“It was really hard because I wasn’t allowed to say anything for a week,” Warner said. “Mrs. Akers came to my house last Sunday and told me about it, but I had to wait because there’s a rule about when it can go public.

“So I was thrilled, but I was about to go crazy. It’s a dream come true.”

The postseason honors are the culmination of a career that began in the backyard and progressed to great heights for the 5-foot-7-inch outside hitter/defensive specialist.

“I actually started playing matches in the fifth grade, but I really started before that at my house,” Warner recalled. “My mom was really into volleyball, and she put a net up for me, so I’ve been playing volleyball since I was a little girl.”

Warner went on to become perhaps Valley’s most versatile player ever. She finished with the career record for digs with 1,355 and the single-season record for digs with 510 this year, which ranked 10th in the state. Yet, she’s also blessed with incredible leaping ability, and she blasted 325 kills this year with a .238 hitting percentage. She also had a 95 percent serve reception rate with only 25 errors in 525 reception attempts as the Blackhawks went 21-12 and spent the season ranked in the top 10 of the Class A rankings.

Ironically, she didn’t start as ...

“I actually thought I was going to have a career as a setter,” Warner recalled. “Right before the start of my eighth-grade year, Mrs. Akers came to me and told me if I wanted to see varsity time as a freshman I should probably work on setting, and at volleyball camp my freshman year I went in as a setter. And I was fine with that if it would help me get to play and help out the team.

“But I would also go over to the hitting line and I would hit them pretty hard, and I could jump pretty well. They saw it, and my career as a setter didn’t last.

“But I have to give so much credit to Mrs. Akers. She made me so much better as a player. She pushed me, not only physically, but also with the mental aspect I needed to have to play the game well.”

Warner is looking forward to an enjoyable afternoon Sunday in Indianapolis, but she also wants to help the South uphold its honor and impress some college scouts in the process.

“It’s definitely a fun thing,” Warner said. “The hard part is over. I was really pushing hard to make the team, and it’s a great honor to be picked. But the South has a big tradition of winning against the North, so we have to try to keep that going.

“And probably one of the most exciting things about it, other than getting to play with great talent, is the fact scouts will be there. It’s great exposure.”

Warner would gladly accept a volleyball scholarship to college, though she may end up having to choose. She averaged 15.5 points per game in basketball as a junior and is preparing for her senior year to start, and she hit .536 in softball last year with one more season to go.

“Basketball definitely used to be my favorite sport, but I think I love volleyball just as much if not more, and I really love softball, too,” she said. “I’d really love to play volleyball in college. I’ve been sending out some things to different schools, so we’ll see what happens.

“Maybe something good will happen Sunday.”

Times-Mail Sports Writer Jeff Bartlett welcomes comments at 277-7285 or by e-mail at jeffb@tmnews.com