CHICAGO (January 13, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Kathrin Rowe of Edmond Memorial High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Oklahoma Volleyball Player of the Year. Rowe is the fifth Gatorade Oklahoma Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Edmond Memorial High School, and adds to the list of 14 other talented Peak athletes that have earned Gatorade Player of the Year, bringing Peak’s total to 15 in the last 18 years.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Rowe as Oklahoma’s best high school volleyball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year award to be announced in January, Rowe joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners, including Lexi Sun (2016-17, Santa Fe Christian School, Calif.), Jordan Larson (2004-05, Logan View High School, Neb.), Foluke Akinradewo (2004-05, St. Thomas High School, Fla.) and April Ross (1999-00, Newport Harbor High School, Calif.).
The 5-foot-7 junior setter and right-side hitter led the Bulldogs to a 25-4 record and the Class 6A state championship this past season. Rowe recorded 350 digs, 338 kills and 337 assists, posting a .378 kill percentage on the attack. She also compiled 41 service aces and 40 blocks. The Class 6A Tournament MVP, she was the 2022 Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
Rowe has volunteered locally at a homeless shelter and food bank, and she has donated her time as a youth volleyball coach. “Kat is the most dynamic and versatile player we faced this year,” said Jaclyn Burroughs, head coach of Edmond North High School. “She really can do it all—set, hit serve-receive and defense. She is the one player who we really couldn’t stop.”
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Rowe joins recent Gatorade Oklahoma Volleyball Players of the Year Mackenzie McGuire (2021-22, Broken Arrow High School), Audrey Buford (2020-21, Bishop Kelley High School), Kamryn Bacus (2019-20, Edmond North High School), and Olivia Curtis (2018-19, Christian Heritage Academy), among the state’s list of former award winners.
Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.
For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate studentathletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
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