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January 18, 2006Glass earns state honorLeland senior receives Gatorade Player of the YearTRAVERSE CITY - The long list of Alisha Glass' volleyball achievements just got a little longer.The Leland senior was named the Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year in volleyball. Glass - who holds national and state records for career kills, career service aces and aces in a season - was notified of the award by letter on Tuesday. She will be presented later with a plaque and a banner by school officials. "It's pretty sweet," the 6-foot Glass said. "It's funny, because I used to look at all the (college) media guides they sent. "I would always read about what they did in high school. Like this one was Fab 50 or they were the Gatorade Player of the Year in her state. "I would think, 'that would be cool to get that when I get older.' " Now it's a reality for Glass, who is bound for Penn State University in the fall. In fact, the Nittany Lions signed two other Gatorade Player of the Year state winners and have received a verbal commitment from another. "That's a heck of a recruiting class, I would say," Glass said. "I'm excited about it." The state award also makes Glass eligible for the National Player of the Year award, which will be announced next week. The state honor is bestowed in 10 varsity athletic sports "for athletic performance as well as for their achievement in the classroom and overall character." The award is chosen by an advisory board of sports writers and sport-specific experts from across the country. Glass is one of three area athletes to earn a Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year honor since it began in 1985-86. Petoskey's Kelly Smith won the award twice in 1992-93 and 93-94 in girls track. Manistee's Sally Sedlar (1993-94) won the state honor for girls basketball as did Traverse City's Anders Kelto (1995-96) in boys soccer. In addition to her high school volleyball, Glass has also played on the USA Youth National teams and participated in national club tournaments. "I'm happy for her to get national recognition," said Leland coach Laurie Glass, who is also Alisha's mother. "It's a credit to her hard work, dedication and participation in the sport in the offseason. "When you play in Michigan - in the wrong season - you have to put in time in other places to be seen or noticed." Glass, a member of the National Honor Society, has a 3.7 GPA and scored a 1590 on the SAT.
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