Fourth-year varsity starters Giovanna Garcia, Caliyah Lopez, Lauren Moncada, and Lily Pickering were among the area standouts to make the All-Valley Oak League First Team after leading their respective teams to the playoffs.
Thirteen Manteca Unified student-athletes in total earned all-league honors, and six of them were selected to the first team.
Led by unanimous MVP and Florida committed Samantha Nichols, league champion Central Catholic (12-0 VOL, 23-8 overall) garnered four of the five major awards. Catcher Madie Harrison received Defensive Player of the Year, Ceriah Fitzhugh was named Offensive Player of the Year and Sam Nichols is Coach of the Year. The Raiders have also won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV title and are gearing up for the NorCal tournament.
Emily Thomasson of runner-up Oakdale (9-3, 15-10) was awarded Pitcher of the Year.
Bound for Cal State San Bernardino, catcher/outfielder Moncada is part of Manteca’s senior class that made the first two section semifinal-round appearances in program history. Junior outfielder Bella Cooper and junior third baseman/catcher Na’ima Calderon join Moncada on the All-VOL First Team after they spearheaded the Buffaloes (8-4, 17-9) to a third-place finish.
Moncada is a four-time all-league selection, making the first team twice, second team once and all-defense as a freshman. This year, she batted .410 in league games with 11 runs, nine RBIs and a team-high three homers. Defensively, she had just one error in 55 chances for a .982 fielding percentage.
Cooper was a spark at the top of the order, leading Manteca hitters with a .500 average, 19 hits, 13 runs and 11 steals.
Calderon was the Buffaloes’ leading run producer with 16 RBIs despite missing two league games. She also hit .419 with three doubles and two home runs.
Lopez and Pickering led East Union (5-7, 14-13) to back-to-back postseason appearances, including a run to the SJS Division IV semifinals in 2025.
Lopez paced the Lancers with a .419 average, 18 hits, 13 runs and 12 steals in league play, while splitting time in the middle infield and the outfield defensively. She finished among section leaders with overall steals with 35.
Pickering was a two-way producer for East Union. The southpaw pitcher went 5-3 in the VOL with a 4.01 ERA and 71 strikeouts over 59 1/3 innings. At the plate, she batted .273 with three doubles, a triple and homer and 12 RBIs.
Garcia helped Sierra (2-10, 7-11) make the postseason for the first time since 2019. The productive infielder hit .343 in her final go-around in the VOL.
Manteca and East Union each have three players on the All-VOL Second Team.
Hawai’i Pacific-committed pitcher Isabel Tonna (2.70 ERA, 44 innings, 40 strikeouts) was having another solid season for Manteca, but her senior campaign was cut short by a knee injury. She’s joined on the second team by junior infielder Maleiah Garza (.263, four doubles) and outfielder Ayva Wilkins (.243, two HRs).
Sophomore shortstop/catcher Na’meen Harper (.415, four doubles, 15 RBIs), freshman infielder/catcher Rhyan Murillo (.419, two HRs, 12 RBIs) and junior center fielder Savanna Lopez (.268, nine runs) received second-team honors for East Union.
Sierra has one second-team honoree in senior Valeria Villanueva (.371, 13 hits, four doubles).
Receiving honorable mention: Manteca senior pitcher Riley Ward, Manteca junior shortstop Sienna Owen, East Union senior corner infielder Fallon Norman, Sierra infielder Maitland Kohoutek, Sierra senior first baseman Genyssa Rodriguez, Manteca senior outfielder Alesia Harris and Sierra freshman outfielder Sky Kane.
