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Vail Christian High School senior Grace Engleby selected for Colorado 2A All-State volleyball team

Engleby led Saints to 21-5 record and 2A state tournament birth

Grace Engleby spikes the ball against Ignacio in the 2A Region 6 volleyball tournament earlier this year.
Tom Green/Courtesy photo

Vail Christian High School’s senior volleyball player Grace Engleby has been selected to participate in the Colorado Coaches of Girls’ Sports (CCGA) All-State volleyball games. The games will take place on Nov. 20 at 10:30 a.m. at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins. The team is comprised of the top 16 players in the 2A division; those athletes are broken into two eight-woman teams. Prior to her game on Sunday, Grace will join fellow nominees for photos, team building, practice and scrimmages on Saturday afternoon. 

CCGA began sponsoring the all-state volleyball game in 1978 to provide girls an opportunity to showcase their talents. Each senior athlete is nominated by coaches within her league, while coaches representing all leagues make a final selection of 80. Players are chosen based on talent, dedication, team play and leadership. 

“Grace has been instrumental to our success in past years and this season especially. She took it upon herself to make volleyball fun again, and look at what she was able to accomplish. Grace is not only an outstanding athlete and volleyball player, a fierce competitor, but the true difference this season was her leadership,” coach Adina Petersmeyer said.



“She was constantly able to look beyond her own needs and lift her team up in tough situations. I can think of no one that deserves this honor more than Grace Engleby. I am so proud of her and I love her so much!”

“Going into this season, it was pretty obvious that Grace was going to be the captain of our team; she has been a leader since the day she stepped on the court,” teammate Aria Webster said.

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“Although it took a little getting used to, she settled into the role and turned out to be exactly what our team needed: a strong, encouraging, and extremely talented individual who could lead us into every game with the confidence that we could win if we worked together. She’s our glue. Every day in practice she kept up the intensity of play while also keeping volleyball fun with her jokes and random dances.”

Webster continued, praising Engleby for helping the team in its journey to the state tournament last weekend. Engleby averaged 3.4 kills per set and led her team in aces and kills. 

“I think the rest of the team would agree with me when I say that we wouldn’t have gone where we did without her and I’m so proud and excited about what she accomplished,” she said. “It’s been an honor to be her teammate and friend for the past seven years. She deserves every bit of the all-state title.”

In talking about the season, Grace Engleby reflected, “I am definitely going to miss the environment and community that is Saints volleyball. Every single player and coach consistently works their hardest to make us better players and individuals.”

“Even though volleyball is my passion I do not plan on playing in college. However, I hope to join club teams or even participate in intramural volleyball while at college.”

“I am honored to have received this level of recognition,” Engleby continued. “Yesterday, I was thinking about how cool it would be to obtain the all-league award; when coach Adina called to inform me that I was nominated for the first team all-state I was absolutely ecstatic.”


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