The following words are courtesy of Alex Kushel of the Sun Sentinel. The photograph is courtesy of Mike Stocker of the Sun Sentinel.
St. Thomas Aquinas senior middle hitter Isabella Sangha made her presence felt in her first season with the Raiders while Archbishop McCarthy junior Juliana Lugo led the Mavericks in her first season at the school to their first state semifinal win. The two top performers were recognized as the Sun Sentinel’s Broward 7A-5A girls volleyball co-players of the year.
Sangha, a University of Notre Dame signee, had a team-high 266 kills and 65 total blocks. She recorded 14 kills in a regional championship victory, 19 kills in a state semifinal win and registered a team-high 19 kills and four blocks in the state final.
“I knew some of the girls before from club volleyball,” Sangha said. “Coach Z (Lisa Zielinski) is a world-class coach. I really was able to see how amazing she was. She taught me so much and I gained so much love for volleyball. It was a great environment. Our team had a lot of passion and worked so hard. I felt I was rewarded by coming here.”
Sangha started her volleyball journey during her freshman season at Pine Crest. She was able to continue her development with Tribe Volleyball Club.
“When I was started playing middle blocker, I loved it and it was the perfect position for me,” Sangha said. “I didn’t have as much experience in volleyball as other girls. I showed that you can try a sport later and really thrive at it. I learned a lot and improved so much. I was able to reach my potential.”
Sangha credited her mom and family for their support in her journey. Sangha will play collegiate basketball and volleyball at the University of Notre Dame.
“I always wanted to play basketball in college,” Sangha said. “I started getting attention for volleyball. I wanted to show everyone that I can play both. I always wanted to go to Notre Dame and it’s been my dream school. I love the coaches and it’s really an ideal situation for me to play basketball and volleyball. I have been able to put in the work and I am ready for it.”
