AC Froehlich of St. Thomas More Catholic named Louisiana Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year

CHICAGO (January 13, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced AC Froehlich of St. Thomas More Catholic High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Louisiana Volleyball Player of the Year. Froehlich is the first Gatorade Louisiana Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from St. Thomas More Catholic High School.

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 Froehlich as Louisiana’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, Froehlich 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 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter led the Cougars to a 42-1 record and the Division II state championship this past season. Froehlich amassed 542 kills, 281 digs, 74 service aces and 51 blocks while posting a kill percentage of .520 and a hitting percentage of .411. The Louisiana High School Coaches Association Miss Volleyball winner, Froehlich was also an American Volleyball Coaches Association Second Team All-American selection. She concluded her prep volleyball career with 1,515 kills and 1,061 digs.

A St. Thomas More Catholic High School student ambassador, Froehlich is a member of her school’s Campus Ministry. She has volunteered locally as a youth tutor and volleyball coach. “AC has the unique gift of being both tall and athletic,” said Jessica Burke, head coach of St. Thomas More Catholic High School. “She jumps out of the gym, hits with power and she has developed finesse and court vision. She is assertive and aggressive, well respected, competitive and an ideal teammate.”

Froehlich has maintained a 3.76 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball on scholarship at Louisiana State University this fall.

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.

Froehlich joins recent Gatorade Louisiana Volleyball Players of the Year Kate Baker (2021-22 & 2020-21, St. Mary’s Dominican High School), Cicily Hidalgo (2019-20, Teurlings Catholic High School), and Ellie Holzman (2018-19, Mount Carmel 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 student-athletes, 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.