Taylor Thorson didn’t think she stood out from the rest of her uber-talented Soquel High girls water polo teammates this season. Coaches in the Monterey Bay League’s Gabilan Division thought otherwise.
For the second straight year, they named the Knights’ hole set the most valuable player in the league.
“It’s just maybe another reassurance that I’m still helping out the team,” Thorson said upon learning of the award Monday evening. “I’m still super grateful for it and every time it comes as a surprise. I was not really expecting it.”
Thorson helped her team out to the tune of 58 goals, 55 steals and 36 assists as the Knights streaked through MBL-G play a perfect 12-0 and went 20-7 overall. The senior hole set needn’t worry about hogging the spotlight, though. Plenty of her teammates also earned honors.
Knights goalkeeper Hannah Henry picked up the Junior of the Year honor, while 2-meter player Shea Salvino was named Freshman of the year and coach Ryan Chapatte earned Coach of the Year honors. In addition, five Soquel players were named to the all-MBL-G first-team: sophomore Camille Russell, juniors Malea Jordan, Vivi King-Adas and Henry and senior Thorson.
The coaches also selected two Aptos players — Kiegan Lee and Kate Jeffery — and two Santa Cruz players — Meg Hedrick and Tanisha deBellotte — to the first team.
As a show of how strong girls water polo is in Santa Cruz County, the area also produced the co-MVP of the MBL’s Pacific Division. San Lorenzo Valley senior Sophie Northcott shared the honor with Stevenson senior AJ Diakon.
SLV, which also went a perfect 12-0 in the MBL-P and, like Soquel, won the league tournament, also produced the Junior of the Year in Jenna Solomon and won the Elgie Bellizio Sportsmanship Award. They also placed five girls on the first team: juniors Sara Schoepp, Kit Kelley and Solomon and seniors Carly Zilge and Northcott.
Harbor’s Kareena Sheth picked up Freshman of the Year honors, while the Pirates’ Jazmin Bale, a senior, and Savanna Dayton, a sophomore, made the first team.
Thorson said she wanted to win the MVP title again, but not for selfish reasons.
“I think it was always maybe at the back of my mind — not so much the award or holding the title as being there for your teammates and giving same kind of effort as last year,” she said. “I think that’s the importance behind that title as far as what you contribute. There was that pressure to keep helping as much as I could.”
Santa Cruz coach Eric Byrd said Thorson wasn’t afraid of the spotlight.
“They have a really strong team,” he said. “It’s hard to distinguish yourself on team like that, and Taylor did.”
The Cardinals (9-6, 7-5) came out on top of a stacked field full of parity to finish runner-up to the Knights in both the regular season and the MBL-G tournament. Much of their firepower came from Hedrick, who tied Daikon for the league lead with 75 goals in 15 games. The defense was bolstered by deBellotte, the 2-meter defender who plays basketball instead of club water polo in the offseason.
“She comes in at a slight disadvantage,” Byrd said. “Other girls might have more experience, but she made up for that with hard work.”
Aptos (6-6, 12-10) was the first league team to get a taste of how strong the Knights were this season, suffering a 14-1 loss in their opener. But the Mariners battled back to take third, which first year coach Mark Knapp said was a success, especially taking his team’s youth into consideration.
Much of the credit he heaped on the shoulders of Jeffery, one of the Aptos’ three seniors, who also won the team’s “Pursuing Victory with Honor” award.
“I felt we had pretty successful season and she was one of the main reasons why we were successful for the young team we had,” he said. “She was a senior and she was a real leader.”
Jeffery, a 2-meter defender, finished with 34 goals, 54 assists and 51 steals in 26 games. Cardinals teammate Lee led the team with 66 goals, an improvement over 20 last year, and 37 steals.
Isabel Kelley, Angelica Randazzo, Ravyn Bewley and Quinlynn Barry were second-team selections for Santa Cruz. Desiree Guzman and Brynn Stanley made the list for Aptos and Rachel Edmonds, Ellie Graessle and Salvino were honored for Soquel.
Thorson, who has not yet signed to play water polo in college, said she will miss her high school team.
“The four years I spent there were amazing. My teammates and the people I got to know and what I got to do with the sport. Those are memories I’m always going to have,” she said. “It’s sad leaving them and leaving that kind of atmosphere that’s been so great throughout our entire lives, but I guess I’ve just accepted that I have to move on.
“But I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.”