Paloma Valley High School Athletes of the Week: Sept. 16

From left: Viola Plasencia, Kathryn Whitford, Joseph Dunn, Erin Hamand.

Each week of the school year, Menifee 24/7 honors top student-athletes at Paloma Valley High School. The coach of each varsity sport is allowed to select one athlete based on the previous week's performances or on potential shown by the athlete. Here are this week's Paloma Valley High School Athletes of the Week:

Erin Hamand is one of the stars of the girls volleyball team. She led the team in kills and blocks this at the recent Desert Classic, where she was an All-Tournament selection. She has committed to Colorado School of Mines, one of the top engineering schools in the country.

Viola Plasencia and Kathryn Whitford make up the No. 1 doubles team for the girls tennis team. They won eight of their nine matches last week.

"They are excellent leaders on the tennis team and the younger girls look up to them," said their coach, David McCoy. "They are excellent students and teachers have only good things to say about them."

Defensive lineman Joseph Dunn "was all over the field" in the football team's loss to a tough ML King team last weekend, said coach Bert Esposito. Dunn has 14 tackles and 12 assists in three games.

These athletes will be eligible for selection as Paloma Valley High School's Athletes of the Month, which will be announced the first week of October.