Cosette Stellern of Cheyenne East Wins 2014 Wyoming Gatorade Volleyball Player Of The Year Award

In its 30th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, announced Cosette Stellern of Cheyenne East High School as its 2014-15 Gatorade Wyoming Volleyball Player of the Year.

Stellern is the third Gatorade Wyoming Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Cheyenne East High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Stellern as Wyoming’s best high school volleyball player.

Stellern joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including USA Volleyball players Kim Glass (2001-02, Horseshoe HS, Penn.), Kim Willoughby (1998-99, 1999-00, Assumption HS, La.) and Ogonna Nnamani (1999-00, University HS, Ill).

The 6-foot sophomore outside hitter led the Thunderbirds to a 30-4 record and the Class 4A state championship this past season.

Stellern slammed 266 kills while recording a .510 kill percentage and .420 hitting percentage.

Also the Player of the Year as named by both the Casper Star-Tribune and Wyoming Coaches Association, Stellern tallied 89 blocks and 42 digs in 2014.

In a 3-2, title-clinching victory against Kelly Walsh, she collected a match-high 19 kills.

Stellern has maintained a 3.25 GPA in the classroom.

A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and her school’s peer-mentoring program, she has volunteered on behalf of her church as well as Operation Christmas Child, Drug Abuse Resistance Education, the Cheyenne Animal Shelter and Cheyenne Frontier Days celebrating the American West.

An accomplished saxophonist and violinist, Stellern has also donated her time locally at a retirement facility, serving at-risk children and as a youth volleyball and basketball instructor.

“Cosette is a game-changer,” said Toni Hladky, head coach of rival Campbell County High. “She can take over the momentum of a match. She is a potent offensive weapon. When preparing to play East, a lot of time is devoted to how to keep her out of system. Cosette also brings a lot of energy to the court. She leads by example. Cosette always represents her herself and her team with class.”

Stellern will begin her junior year of high school in the fall of 2015.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Stellern joins recent Gatorade Wyoming Volleyball Players of the Year Sydney Matheny (2013-14, Campbell County High School), Sally Sanders (2012-13, East High School), Caitlin McInerney (2011-12, Laramie High School), Meghan Sipe (2010-11, Cheyenne East High School), Paige Hellbaum (2009-10, Wheatland) and Emily Rochelle (2008-09 & 2007-2008, Kelly Walsh) among the state’s list of former award winners.