The Gatorade Player of the Year program awards one national player of the year in each sport. In addition to athletic excellence, the award recognizes academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field.

For 33 years, Gatorade has honored more than 15,000 state players of the year and 290 national players of the year. That list includes many of today’s top professional athletes, such as Peyton Manning, Karl-Anthony Towns, Maya Moore, Jabari Parker, Kerri Walsh, and Andrew Wiggins.

Gatorade has announced three finalists for the 2017-2018 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year.

Adanna Rollins

Position: Outside Hitter

Height: 6-foot-0

High School: Hebron (Carrollton, TX)

Club: TAV

College Commitment: Minnesota

On the season, Minnesota commit Rollins collected 562 kills, hitting .317, 49 aces, 52 blocks, and 587 digs while leading Hebron High School to the 6A Texas state championship last year. She was named the MVP of the tournament. 

Over the summer, she and her TAV team won the 17 Open title at USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships, and Rollins was named MVP.

“Adanna is one of the most complete six-rotation outside hitters I've ever seen,” Minnesota head coach Hugh McCutcheon said of his incoming outside hitter, who will join the team in January. “She plays the whole game at an extremely high level and will be a great addition to our program.”

Gabby Blossom

Position: Setter

Height: 5-10

High School: St. Joseph’s Academy (St. Louis, MO)

Club: Rockwood Thunder

College Commitment: Penn State

Blossom dished out 794 assists for St. Joseph's in her senior season, quarterbacking her team to a .252 hitting percentage and contributing 69 kills of her own. 

Her performance for St. Joe's this fall earned her a spot on the Under Armour First-Team All-America list.

In addition to Penn State, Blossom considered Minnesota and Washington, but ultimately chose to become a Nittany Lion after attending camp in State College.

“I committed to Penn State because I wanted the opportunity to compete for national championships,” Blossom said.

Thayer Hall

Position: Outside Hitter

Height: 6-4

High School: Dorman (Dorman, SC)

Club: Upward Stars

College Commitment: Florida

The four-time South Carolina Gatorade State Player of the Year led her Dorman High School team to its second consecutive state title this fall, smashing 638 kills on 1,243 attempts, and somehow still maintaining a .401 hitting percentage. She also came in second on the team with 361 digs. Most recently Hall received MVP of the AVCA Under Armour High School All-America Match.

Florida head coach Mary Wise first saw Hall in action at a Florida volleyball camp when Hall was a freshman in high school. Even then, Wise said, you could tell the amount of talent and potential Hall had. 

“Thayer Hall is a six-rotation player who has the skills and the physical talent to be one of the most special players to ever come through this program,” Wise said. 

And that’s saying quite a lot when you’ve been the head coach of one of the most elite college volleyball programs in the country for almost 30 years.