Triplett’s triple: 3X Girls Volleyball Player of the Year

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: January 8, 2024

Madison Triplett (center) wins the East County Player of the Year Award in girls volleyball for the third consecutive season.

Pictured (L-r): The Vaqueros’ Savannah Simpson, Ruby Ennis, Madison Triplett, Madelyn Wutzke and Madison Liedecke.

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

By Nick Pellegrino
ECS Senor writer

Madison Triplett, the 3-time Easy County player of the year in girl’s volleyball

LAKESIDE – Should the Grossmont Conference ever open an Athletics Hall of Fame, the first choice for girls volleyball should well be by a simple, unamimous vote.

Becoming the first player in conference history to surpass 1,000 career kills since sports for girls began in 1974-75 — this is the 50th anniversary season — El Capitan senior outside hitter Madison Triplett has been named the first GUHSD player to become a 3-time winner as East County Player of the Year.

Tripleet joins former Christian High standout Katie Wilkins, who went on toplay for the U.S. National Team. Wilkins, a three-time All-America selection for Pepperdine, also hails from Lakeside.

Triplett led the Vaqueros to three straight Grossmont Hills League title, doubling the school’s current streak to six straight titles. , then closed her prep career with a trip to the Southern California regional of the CIF State Championships.

Although Triplett stands a mere 5-foot-9, she leaps like a 6-footer, reminding many of former Scripps Ranch standout Amy Webster, the CIFSDS player of the year uin 2007, who initgially signed with UCLA, but wound up at Arizona following an injury.

Triplett, who like Webster is noted for having “Springs in her legs,” is signed with UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos went 27-5 this past fall (12-0 at home), going 17-1 to claim the Big West Conference regular season crown before advancing to the NCAA Division I Championships.

Triplett is expected to challenge for a starting berth as a freshman, replacing another 1,000-plus career spiker in Michelle Ohwobete, who completed her college career as an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection.

Locally, Triplett finished third in voting for the CIFSDS Player of the Year award, becoiming the lone East County player to made the section’s first team.

Her final total of 1,607 kills ranks second all-time on the recently updated CIFSDS Record Book. The mark is 1,654, set by McKenna Hollingsworth of Tri-City Christian (2010-12).

However, there are coaches and media members which prefer to only recognize players from larger schools. For those, Triplett in the new record holder by sliding past Cathedral Catholic standout Kelly Reeves (1,558 in 2006-09).

Christian’s Wilkins drops from fourth to fifth among all players with 1482 to close the 20th Century (1996-99).

Other Record Book

Just like Webster, Triplett is one of two Grossmont Conference student-athletes named to the CIFSDS All-Academic Team for the 20’23 fall sports season.

The male scholar-athlete from the conference is Granite Hills football defensive back, who became a two-time East County Player of the Year last month.

Triplett will major in communication, while she is also seeking a certifivcate to become a personal trainer.