Hughes earns Player of the Year honors

Fallbrook High School senior Taylor Hughes has been named the Avocado League’s Player of the Year for volleyball.

The selections May 19 by the league’s coaches saw four other Fallbrook players earn all-league honors. Senior setter Bryce Dornon and senior middle blocker Erick Bruhn were given second-team recognition while honorable mention designation went to junior outside hitter Jared Braithwaite and junior libero Jeff Kolb.

“It feels good to be honored,” Hughes said.

“I thought the other kids that got on the team deserved to be where they’re at, so I’m pleased with the kids who got recognized,” said Fallbrook coach Tom Saunders.

Hughes was one of two nominees for the league Player of the Year honors, although the coaches leaned toward the Warriors’ outside hitter. “I didn’t have to say anything,” Saunders said.

Hughes, who played baseball as a freshman and sophomore, earned first-team volleyball all-league honors in 2007 but was the only one of last year’s five all-league players from Fallbrook to return in 2008.

“We had a few good players coming up from JV, but it was tough coming back from last year after all the seniors graduated,” Hughes said.

The 2007 team included seven seniors, and Hughes was the 2008 team’s only returning starter. In addition to reaching the CIF playoffs, Hughes considers helping out less experienced teammates to be one of his highlights during the season.

Hughes has been playing club volleyball for three years. He began his career with Epic and has spent the past two years with Seaside. Hughes has accepted a college volleyball scholarship to the University of the Pacific.

The Warriors closed out their season with a second-round playoff loss to La Costa Canyon which gave Fallbrook an overall record of 15-7, including a 6-2 Avocado League mark worth second place in the league standings.