Las Vegas’ Wilson player of year

Las Vegas High boys volleyball coach Sue Thurman could have chosen several words to describe team captain Braeden Wilson. But one was perfectly fitting for the senior outside hitter: "explosive."

"He has an incredible vertical jump," Thurman said. "His arm swing is so fast that it's hard for blockers to tell which way he's going to be swinging."

Wilson parlayed his athleticism into a memorable senior campaign. The 6-foot-2-inch hitter averaged 4.2 kills per game on his way to Northeast League Most Valuable Player honors.

For his efforts, Wilson has been named the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Class 4A state boys volleyball player of the year.

Wilson helped the Wildcats (18-3) win all 14 matches in Northeast play. Las Vegas swept Coronado in the Sunrise Region final for its first region title since 2005 before being swept by Shadow Ridge in a state semifinal.

Wilson keyed the postseason run, coming up with 18 kills and 17 digs in the region final. He posted a 40.7 hitting percentage this season, averaging 2.9 digs per game.

Thurman said Wilson, who started for Las Vegas since his sophomore year, became a leader through his unselfish play.

"He set the tone and worked well with his teammates," Thurman said. "A lot of times when you have good hitters, they're yelling, 'Set me, set me.' Braeden was unselfish; he wanted to see his teammates succeed."

Contact reporter Tristan Aird at taird@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203.