Lexington, KY (November 18, 2025) – The AVCA is proud to announce the 2025 AVCA High School National Player of the Year Finalists, powered by Nike Volleyball. These four Finalists have been invited to attend the 2025 AVCA All-America Banquet in Kansas City, Missouri, on December 19th. During the banquet, each athlete will be honored and the National Player of the Year will be announced.
This marks the second year of the AVCA High School National Player of the Year awards program. Three Seniors and one Freshman have been named Finalists; two athletes hail from Texas, one from Nevada, and one from Georgia.
2025 AVCA National Player of the Year Finalists
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HENLEY ANDERSON, Dripping Springs High School (TX), SR
Position: Outside Hitter
College Commitment: Texas
Player Bio: Henley’s numerous accomplishments include: 2024 and 2025 AVCA First Team All-American; 2024 AVCA High School National Player of the Year Finalist; 2x AVCA All-Region; broke the school career record for kills (2217); finished her career with 2217 kills, 209 aces, 214 blocks, and 1,268 digs; 2x Central Texas Player of the Year; 2023 6A State Champion; 2025 Girls USA Volleyball U19 National Team Silver Medalist and Best Opposite at the 2025 Girls U19 World Championship.
KARI KNOTTS, The Lovett School (GA), FR
Position: Outside Hitter
College Commitment: Uncommitted
Player Bio: As a Freshman, Kari helped The Lovett School win the Private Class State Championship and she was named the GVCA 2A State Player of the Year, GVCA All-State, and MVP of the state finals. She was also named 2025 AVCA All-Region and Region 3 Player of the Year. Kari finished the season with 631 kills, averaging 6.5 k/s on a .501 hitting %. This past summer at 14 years old, she was the youngest member of the USA Volleyball U19 National team that won Gold at the Pan-American Cup, earning MVP honors as well as being named the Best Spiker. In addition to her success in volleyball, she also excels in the classroom.
HALLE THOMPSON, Grand Oaks High School (TX), SR
Position: Outside Hitter
College Commitment: Wisconsin
Player Bio:Halle Thompson, a standout volleyball player from Spring, Texas, has achieved remarkable success as a two-time Texas 6A High School State Champion and two-time State MVP (2023, 2024). She represented Team USA as a member of the U19 Girl’s National Team that earned gold at the 2024 NORCECA Championship in Honduras and most recently competed with the U21 Women’s National Team at the 2025 World Championship in Indonesia, where the team placed ninth. Halle competed as a part of the Houston Skyline 17 Royal club team that went on to win the 17 Open Championship, where she was also named MVP. Halle is also the 2025 AVCA All-Region Player of Year for Region 4, 2024 & 2025 First Team All-American, and an AVCA Best and Brightest Third Team honoree, recognizing her excellence both off and on the court.
AYANNA WATSON, Bishop Gorman High School (NV), SR
Position: Outside Hitter
College Commitment: University of Pittsburgh
Player Bio: Ayanna earned AVCA First Team All-American honors in 2024 and 2025, led her team to three Nevada State Championships, and is a three-time Nevada State Player of the Year. Ayanna is a two-time Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year (2024, 2025) and is humbled to be considered for the award again this season. She has also received Prep Volleyball’s 2024 Player of the Year, MaxPreps All-American honors in 2023 and 2024, and represented the United States on the USA U19 team at the FIVB U21 World Championships in Indonesia. Most recently, Ayanna was named the 2025 AVCA Region 9 Player of the Year, and is ranked #5 in the class of 2026 by Prep Volleyball and #6 in her class by PrepDig.