Lake Country Lutheran's Andersen named Gatorade Player of the Year in girls volleyball
JR Radcliffe
She was a major component of turning Lake Country Lutheran into a state girls volleyball power, and she capped her high-school career with a state title. Now, there's one more big honor going to Iowa State recruit Brooke Andersen.
The outside hitter was named the Gatorade Wisconsin Volleyball Player of the Year, an award recognizing athletic excellence and high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character. It's the 33rd year of the award, and Andersen is now a finalist for the National Volleyball Player of the Year Award, to be announced later this month.
The 6-0 Andersen helped her squad go 45-5 and win the Division 3 state title, the program's first ever. She finished with 678 kills, 245 digs, 88 aces and 30 blocks with an eye-popping hitting percentage of .473.
She was named second-team All American and has been named first-team All State three times. She recorded more than 2,300 kills in her career, along with close to 1,100 digs. She also volunteers at Children's Hospital, serves as a youth volleyball coach and belongs to the LCL student council.
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The Gatorade program acknowledges Player of the Year selections in all 50 states in football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross-country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball and boys and girls track and field.
Other recent winners from southeastern Wisconsin have included M.E. Dodge of East Troy (2015), Carly Townsend of Germantown (2014), Simone Lee of Menomonee Falls (2013), Kaysie Shebeneck of Burlington (2012), Carol Henney of Burlington Catholic Central (2008) and Janelle Gabrielsen of Menomonee Falls (2007).
Andersen will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program. Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support.
For more information, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
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