritas Preparatory Academy), Bianca Arellano (2011-12, Xavier College Prep.), Madison Kingdon (2010-11, Sunnyslope High School), Stephanie Preach (2009-10 & 2008-09, Xavier College Prep.), and Cat Highmark (2007-08, Chaparral High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.

As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Nuneviller 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 to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support. 12 spotlight grants – one for each sport – will be announced throughout the year.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow the conversation on Twitter #GatoradePOY. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com/.

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