ROANOKE, Va. – The Virginia High School League has announced its 2025 Class 1 All-State volleyball team, naming Giles senior outside hitter Sophie Taylor the Player of the Year and Giles head coach Mandy Havens the Coach of the Year.
Taylor, a 6-foot-1 Ole Miss signee, capped a record-setting career with 668 kills, 33 aces, 50 blocks, 324 digs, a .389 hitting efficiency and a 91% serve percentage this season. She earned her fourth consecutive first-team all-state selection and her third straight Player of the Year honor. Her 2,498 career kills are the most in VHSL history, and her 46 kills in a single match tie the state record.
Havens guided Giles to a 26-2 finish and the program’s second Class 1 championship, a 3-0 sweep of Middlesex in the state final by scores of 25-5, 25-15 and 25-16. In her 11 seasons leading the Spartans, she has accumulated a 214-60 career record. Giles advanced to the title match after defeating defending champion Auburn 3-1 in the semifinals, ending the Eagles’ pursuit of a seventh consecutive state title.
The all-state team includes nine position players and one libero. Only athletes selected to their all-region first teams were eligible. The selection committee consists of eight coaches, two representing each region.