Sangha, Gold, Johnson are Broward Girls’ Volleyball Players of the Year
Broward County had a strong season in girls’ volleyball.
North Broward Prep won its first state championship.
St. Thomas Aquinas lost in the state finals, but continued to dominate like few teams have.
And Pine Crest found a way to reach the state final four with the unlikeliest of teams.
The key players in each of those seasons are this year’s Miami Herald Broward County Girls’ Volleyball Players of the Year.
North Broward Prep’s Dasia Johnson and Pine Crest’s Mia Gold share the honors for Classes 4A-1A. St. Thomas Aquinas’ Isabella Sangha earned the distinction for Classes 7A-5A.
Johnson, a transfer from Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy, added depth to an already strong North Broward Prep squad, which was seeking its first trip to state since 2010.
The Eagles did more than just end that drought.
They dominated on their way to a five-set win over Merritt Island in the Class 4A final to secure that elusive state title.
Johnson, a 5-9 outside hitter and UMBC commit, was at the forefront after a senior season in which she totaled 326 kills, 58 aces and 222 digs.
“It was pretty hectic at first about how the season was going to go, but we formed a family and that’s a big reason why we won (state),” Johnson said. “Everyone on the team had a big part of being a leader. If someone didn’t have the best day, someone else would step up and dominate.”
Gold, a 6-foot senior outside hitter who has signed with Boston College, had already been one of Broward’s top players in recent years.
But on a squad with mostly underclassmen, Gold had to really step up as a leader if Pine Crest was to remain among the county’s best. She did even more than that, totaling 440 kills, 249 digs and 409 service receptions. And once she and her teammates gelled, they exceeded expectations by upending Gulliver in the regional final and advancing to the state final four in Class 3A.
Gold, who was born in England and is the youngest of three sisters who all played volleyball, was selected to train with the English national team this winter in England and Portugal.
“At first, it was a little rocky with so many younger players,” Gold said. “After two weeks of playing, our setter (Bella Collado) and I clicked and she had an amazing impact. Everyone wanted to win for each other from that point on. We had so much fun playing together as a team and everyone took it really seriously.”
Sangha, a 6-4 senior middle hitter, transferred to Aquinas from Pine Crest and elevated her game as she led the Raiders back to the state finals, as well as BCAA, district and regional championships.
She totaled 266 kills and 65 blocks and had a .521 kill percentage this season.
Sangha, one of the top recruits in the country for volleyball and basketball, plans to play both at Notre Dame.
