Hockomock Girls Soccer: Players to Watch in 2023
ANYA ZUB, SENIOR – FRANKLIN
One of the league’s top attacking talents for the past two seasons, scoring 33 goals combined, Zub enters her senior year with the chance to win her fourth league title and the goal of making a deep tournament run. Zub is dynamic with the ball at her feet, using her low center of gravity to make quick cuts past defenders, her strength to shield the ball from the opposition, and her creativity in the final third to find ways to score even against a packed opposition penalty area. Zub can play through the middle, holding play up or stretching the back line with runs into the channel, can drop deep to pull defenders away from the box and open space, or use her speed on the wing. Her interchanging with junior winger Kelly O’Connor (10 goals in 2022) keeps defenses guessing for the full 80 minutes. Franklin has edged the league title for the past three seasons and with Zub returning up top the Panthers remain the team to beat in the Kelley-Rex, while pushing to go further than last year’s Sweet Sixteen run.
Hockomock Volleyball: Players to Watch in 2023
MAKAYLA KUYKENDALL, SOPHOMORE – FRANKLIN
Franklin is in the midst of a five-year reign as Kelley-Rex division champions, sharing the title with at least one other team in the past four years. It seems like the Panthers graduate important all stars every year but somehow find a way to reload. This year, in an effort to go for a sixth straight crown, the Panthers have both of their all stars back including sophomore Makayala Kuykendall. Kuykendall made an immediate impact as a freshman, a six-rotation player who showed right away she could play everywhere on the court. As a freshman, she was top 10 in the league in kills (188), was a strong server, and was a reliable defensive option in the back row. The Panthers have high expectations this season and the firepower they have at the net gives them a good chance to exceed them.
TAYLOR LACERDA, SENIOR – FRANKLIN
Lacerda emerged last season as a leader for Franklin, helping the Panthers split with rivals King Philip and Attleboro and win a piece of a fifth straight league title. She was an all-around performer on a balanced team, leading the Panthers in kills with 195 and digs with 198, while finishing third on the team in aces and receptions. When Franklin needed big points in big matches, invariably it was Lacerda who would deliver them. Lacerda could be counted on for accuracy and consistency on the outside and for providing a lift whenever her team needed it. Not someone who needed every set to go her way, Lacerda could go a few points without a swing and then deliver the big swing in the big moment to turn momentum Franklin’s way. If the Panthers are going to make it six titles in a row, Lacerda, a three-year starter, will be right there in the mix on all the important points again.
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