For the second year in a row, Cardinal Gibbons’ Katie Kabbes has been named the Gatorade N.C. Volleyball Player of the Year.

Kabbes is the fifth repeat winner in the award’s history, which dates to 1995, and she is the 10th outside hitter to earn the honor.

In 33 matches (98 games) this season, Kabbes had 478 kills (4.88 per game), a hitting percentage of .453, 33 aces, 68 blocks, 166 digs and a serve-receive average of 2.33 (on a 3.0 scale).

This season, Kabbes played her best against the best.

She helped Gibbons (31-2) get off to a strong start by leading the Crusaders to the Great Eight tournament championship in August. She received tournament MVP honors and had 23 kills and seven digs in a 3-0 win over West Henderson in the opening match of the tournament, which features the eight state finalists from the NCHSAA’s four classifications from the previous year.

Against Person County on Aug. 29, she had 24 kills and seven digs in a 3-0 win over the Rockets, who went on to win their second straight 4-A championship later in the fall.

She had 20 kills and 10 digs in a 3-0 win over perennial 4-A power Northwest Guilford on Sept. 8, and she recorded 17 kills and 10 digs in a 3-0 win over Charlotte Providence in the day’s second match.

In the NCHSAA 2-A tournament, she continued her season-long dominance in leading the Crusaders to their second straight state championship and third in four years. In the East Regional final, she had 18 kills and hit .720 in a 3-0 win over Kill Devil Hills First Flight. In the title match against Booneville Starmount, she collected 22 kills, 10 digs and six blocks, and was named the MVP for the second straight year.

The Gatorade award caps what has been a standout career for the 6-foot-5 senior, who will attend Penn State next year and team up with Megan Hodge, who won the Gatorade award her junior and senior years at Durham Riverside after the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Kabbes and the Crusaders compiled a 119-13 record during her four seasons and won three state championships (one N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association, two N.C. High School Athletic Association). She holds school records for career kills (1,500), career aces (221) and single season kills (478, 2007).