Editor’s note: Athlete of the month is released by ASB a week after the month ends. Stories on each athlete are delayed for this reason. 

Addie Knauf (12),  co-captain of the varsity girls basketball team, was named the December Athlete of the Month. 

Knauf, a familiar face on the court for over 10 years, now averages 10.1 points per game in her senior year. With this winter as her last season on the team, Knauf hopes to “win the league and hopefully California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) this year to make the most of my last season.”

“I’m really sad it’s my last season, especially since we got a new head coach this season, Coach Styles, who’s been great for us and given us a lot of needed structure,” Knauf said.

Head coach Alaysia Styles, a new addition to the coaching staff this year, “first met Knauf in March of 2025 when Styles was hired.”

“I first thought that she was committed to being a leader and wanted to approach her last year of playing high school ball with grit and intensity,” Styles said. “I also thought she had lots of school pride and [I] was shocked to hear that she hadn’t gone to [TPHS] all four years.”

During her basketball career, Knauf “made some of [her] best friends through basketball.” 

“[I met] my best friend, Lauren Mills ( ) … on my first day at Torrey Pines during basketball P.E.,” Knauf said. “I was really close with the five seniors [who] graduated last year, and I love all my teammates this year. I’ve gotten close with our other captain Charley [Pegg] (12), who’s a very admirable teammate and person. Being close with my girls makes practices and games so much more fun, and it’s why I play a team sport.”

Pegg, co-captain of the girls varsity basketball team, met Knauf two years ago, when Pegg transferred to the school. They bonded over both being transfer students.

“As a friend, she is one of the funniest people I know, but also is immediately able to lock in before games and practices,” Pegg said. “She is a very trustworthy person and teammate who knows how to motivate people.”

Pegg expresses how Knauf is a “very vocal leader and plays with a lot of [basketball] IQ.” Her ability to guide teammates and keep players focused is an important element of the team’s dynamic. 

“She is always the first to speak during pregame and halftime, and the team looks to her for advice or to bring us together during tough moments,” Pegg said. 

Leadership was a defining trait for Knauf since she first joined the program. Whether during practice or in the middle of a tight game, her voice guides those around her, something Styles claims “sets her apart from her peers.”

“Addie primarily leads vocally and has consistently rallied the girls behind her,” Styles said, “She speaks up for herself and speaks up on behalf of her teammates, which is hard for girls her age to do. Since day one, she has been committed to being a leader and bettering the people around her.”

When Styles started coaching, Knauf “was the main player who took initiative for all things, not just for basketball.”

“She has always and continues to ask the girls to stay for other sports and to be there for one another,” Styles said. “One thing that was particularly amazing was that she voluntarily rallied girls in our program, both JV and Varsity, to run two miles every Wednesday, a day when we didn’t have team practice … She not only wanted to get better but also wanted to make everyone around her better, while simply wanting to spend more time with her teammates. No matter what, Addie attacks every drill, conditioning session and game with an open mind and willingness to do her best.”

According to Pegg, Knauf keeps the team uplifted when tensions are high. 

“Addie has been playing amazing this season so far,” Pegg said. “She’s our leading scorer and also the first person I look for on a kickout for a three. Besides leadership, she also brings composure and a sense of urgency to the team through her play and her ability to hype us up.”

When asked about Knauf’s leadership, Styles highlighted her selflessness. 

“Her spirit brightens any room and above all else, Addie is committed to being there for her teammates,” Styles said, “Whether she is making shots or not, which she usually does, she is the first person on the bench cheering for her teammates and the first one putting the betterment of the team before herself.

While her shooting ability is recognized, Styles emphasizes Knauf’s personal impact.

“It’s hard to be supportive all of the time, especially in a sport where it is easy to get down due to personal performance or just life in general,” Styles said. “With Addie, you can never tell [the] difference. Although her three pointers are insane, what she brings as a person is way more valuable than any basket she makes.”

Knauf’s familiarity with her teammates extends beyond her high school season. 

“I played club basketball for San Diego Relentless,” Knauf said.“Two of my TP teammates, Charley Pegg and Lauren O’Brien, also played on my club team, which has significantly helped our chemistry in my opinion.”

Until sophomore year, Knauf also played golf and soccer, but since then, she only played basketball. She plans to play in Indiana University’s Greek Life League. 

“It has been an honor coaching Addie and I am so grateful to have gotten the chance to have her in this program,” Styles said. “While I am extremely sad that she will be leaving soon, Addie will embrace any opportunity that life has for her and she will leave any and everyone better than when she met them. Anyone who knows Addie is very lucky and I wish her not just the best, but the greatest in everything she does and will do.”