Brooms also selected to All-Region team
With the state playoffs for volleyball in the rearview mirror, the Smoky Mountain Conference publicly revealed its 2023 All-Conference list.
Robbinsville seniors Delaney Brooms and Aubrie Wachacha received spots on the All-Conference list itself; junior Claire Barlow and sophomore Suri Watty were included as honorable mentions.
Brooms also learned of her selection to the First Team North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association 1A, All-State Team on Oct. 31.
Dedicated to the sport for much of her life, Brooms capped her 4-year stint as the Lady Knights’ left-outside hitter with a well-rounded 319 service receptions, 282 kills, 281 digs, 38 assists and 19 aces.
Fittingly, she surpassed the 1,000-career mark in both kills and digs while competing in an Oct. 5, 4-set victory at Hayesville. She ends her run with 1,035 kills and 1,037 digs; she is the school leader in kills and finishes second only to now-assistant coach Kensley Phillips, who posted 1,056 digs from 2020-22.
Wachacha grew by leaps and bounds at the service line in 2023, ultimately delivering 101 aces – including an astounding 19 in a single match against Blue Ridge School on Sept. 12, which flirted with the state record of 23.
Elsewhere on the floor, the middle hitter had 140 kills, 77 digs, 28 assists, 27 receptions and 26 blocks.
“They were both big contributors to the team,” head coach Kadey Phillips said. “They will both be hard to replace, for sure.”
Coach Phillips is excited about what lies ahead, especially with the two honorable mentions returning. Barlow had another solid year at middle hitter, posting 159 kills, 128 digs, 53 assists, 45 receptions, a team-high 35 blocks and 31 aces.
A talented athlete, Watty maintained her status as the team’s libero in 2023 and finished the campaign with 391 receptions, 205 digs, 43 aces and 15 assists.
“We’re excited about both of them coming back, with Claire leading the team in blocks this year and Suri already having two full years on varsity,” coach Phillips said. “We’re losing some players, but we have a lot returning. I’m also excited to see how the upcoming freshman will do next year.”
Robbinsville finished 15-9 overall this year.
Four losses to the second-place Swain County Lady Devils (17-9) hampered the Knights; two of the defeats came in the semi-finals of the conference tournament and the first round of the state playoffs.
The Cherokee Lady Braves (24-4) won the Smoky Mountain Conference, advancing to the fourth round of the postseason before being eliminated by the eventual 1A state champions, the Polk County Lady Wolverines (28-3).
Subscribe to The Graham Star’s YouTube channel to watch many of Robbinsville’s matches from 2023.