Ayanna Watson has cemented herself as the best volleyball player in the state in only her second high school season.
She had 605 kills to earn Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year honors and help lead the Gaels to the state championship.
Watson credits the success in her game to her ability to help bring the best out of her teammates.
“I just communicate well with the people around me,” Watson said. “I feel no matter who I’m playing next to, I feel like everything can look kind of fluid.”
Watson isn’t the first member of her family to achieve athletic success at Gorman. Her father, former NBA guard C.J. Watson, has his jersey hanging up in the gym.
While it’s easy to make comparisons, Watson is making a name for herself.
“It’s more fun now that people know who my dad is, and they know me as a person now,” Watson said. “I’m not just C.J.’s kid. They know me for me.”
FINALISTS:
Akemi Higa Desert Oasis flag football: Passed for a state record 7,020 yards and added 121 touchdowns.
Taylor Johns Palo Verde softball: Batted .451 with nine home runs, 44 runs scored and 30 RBIs.
Aaliah Spaight Bishop Gorman basketball: Averaged 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals as the Nevada Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Mika Yoffee SLAM Nevada wrestling: Ranked 15th nationally and won the 126-pound state championship with a 43-3 record that recorded only one loss to an in-state opponent.
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