Basketball: Week 1 MVPs

Prospect junior guard Taylor Will has been named Daily Herald MVPs for her efforts in the early stages of the high school basketball season.

Will averaged 26.2 points in five games at York and tied the school record with 37 points in a win over Wheaton North.

Girls players of the week

Taylor Will, Prospect: They didn’t name an MVP at the York Thanksgiving tournament, but could there have been any doubt? The junior guard helped lead the Knights to the title (5-0) with scoring games of 20, 30, 27, 17 and 37 points. The 37-point effort against Wheaton North equaled the school’s single-game record set in 2004 by Gabrielle Cottrell.

Alyssa Andersen, Aurora Christian: The senior guard has been consistent and getting better in the Eagles’ 4-3 start, scoring in double figures in all seven games going from 10 points to 17, 17, 16 and 16 in her first five games. In her last two games Andersen has posted 22 points and 10 rebounds followed by 21 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals.

Sam Andrews, Huntley: Huntley’s senior forward led her team to a 6-0 start to the season by averaging 18.3 points, 7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. In helping the Red Raiders win the Dundee-Crown Thanksgiving tournament for the second straight year, she also was 39-for-44 (89 percent) from the free-throw line. And, in her team’s win over St. Viator, the Truman State recruit became just the third Huntley girl in program history to eclipse 1,000 points for her career.

Paige Gallimore, Antioch: The Sequoits are receiving more from Gallimore. After a breakout junior season, the guard took her game to an even higher level in an 86-78 win over Fenwick at Niles North. She scored 45 points, hitting 16 of 20 shots (four 3-pointers) from the floor and 9 of 10 free throws. In helping the Sequoits win the Niles North tournament, she averaged 29.2 points per game.

Jenny Voytell, Metea Valley: The senior guard led Metea Valley to a 5-1 record to open the season, including winning the Benet/Naperville Central Tip-Off Tournament championship with 20 points and 5 steals in a 38-37 victory against Benet.