Dahlke, Sutton named to Avocado West League first team

Fallbrook High School volleyball players Kendra Dahlke and Tess Sutton were named to the Avocado West League’s first team by the league’s coaches.

“They really earned it. They put up the stats for it. They’re amazing players,” said Fallbrook coach Robin Reese. “They definitely earned that position.”

Last year when Fallbrook was in the Avocado East League and won the league championship, Dahlke, Sutton, and 2011 senior Talia DeFalco were named to the league’s first team. This year the Warriors finished third in the Avocado West League’s six-team standings with a 6-4 record. La Costa Canyon won not only the league championship with an undefeated Avocado West League record but also the CIF Division II championship while Rancho Buena Vista and Carlsbad joined Fallbrook in winning their first-round CIF Division I playoff matches. Reese noted that the Mavericks, Longhorns, and Lancers also had deserving all-league players. “I was happy,” she said of having two of her players receive all-league recognition.

Dahlke averaged more than 20 kills per game. “It’s huge for a sophomore to make first team,” Reese said.

Reese noted that Dahlke’s contributions aren’t limited to her attacking. “Her defense is just as good as her offense and her serve-receive,” Reese said. “There’s not one thing that she does better than the other. She does them all well, and that’s what makes her so good.”

Sutton was one of three seniors on Fallbrook’s 2012 team. “She’s definitely ready to move on to the next level,” Reese said.

Sutton played libero for the Warriors. “She gets us out of binds all the time. She’s that one player you can really rely on for a big play in the back row,” Reese said. “She never had a game where she had more bad passes than good passes.”

Reese also cited Sutton’s leadership. “She’s a really hard worker; she energizes her teammates and knows how to work with them individually,” Reese said.

Volleyball teams are considered to have seven starters including the libero, but only six players may be on the court at one time. The Avocado West League all-league teams had six players apiece on the first and second teams. “Libero is kind of the unsung hero,” Reese said. “It’s what starts every single play, and she touches a lot of balls.”

Fallbrook did not have any players on the second team or who earned honorable mention distinction.