Herbert Hoover senior Ahaziah Smith started her volleyball career before she was a teenager, but it hit one of its highest peaks this season.

Smith was named by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the Player of the Year after she helped the Huskies to a 56-8-1 record and the Class AAA state championship, Hoover's first.

The championship season came for Smith and the Huskies after they finished as runner-up in 2024. Taking the state title became a mission for Smith.

“It was a shocking moment,” said Smith of when she was told she was Player of the Year by Hoover coach Missy Smith. The two are not related.

“I’m confident in myself, but to get [Player of the Year] in a sport with so many tall women is amazing,” Smith said.

At 5-foot-6, Smith doesn’t seem intimidating along the

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