The Buckingham County High School varsity girls volleyball team was represented by four 2016 All-Courthouse Conference 37 selections, led by senior outside hitter Mattie Kish Heslip, who made the first team.

Lady Knights senior middle hitter Allison Shifflett was named to the second team, while junior middle hitter Logan Edmonston and senior setter Rebecca Ragland received honorable mentions.

“I was really happy for them,” Buckingham Head Coach Alan Hershberger said of the four Lady Knight honorees. “I thought every one of them deserved the honor they got…. These four were kind of the backbone of our team, for sure, especially Mattie Kish.”

Heslip finished the season with 119 kills, averaging 8.5 a match. She also had 102 aces.

“I think she could have been a possible Player of the Year candidate,” Hershberger said. “She really carried our team in a lot of games, so I was just really glad to see that she got some recognition for that.”

He estimated her height to be around 5 feet, 3 inches.

“So, she’s short for volleyball, and she plays a lot bigger than her size,” Hershberger said. “She’s one of the strongest hitters in the conference and just a great hustle player. She never gives up on the court.”

He said she was also a standout on defense. She averaged 4.6 digs per match and was one of the conference’s best passers.

Finishing the year with a 10-10 record overall, much-improved Buckingham ranked third in the conference. Its season ended in the conference tournament semifinals.