Buhach Colony setter earns major CCC award. Turlock star named Most Valuable Player.

Buhach Colony High coach Andy Hill called Mallory Pazin one of the most under-appreciated players on the team.

All the Thunder junior did was lead the team in assists and aces to help Buhach Colony finish second in the Central California Conference.

The CCC coaches didn’t let her work go unnoticed as they selected Pazin as the CCC Setter of the Year.

“It’s such an honor to be nominated for this,” Pazin said. “There is such good competition in the CCC so to be picked by the coaches is a big honor.”

“She was a workhorse for us,” Hill said. “She broke the team record in total assists for a season. She really had a great season.”

After going undefeated in the CCC, Turlock swept the other major awards. Senior setter Julia Handy was named the Most Valuable Player after leading the Bulldogs to a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship. Handy finished with 1,182 assists this season.

Turlock’s Jadyn Tubbs was named the CCC’s Defensive Player of the Year and sister Jazmyn Tubbs was named the Offensive Player of the Year.

Turlock’s Amber Lugo was named the Coach of the Year.

Pazin finished the season with 585 assists to go along with 37 aces. She also finished third on the team with 225 digs.

“Being a setter on my team isn’t easy,” Hill said. “I’m really hard on my setters because I was a setter when I played in high school and college. I have high expectations for Mallory and she worked hard to live up to them.”

Pazin says playing for Hill has made her a better player.

“He’s really fun to play for,” she said. “He knows how to get me better. He’ll tell me when my feet are slow or if my hands need to be in a different position. He’s definitely tough on setters, particularly me, but not to the point where it’s demeaning.”

The all-CCC first team selections were Cameron Gray (Buhach Colony), Fallon Evans (Pitman), Emily Vander Weide (Pitman), Isabella Bush (Turlock), Makenzie Webber (El Capitan) and Zoya Wood (Golden Valley).

The second team was comprised of Miranda Baptista (Buhach Colony), Maggie Seifert (Buhach Colony), Ema Mirschkorn (Pitman), Pagie Martin (El Capitan), Jenna Johnston (Atwater) and Kelsey Parker (Merced).

Receiving honorable mention were: Samantha Theodozio (Atwater), Leanne Melo (Buhach Colony), Robin Helms (El Capitan), Hannah Borges (Golden Valley), Jada Johnson (Merced), Grace Willming (Pitman) and Audrey Dykzeul (Turlock).

This story was originally published November 20, 2017 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Buhach Colony setter earns major CCC award. Turlock star named Most Valuable Player.."