Little tops all-area team

By By Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
Cerra Little found a home at the heart of Hartselle’s offense this season, but she probably would have been comfortable at any position on the floor.
Little, the Lady Tigers’ setter, used that all-around talent to lead Hartselle back to the state tournament for the third straight season.
The Wallace-Hanceville commitment is the 2008 Hartselle Enquirer player of the year after posting solid numbers offensively and defensively.
Little recorded 1,253 assists this season for the Lady Tigers, but she served as much more than a setter. Defensively, she backed up the blockers from the back row and finished the season with 377 digs, the third most on the team.
Little also added 48 blocks and 77 kills to an already filled resume.
But her contribution this season might have been as a team leader, especially for a team that was loaded with young players.
Lybarger joined Little on the all-area team as the coach of the year, giving the Lady Tigers a clean sweep. Hartselle finished second in the county tournament and returned to Pelham for the third straight season with a lineup featuring several juniors and sophomores.
Hartselle’s Mallory Jones, Cory Livingston and Alex Holmes also earned first-team all-area honors.
Mallory Jones finished with 294 kills, 116 digs and 88 kills in her final season with the Lady Tigers.
Livingston, just a sophomore, led Hartselle with 490 kills. She also had 424 digs and 55 blocks.
Holmes recorded 300 kills with a team-high 107 blocks.
Danville had three players earn first team honors after the Lady Hawks reached the state tournament for the fourth straight season: Jordan Spinks, Lindsey Simmons and Chelsea Keenum.
Spinks finished her senior year with 632 kills, 253 digs and 95 aces.
Simmons had 438 kills, 48 blocks and 81 digs as a sophomore.
Keenum had 151 aces, 167 kills, 221 digs and 56 assists in her final season at Danville.
Also earning first-team honors were Brewer standouts Kendra Jones and Hannah Chunn.
Jones, a senior, averaged 4.2 kills per game for the Lady Patriots with two blocks and 2.6 aces.
Chunn, also a senior for the Lady Patriots, had three kills, 3.6 blocks and two aces per game.
Named to the second-team were Danville’s Lacey Evans; Katie Annerton, Megan Hill and Myka McCarley of Falkville; Hartselle’s Olivia Golden and Callie Miller; Priceville’s Jordan Crow; and Brewer’s Chelsey Smith.