PR Newswire | Jan 12, 2022 10:00AM EST

01/12 09:00 CST

AVERI CARLSON NAMED 2021-22 GATORADE NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR LUCAS, Texas, Jan. 12, 2022

LUCAS, Texas, Jan. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 37th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Averi Carlson of Lovejoy High School in Lucas, TX is the 2021-22 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year. Carlson won the prestigious award for her accomplishments on and off the court, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Volleyball Players of the Year who have gone on to have incredible success - they've combined for 91 gold medals and 13 National Championships.

Carlson was surprised with the trophy by her family, coaches and teammates at school. Check out a video of the announcement here.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Carlson as the nation's best high school volleyball player. The Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others to evaluate candidates, selected Carlson from nearly half a million other student-athletes who play high school volleyball nationwide.

Competition for the national award was fierce. Carlson topped the list of state winners in volleyball who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including nine returning state Gatorade Players of the Year, 27 with a GPA of 4.0 and above and 35 with signed National Letters of Intent to play volleyball at Division I colleges/universities.

"Averi Carlson is arguably the most versatile and efficient player in the country," said Chris Fitzgerald, a national analyst for Prepdig.com. "As a setter, she knows how to put her attackers in an optimal position to score, and her greatest strength is that her weaknesses are nearly imperceptible. She makes something extremely difficult look easy, so smooth. Carlson is a true maestro, conducting the game at her speed. She raises the level of play for everyone on her side of the net. She's a proven winner for Lovejoy, setting and playing on the pin to really showcase how dynamic her skill set has become."

The 6-foot senior setter led the Leopards to a 42-6 record and the Class 5A state championship this past season. Carlson amassed 919 assists and 378 digs along with 212 kills and 72 service aces. A First Team Under Armour All-American, she was the state championship MVP and the Dallas Morning News Player of the Year. Also a MaxPreps First Team All-American, Carlson is a member of the U.S. Women's U20 National Team and is ranked as the nation's No. 3 prospect in the Class of 2022 by PrepVolleyball.com.

Carlson has volunteered on behalf of Grace Bridge regional food bank in Celina, the Samaritan Inn homeless shelter in McKinney and the Special Olympics. An active member of Lovejoy's PALS (Peer Assistance Leadership Skills) program and the Prestonwood Baptist Church community, she has also donated her time as an upperclassman to PAWS, which assists special needs students.

Carlson has maintained a 3.98 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball on scholarship at Baylor University this fall.

"Athletes make an impact not just on the field of play, but in their communities," said Gatorade Senior Vice President and General Manager Brett O'Brien. "Averi Carlson knows this better than anyone as she is equally focused on making the world a better place as she continues to perfect her craft on the court."

Each year, a selection committee evaluates the nation's top talent to choose one state winner from each of the 50 states as well as Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In all, 608 athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports.

Gatorade has a long-standing history of serving athlete communities and understands how sports instill valuable lifelong skills on and off the field. Since the program's inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators. Previous winners include a distinguished list of athletes, such as Peyton Manning, Abby Wambach, Jayson Tatum, Elena Delle Donne and many other sports icons.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

PREVIOUS GATORADE NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS

YEAR NAME HOMETOWN STATUS

2020-21Ally Batenhorst Katy, TX University of Nebraska

2019-20Jess Mruzik Farmington Hills, MIUniversity of Michigan

2018-19Ellie Holzman New Orleans, LA University of Illinois

2017-18Thayer Hall Roebuck, SC University of Florida

2016-17Lexi Sun Solana Beach, CA University of Nebraska

2015-16Khalia Lanier Phoenix, AZ Zanetti Bergamo (Italy)

2014-15Mikaela Foecke West Point, IA Played for US Women's National Team

2013-14Alexa Filley Louisville, KY Played for Auburn University

2012-13Lauren Carlini Aurora, IL T?rk Hava Yollan (Turkey); played for US Women's National Team

2011-12Jordan Burgess Tampa, FL Played for Stanford University; student at Stanford Medical School

2010-11Krista Vansant Redlands, CA Retired from US Women's National Team

2009-10Ashley Wittman Shakopee, MN Played for University of Minnesota

2008-09Gina Mancuso Papillion, NE Plays for Leonas de Ponce (Puerto Rico)

2007-08Kelly Murphy Wilmington, IL Retired from US Women's National Team

2006-07Alix Klineman Manhattan Beach, CA Team USA Beach

2005-06Megan Easy (n?e Hodge)Durham, NC Plays for Itambe/Minas (Brazil)

2004-05Cynthia Barboza Long Beach, CA Retired from US Women's National Team; Ph.D. candidate at USC Price

2003-04Cynthia Barboza Long Beach, CA Retired from US Women's National Team; Ph.D. candidate at USC Price

2002-03Kristin Richards Orem, UT Retired from US Women's National Team

2001-02Bre Ladd Tucson, AZ Played for University of Arizona

2000-01Ogonna Nnamani Bloomington, IL Retired from US Women's National Team; M.D. Reconstructive Surgery

1999-00April Ross Newport Beach, CA Team USA Beach

1998-99Logan Tom Pelham, AL Retired from US Women's National Team

1997-98Sara Sandrik Salt Lake City, UT Played for Stanford University

1996-97Denise Boylan Lisle, IL Played for University of Notre Dome

1995-96Kerri Walsh Jennings San Jose, CA Team USA Beach

About GatoradeThe Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets the needs of consumers who participate in Sports and Fitness, through brands that include Gatorade, Propel, Muscle Milk, Evolve and Bolt24. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep understanding of the unique needs and occasions of different types of sports and fitness. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is underpinned by more than 50-year history of studying the best athletes in the world and sports-nutrition research by the Gatorade Sport Science Institute, allowing it to provide scientifically-formulated products that meet athletes' needs both on and off the field. For more information and a full list of products, please visit www.gatorade.com.

About PepsiCoPepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business strategy and brands. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

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SOURCE The Gatorade Company