Colony volleyball standout named Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman/Mat-Su Seahawkers Student-Athlete of the Year

PALMER — During her time a Colony High School, Eve Stephens brought a rare skillset to the prep volleyball court.

But aside from the natural talent, what continued to impress Knights head coach Amy Carter most was Stephens’ desire to learn about the game and ability to process what she learned.

“She’s incredible, the only player that I’ve ever had, you can literally talk about it, and she gets it,” Carter said earlier this year. “When we first started footwork on blocking, I’d show her one time, she’d go through it like two times in practice. Then she’d go home and the next day she’d be able to do it.”

Stephens showed a high level of intellect on the volleyball court, just as she did in the classroom. Now Stephens is being recognized for her success in both areas. Stephens, a recent graduate of Colony High School, has been named a Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman/Mat-Su Seahawkers Student-Athlete of the Year. With the honor, Stephens receives a $1,000 scholarship to assist with her college education.

Stephens, the two-time Northern Lights Conference Player of the Year in volleyball, finished her high school career with a 4.022 grade point average.

“Grades are really big for me,” Stephens said earlier this week. “My parents always expected it, but it became my own thing, something I can control.”

Stephens said she is driven to do well in the classroom.

“I’m really excited when I get good grades,” Stephens said.

After finishing her freshman year with a B in two different classes, she enrolled in advanced placement classes as an upperclassman to help boost her GPA. She took AP history and AP psychology.

There is one subject that has always stood out for Stephens.

“I really love math,” Stephens said.

Stephens has a goal of becoming an accountant in the future. But first she’ll study at UAA, where she will also play Division II volleyball for the Seawolves. Stephens earned a scholarship and signed her National Letter of Intent in November of 2017. In less than five weeks, Stephens will have her first official practice as a Seawolves freshman.

“It’s a whole, new, different experience,” Stephens said.

Stephens earned the chance to compete for a stellar Division II program after playing only three years of volleyball. But in those three years, she established herself as one of Alaska’s top talents in the sport. She was named conference player of the year twice, led her team to consecutive region titles and finished second in the voting for the Gatorade Alaska Volleyball Player of the Year.

During Stephens’ signing ceremony, Carter said Stephens is simply a student of the game.

“She thinks about it. She thinks about why. She wants to understand,” Carter said.

Stephens is one of four finalists for the annual award, created to recognize students who excel in both athletics and academics. Houston graduate Destiny Farmer, Redington graduate Taylor Ryan and Wasilla graduate Maclaren Obremski were also finalists. Farmer was the captain of the volleyball team as a senior at Houston, and a member of the Hawks varsity football, basketball and competitive cheerleading teams. She maintained a 3.63 GPA.

Ryan played varsity volleyball and softball, and was a basketball manager. She was a member of the National Honor Society and Science Olympiad, and carried a 3.89 GPA.

Obremski helped the Wasilla girls’ basketball and girls’ soccer squads earn region championships and finish as a runner-up in the state title game. She earned a 3.733 GPA.

Finalists had to meet a certain criteria (seniors with a minimum 3.3 GPA and letterwinner in at least one sport) and were nominated by their school administration. A small selection committee picked the winners.

Stephens will be recognized during a check presentation Tuesday at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer, prior to a Mat-Su Miners Alaska Baseball League game. The game starts at 7 p.m., and the presentation is slated for about 6:45 p.m.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at spors@frontiersman.com.