Grafton volleyball lands three all-state players

A high school volleyball team has six players on the court at any given time. Half of Grafton’s lineup was named to the all-state team, and every player comes back next season.

Junior outside hitter Paige Proefrock was named to the first team of the Wisconsin High School Volleyball Coaches Division 2 all-state team. Junior middle hitter Grace Tilley and junior libero Abby Barthelemy were named honorable mention.

In addition, Proefrock and Tilley were named to the North Shore Conference first team. Barthelemy was named to the second team.

“All three of these players bring leadership and consistency to our team, and are great volleyball players,” coach Ashley Wilson said.

The first-year coach was named NSC Coach of the Year. She led the team to the program’s first berth in the state tournament, where the Black Hawks took home the silver ball.

Proefrock was the Hawks’ biggest weapon. She had 489 kills, averaging 3.8 per set and a kill percentage of 38.9. She has 989 kills in her career. She served 89 aces, made 330 digs — she has 948 in her career — and had 575 serve-receives with just 40 errors.

“Paige brought big swings to every match and a competitive mindset, which pushed the team to play together and win as a team. She leads with her actions and is a great player,” Wilson said.

“She is solid in every aspect of the game: hitting, defense, serve receive and serving, and her teammates trust her to make the big plays. She has great hustle and sets the tone for our team each match.”

Tilley more than held down the middle.  She had 177 kills, 45 aces and 77 blocks. 

“Grace is a dynamic player and helped our team offensively and defensively. Her attacking and blocking were consistent and she brought a great energy to the court. She is steady in every match and is a great teammate,” Wilson said.

Barthelemy saved many of those big hits by opponents. She made 355 digs, served 45 aces, had 75 assists and had 381 serve-receives with 40 errors.

“Abby is a great player, leader and athlete who has grown in confidence as a player in the libero role for our team this year. She controls our defense and serve-receive and hustles after every ball, which leads those around her to be better,” Wilson said.

The Hawks finished 4-2 and in third in the NSC. Slinger was 6-0 and Cedarburg was 5-1.