Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Eighteen local volleyball players earned honors from their respective districts this week.

Nederland led the way with eight selections followed by Sabine Pass with five, Port Neches-Groves with four and Memorial with one. The Indians, Bulldogs and Titans compete in District 21-5A, while Sabine Pass plays in District 24-2A.

Nederland’s Ava Wiltz walked away with the Defensive Player of the Year award, while teammate Kamren Savarino earned Co-Setter of the Year.

“(Wiltz) stepped in as a freshman,” Nederland Head Coach Allie Crommett said. “She filled that role last year and this year and will likely be in it next year. She is one of those that takes coaching so well. She puts herself in position to have success with how she works. I am happy other people see that, as well.”

Crommett said Savarino played an important role in Nederland’s success.

“She is the only one in the district that ran that, so she is setting the entire time she is one the court,” Crommett said of Savarino. “Other setters come off and play a hitter in some capacity. She has to have control of the sets the whole time because she can’t afford to take any points off. She is the setter and the one feeding our hitters. For her, it was settling into that. She is like a quarterback running the field.”

Nederland’s Katie Perez, Abby Meaux and Ava Whitehead made All-District First Team. Kamryn Smith earned second team honors and Audrey Johnson was named as an honorable mention.

Crommett said the senior class set the tone for the team and led by example. She said Perez contributed greatly to the team’s success.

“With her, it has always been about what is best for the team,” Crommett said of Perez. “As a freshman, she had the ability to play varsity and asked to be moved down to JV because she knew she wanted to be someone who was a six-rotation player. She didn’t choose the jersey and wanted to be a better player.”

For PNG, Sarah Grove earned first team recognition. Trista Hughes was named to the district’s second team, while Mariela Dublon and Morgan Coates were listed as honorable mentions, along with Memorial’s Dekarra Anderson.

The Sabine Pass Sharks’ Darleya Douglass, Serenity Halliburton, Destinny Randolph, Elisa Castillo and Jamiling Vela Cruz earned honorable mention for District 24-2A.