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The 2019 Stanly County volleyball and men’s soccer seasons featured a lot of ups and downs for the programs.

Here are the selections for the 2019 All-Stanly News & Press squads as determined by yours truly.

Volleyball

For one volleyball program in particular, the year was eventful for the wrong reasons.

North Stanly unfortunately lost 11 game due to forfeit after having started the season with a long winning streak. The Comets did not even lose a set until a five-set win over West Stanly Sept. 23.

The Colts also gave the Comets the team’s first loss on the court in 2019, sweeping North at home Oct. 5.

For that reason, our selections for the best in the county will have a number of Comets and Colts on it. Both teams had standout years and featured a number of All-Conference selections.

As far as player of the year, it was a toss-up for me between two conference Players of the Year: the Comets’ Nicole Lowder from the YVC and West’s Addie Barbee from the RRC.

The problem comparing the two players is they play different positions.

In looking at both players, Lowder led her team in hitting percentage (.358) and blocks (84) while finishing second for North with 212 kills.

Barbee led the Colts in aces (63) and, naturally, assists (742, 8.1 assists per set).

By the slimmest of margins, I pick Lowder because of the leadership she showed for her team in tough times as well as the ability to change games with her play at the net.

2019 Stanly News & Press Volleyball

Albemarle – Somajhe Porter (Jr., MH).

Gray Stone – Piper Mauldin (F, MH).

North Stanly – Alex Childress (Jr., S, RS), Brinn Kimrey (Sr., Lib.), Nicole Lowder (Sr., MB/MH), Taegan Lowder (Soph., OH), Merris Talbert (Sr., OH).

South Stanly – Maddie Hinson (Sr., OH/MB/MH), Emma Lemmons (OH, RS).

West Stanly – Addie Barbee (Jr., S), Kayli Cleaver (Soph, MB/OH), Madison Kee (Jr., MB/MH), Dani Moss (Sr., OH).

Soccer

Gray Stone was the outstanding program of the county but still a number of players had strong seasons.

The Knights won the YVC with a perfect 12-0 mark and had an 18-game unbeaten streak in the season with 17 wins and one tie.

Picking one player was tough but Judson Bullard earned All-State status from the coaches’ association which put him up there in my opinion.

West had a strong season including the team’s first non-overtime playoff victory when the Colts hosted Forbush and won in the first round, 1-0.

Here are the selections from Stanly’s teams of the best.

2019 Stanly News & Press Men’s Soccer

Albemarle – Gavin Olivieri, Alex Yang, Steven Zelaya.

Gray Stone – David Almond (Sr., D), Judson Bullard (Sr., D), Luke Hill (Sr., MF/D), Prior Sparks (Jr. MF/D), Erich Strohecker (Jr., MF/D), Keagan Vang (Jr., F/MF).

North Stanly – Eli Williams (Sr., F).

South Stanly – Parker Crump (Sr., Strk.), Trenten Drake (Jr., G), Ethan Harrison (Fresh., Strk.)

West Stanly – Logan Brown (Sr., MF/D), Hector Jaramillo (Sr., MF/D), Jairo Marquez (Sr., G) , Jorge Morgan (Jr., MF), Arturo Zelaya (Sr., F/MF).