Cherry Creek’s Carter Booth named Gatorade Colorado Volleyball Player of the Year
By Dan Whitaker/CHSAANow.com
Photo: Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com
CHICAGO – The individual accolades continue to roll in for Carter Booth.
Booth was named the 2021-22 Gatorade Colorado Volleyball Player of the Year on Tuesday. Booth is the first Gatorade Colorado Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Cherry Creek.
The 6-foot-7 senior middle blocker led the Bruins to a 26-2 record and the Class 5A state championship this past season. She amassed 335 kills to go with 127 blocks, 70 digs and 35 service aces, while recording a .453 hitting percentage. A First Team Under Armour All-American, she was selected the Class 5A Player of the Year and is ranked as the nation’s No. 14 prospect in the Class of 2022 by PrepVolleyball.com.
Booth has volunteered locally on behalf of Volunteers of America’s Adopt a Family program and UCHealth diaper drives. She has also maintained a 3.47 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball on scholarship at the University of Minnesota this fall.
“Carter puts up a wall that is hard for opposing hitters to get around,” said Ashley Ahlman, head coach at Ralston Valley. “Offensively, she’s a really smart player who sees the court well. She’s also a phenomenal leader for her team.”
Booth joins recent Gatorade Colorado Volleyball Players of the Year Anjelina Starck (2020-21, Rampart), Julianna Dalton (2019-20, Chaparral), McKenna Sciacca (2018-19, Lewis-Palmer), and Keeley Davis (2017-18, Rock Canyon), among the state’s list of former award winners.
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 Booth as Colorado’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, Booth joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners, including USA Volleyball players Kayla Banwarth (2006-07, Wahlert High School, Iowa), Alisha Glass (2005-06, Leland Public High School, Mich.), Jordan Larson (2004-05, Logan View High School, Neb.) and Foluke Akinradewo (2004-05, St. Thomas High School, Fla.)
