Herbert Hoover senior Ahaziah Smith, pictured here going up for a spike during a match this season, was named the Class AAA first team all-state captain by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. (Photo by Teran Malone/WV MetroNews)

Herbert Hoover has two things no one else in WVSSAC Class AAA volleyball does: the 2025 state championship and three first-team all-state players.

The Huskies got both the same way in their first season under coach Missy Smith.

“The thing about Hoover this year and what we had to sort of rewire them a little bit is, ‘I want you to care about your stats, because they matter,'” Smith said, “‘but I want you to love the team stats, because they matter just a little bit more.'”

Huskies senior Ahaziah Smith, the WVSWA all-state first-team captain, and juniors Jessi Crook and Braelyn Adkins put up sterling statistical performances.

Those helped lead to a shining team stat — a 56-8-1 campaign and Hoover’s first state championship, won in a five-set thriller against Shady Spring – and that trio’s numbers also got them all-state first-team hardware.

Ahaziah Smith produced 495 kills at a 51.6% rate, in addition to posting 122 solo blocks and 146 total, 206 digs and 67 aces.

Ordinarily, when a middle hitter of that resume rotated to the back line, the opponent might breathe an imperceptible sigh of temporary relief.

Enter Crook, who capably held the line up front for Hoover. She registered 412 kills at a 53% rate, supplied 84 blocks – all but seven of them solo – and made 86 digs.

“Jessi and Ahaziah both had over 50% kill percentage, so practically every other time we set them, they were getting kills,” Missy Smith said. “For the two middles to be that dominant makes it hard to defend against us.”

Upstream from the hitters on the Huskies’ assembly line, Adkins, Hoover’s libero, got it started.

Adkins netted 839 digs – 12.9 per match – and 1,069 serve-receptions, in addition to 102 assists and 81 aces.

“When you add Braelyn in there defensively,” Missy Smith said, “who just goes and gets any ball that she can, and when she wants it, she goes and gets it, that keeps us in rhythm offensively to be able to feed our hitters.”

Ahaziah Smith, a senior who hasn’t yet decided upon a college destination according to her coach, is in her second year as a first-team pick. As she grew, so did the Huskies, who took another postseason step or two in each of her last two years in Elkview.

Hoover’s season concluded in the state tournament quarterfinals in Smith’s sophomore year in 2023. The Huskies were state runners-up in 2024 and claimed the big trophy this season.

Playing in its sixth consecutive state tournament, Hoover finally got over the hump under Missy Smith (no relation to Azaiah), a Hoover alumna and biology teacher who had led George Washington to five state crowns.

“When the job came open, I knew that Hoover was very talented. Lots of pieces there and they could do well,” Missy Smith said. “They were right there last year, and I watched that finals match (a loss to Bridgeport). … They remembered it and used it as fuel coming into this season.”

The last team in the Huskies’ way was Shady Spring, which took the championship match to five sets before Hoover won 3-2 (23-25, 25-12, 25-19, 21-25, 15-13).

“It really is one of the best games that I’ve ever been a part of to coach,” said Missy Smith, also a multiple-state-title-winning softball coach at Hoover. “We knew it was gonna be tight, but we also believed if we stayed together and controlled what we could control, then we would be successful.”

Where Hoover felt elation, the Tigers found sorrow, which took them a few days to get over, first-year Shady Spring coach Trina Olson said.

In its place after some time for reflection was pride in the accomplishment.

“I was upset for my seniors. I took the position (mainly) because of them, and I wanted it for them so bad that it hurt,” Olson said. “It took a few days, but it was an awesome place to land, me in my first year.

“It was crazy to go down to five sets, and definitely not what I thought my first year would be, but thankful that’s how it ended.

“Wish it was with a win,” Olson added, laughing, “but …”

Three-time first-team honoree Reagan Mann and repeat selection Alivia Stover were two of those Tigers seniors.

Mann put up 345 kills, 125 aces, 370 digs and 681 assists in a special season for Shady Spring. Stover chipped in 447 kills, 41 aces, 94 blocks (30 solo), 228 digs and 36 assists.

Mann, a setter, cracked quadruple digits for her career in four statistical categories, one of which was kills — “which is crazy for a setter to have over 1,000 kills, over 1,000 digs,” Olson said. “She’s just phenomenal.”

State semifinalist Spring Valley joined the Huskies and Tigers in producing multiple first-teamers in sophomore Emma Edwards and junior Ava Robertson.

Edwards claimed 410 kills, 98 blocks (18 solo) and 54 digs. Robertson notched 303 kills, 51 aces, 60 blocks (four solo) and 93 digs.

Winfield senior Brooklyn Cole, a repeat first-teamer, led the Generals to a state quarterfinal appearance. She delivered 485 kills, 158 blocks (22 solo), 104 digs and 34 aces.

John Marshall senior Masyn Inclan and Capital senior Jada Fruit completed the all-state first team.

Inclan, the libero for the state quarterfinalist Monarchs, produced 525 digs and 37 aces.

Fruit rang up 844 assists, 217 kills, 103 aces, 227 digs and 62 blocks (11 solo) for the Cougars.

Ahaziah Smith graduates, but Hoover figures to return two all-state first-teamers as seniors in 2026 in Crook and Adkins. They’ll be tasked with replicating the emotions they felt leaving the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center in 2025, rather than the feeling of having fallen short of a title in previous years.

“Me and my coaches, we can’t let them be satisfied with just winning it,” Missy Smith said. “It’ll start when we get back in the weight room in a couple weeks. We’ll start talking about how hard it is to defend one. You thought winning one was hard, well, now it’s even harder to defend one.”

Which, of course, is a great problem to have.

“In the end, when you win, it’s worth it,” Smith said. “You can look back and say, I did everything I was supposed to, and that’s why we won.”

Wooden plaques in the shape of West Virginia that include the high school name, player’s name, licensed WVSWA logo and year of the honoree are available to all-state first-team, second-team and honorable mentions and can be purchased from the Bear Wood Company through WVSWA.org or Bearwoodcompany.com.

CLASS AAA, FIRST TEAM

Ahaziah Smith, Herbert Hoover, SR (Captain)

Reagan Mann, Shady Spring, SR

Brooklyn Cole, Winfield, SR

Alivia Stover, Shady Spring, SR

Emma Edwards, Spring Valley, SO

Jessi Crook, Herbert Hoover, JR

Jada Fruit, Capital, SR

Braelyn Adkins, Herbert Hoover, JR

Masyn Inclan, John Marshall, SR

Ava Robertson, Spring Valley, JR

SECOND TEAM

Kenidi Creager, Shady Spring, SR (Captain)

Avery Ellis, Spring Valley, SR

Nia Miller, John Marshall, SR

Hisely Keiter, Hampshire, SR

Delaney Howery, Ripley, SR

Taylor Randolph, Bridgeport, JR

Riley Southern, South Charleston, SR

Allie Fragile, Shady Spring, JR

Addison Veigel, Bridgeport, SR

Maddie McGill, Robert C. Byrd, SR

HONORABLE MENTION

Regan Rink, Greenbrier East; Braylin Lutz, Ripley; Natalie Cook, Winfield; Sarah Hess, John Marshall; Chloe Patrick, Point Pleasant; Jillian Ault, Keyser; Ashlynn Clay, Herbert Hoover; Ava Cole, Winfield; Mackenna McClure, Greenbrier East; Bella Dingess, Lincoln County; Summer Giffin, Hampshire; Annie Musgrove, East Fairmont; Korri Mann, Capital; Madilynn Kyle, Fairmont Senior; Liya Clemm, Grafton; Eliza Bush, Lewis County; Abby Hilleary, Nicholas County; Ellah Smith, St. Albans; Addy French, PikeView; Zoe Hyatt, Nitro; Addy McCabe, Princeton