Nothing was easy to predict for the 2014 San Pedro Prep Girls Volleyball scene as San Pedro, Port Of Los Angeles and Mary Star Of The Sea all came in with a first-year head coach.

When the season finally came to a close, it was the youthful Stars who made the biggest turnaround, and sophomore outside hitter Ally Spillane made one of the biggest impacts in along with coach Tyler Jaynes' guidance, helping the Stars go 15-10 overall and a share of the Santa Fe League championship with a 9-1 mark.

The Stars also won a CIF-Southern Section playoff match for the first time in five years, and made it to the second round, where it fell short at Savanna of Anaheim in a three-game sweep.

Meanwhile over at San Pedro, senior middle blocker Allison Kittell came over from South Vigo High in Terre Haute, Indiana, and completely reshaped the middle for a Pirates team that didn't have much height returning. Her performance throughout the year was also enhanced with the guidance of first-year coach Chris Ceballos and playing alongside a veteran team.

Kittell was one of the reasons why the Pirates finished third in the Marine League, and ending a long five-year losing streak to league rival Narbonne of Harbor City with an emphatic three-game sweep on October 13.

"This year definitely had its ups and downs, but I can honestly say it has been, without a doubt, the best season of my life so far," Kittell said.

For those reasons, Spillane and Kittell are our 2014 San Pedro News Pilot Prep Girls Volleyball Players Of The Year.

"I have grown drastically as a player compared to last year and as a result, I was able to help the team out and we were successful," says Spillane, one of eight underclass players on Mary Star's ten-player team. "I really wanted to make an impact on the team and take them to playoffs."

Mary Star also won the only crosstown matchup this season on September 23 when they swept Port Of Los Angeles High, who ended up winning their third consecutive Crosstown League championship behind first-year coach Rowel Ramirez, who led POLA to a 14-9-1 overall record, and 11-1 in league play. Senior hybrid outside hitter/setters Maria Mohan and Kellen McMurry ended up as the perfect combination for the Polar Bears.

Kittell and fellow senior outside hitter Paige Peterson was named to the All-Marine League first team for San Pedro, while sophomore setter Katie Bentovoja and junior outside hitter Tracy Folchi, a North Torrance transfer, made second team all-league.

"I love volleyball so much," says Kittell, who had a season-high 23 kills in a victory over Cantwell Sacred-Heart of Montebello in late September. "I worked extremely hard because I didn't want to have any regrets when it was finally over and the only regret I have now, is that it went by too fast. I'm so grateful that I was blessed with an incredible coach and amazing teammates this year."

The highlight of the year came on November 3, when both POLA and Mary Star clinched league titles on the same day. The Polar Bears had a hard-fought three-game sweep over Foshay Learning Center to clinch the Crosstown League title, and the Stars knocked off St. Mary's Academy in four to clinch the Santa Fe League crown.

"It's a bittersweet feeling for me," said Mohan, who played on all three league title-winning teams at POLA. "I'm proud to be able to say we won the league championship three times in a row, but more than that I'm happy to say each year I was able to play with my volleyball family. It's sad to leave everyone next year."

McMurry was named the Crosstown League MVP, while Mohan and senior libero Vanessa Enriquez were named first team All-Crosstown League. Junior middle blocker Makayla Warth and senior outside hitter Isabela Van Antwerp made second team all-league.

A year of change turned into a year of complete success, and here is the full All-News Pilot girls volleyball team.

SETTERS

Angela Pisano (Mary Star, sophomore)

Maria Mohan (POLA, senior)

Katie Bentojova (San Pedro, sophomore)

OUTSIDE HITTERS

Paige Peterson (San Pedro, senior)

Ally Spillane (Mary Star, sophomore)

Kellen McMurry (POLA, senior)

Lexi Andrie (Mary Star, sophomore)

MIDDLE BLOCKERS

Allison Kittell (San Pedro, junior)

Tracy Folchi (San Pedro, junior)

Makayla Warth (POLA. junior)

Kaitlyn Martinez (Mary Star, sophomore)

LIBEROS

Hope Marinkovich (Mary Star, senior)

Vanessa Enriquez (POLA, senior)

OPPOSITE HITTERS

Brittany Foster (San Pedro, senior)

Evelyn Pronovost (Mary Star, senior)

Most Improved Player: Foster
Defensive Player Of The Year: Marinkovich.
Most Outstanding Player: McMurry.
Co-Player Of The Years: Spillane & Kittell.
Coach Of The Year: Tyler Jaynes, Mary Star.