DeBacker named Big 5 MVP

Senior Kristen DeBacker of the Del Norte High varsity volleyball team reacts after hitting a ball during a home game against Fortuna in October. Recently DeBacker was a unanimous selection for Big 5 MVP honors. The Warriors earned their 21st straight conference crown this past season. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

Warrior senior Kristen DeBacker was recently named an unanimous selection for Big 5 Conference MVP.

She played a crucial part in the Warriors earning a remarkable 21st straight conference title.

Del Norte co-coaches Debbie and Pablo Lorenzi said DeBacker led the squad in aces and in kills and played a major role in the team’s success this season. Last year as a junior she received Big 5 honorable mention honors.

“I think she was great for us in all aspects of the game,” Pablo Lorenzi said. “She was our go-to person.”

DeBacker had many big games and was able to put up huge numbers in the kills category.  In the final Big 5 game of the year on Nov. 3 at McKinleyville, DeBacker had 25 kills in the Warriors win, which gave Del Norte the Big 5 crown outright.

Both Pablo and Debbie Lorenzi said they were quite pleased with the decision after Deja Hartwick in 2006 and Jacyln Hadfield in 2008 were chosen as co-MVP’s, which occurred despite Del Norte going undefeated in the Big 5 both of those years. Hartwick was named sole MVP back in 2007.

“We’re happy the other coaches chose her,” Pablo Lorenzi said. He added that it was nice that after what has happened in the past that the coaches were in agreement on DeBacker this season.

Two members of the Warriors also received first team Big 5 White Star  honors.

Seniors Lexie Nelson and Paula Rhodes earned their first volleyball White Stars. Their coaches said that a strong case could have been made for both of them to have received MVP consideration.

Honorable mention honors for the Warriors went to juniors  Brilynn Welch, Vanessa Alexandre and Kristyn Rook and senior Katie Rinkevicz.

For the first time the Kathleen Anderson Rock ’n’ Roll award was handed out by the Warrior coaching staff.

The award went to two players who displayed leadership and dedication to the game. The players receiving the honor were Alexandre and Shauna Ratnour. Kathleen Anderson was a longtime Warriors JV volleyball coach who passed away this past  July.

Despite returning only two starters from last season  and losing one of their best players in Rinkevicz midseason due to a knee injury, Del Norte disproved the naysayers and earned  another league title with a 7-1 Big 5 mark and finished the regular season at 16-11.

The Warriors earned another berth in the Northcoast Section Division III playoffs and lost on the road in the first round to Sir Francis Drake High on Nov. 12. Drake went all the way to the NCS title game where they were defeated.