(New Buffalo, MI) - A member of this season’s New Buffalo High School girls’ volleyball team was recognized at the state level for her play as a specialist on defense.

 

Senior Maegan Fatter was named an all-state honorable mention player in the statewide post season coaches’ poll.  She was also named an all-region and an all-conference player.  Fatter was a libero, a position on the back row where the main responsibilities are keeping the ball alive with accurate passing and doing whatever possible to stop the ball from hitting the floor.

 

New Buffalo Head Coach Bruce Molineaux said her ability to move toward the ball quickly was one of the reasons she was effective in that position.

 

“She was kind of a leader back there,” he said.

 

Fatter led the team with 511 digs.

 

Seniors Riley Tertel and Cassidy Saunders made all conference honorable mention.

 

Molineaux said Tertel finished the season with more than 500 assists as the team’s setter while Saunders was among his strongest players on both offense and defense.

 

Saunders was third on the team in kills with 148, trailing only Benita Puskinigus and the team leader in kills, Josie Humphrey, who had 169. Molineaux aid Saunders also had among the highest number of digs on the team with 354.

 

Humphrey was named by her teammates as the squad’s best player on offense.  Fatter and Tertel shared “Most Valuable Player” honors.

 

The Lady Bison won more than 20 matches this year and finished third in their conference.  The team also won the tournament at Bridgman and finished second place in two other tournaments.

 

“It turned out to be a pretty good year,” he said.

 

The Lady Bison were swept by Our Lady of the Lake in the semi-finals of the District 4 tournament, but two of the three sets went down to the wire.  Our Lady of the Lake went on to the District 4 state finals, losing to last year’s champion, Clarkston Everest Collegiate, in four sets.

 

“We probably gave them as tough a match as anybody,” Molineaux said.