Volleyball
1st Team and Player of the Year
Elsa Tiefenthaler- Kuemper
Tiefenthaler was brilliant her final year with the Knights becoming Kuemper’s all-time assists leader with 1960 assists. She took charge this season, running a 5-1 for the first time in her career and excelled. She worked well with her many hitters, helping several of them have career years. She finished her season with 881 assists while nearly having 100 kills and hitting .257. Tiefenthaler competitiveness is one of the areas she shines. It makes her a tremendous all-around player and leader. She added 200 digs and 39 blocks, ranking 3rd on the team in digs. Tiefenthaler has been an elite server her entire career and finished strong with 55 aces, tying for the team lead. Her ability to read the defense helped Kuemper knock off Red Oak in the State Quarterfinals with critical kills on dumps and pushes late in the match.
Coach of the Year
McKaylie Croghan- IKM-Manning
Croghan led the Wolves to their best season since 2009 and their first winning season since 2017-2018. They ended the year 29-9, finishing 2nd (6-2) in the Western Iowa Conference, advancing to a Regional Final, eventually losing to Janesville, which advanced to the State Championship match. The Wolves changed their fortune early in the season, rallying from a big deficit in set two at LoMa to win a road conference match, sweeping the Panthers 3-0. That helped propel them to road success, including back-to-back road wins over ranked teams in Treynor (3-2) and Missouri Valley (3-1). The Wolves avenged a loss to Carroll at the Tigers weekend tournament to beat the Tigers in the Championship match. They knocked off a strong Coon Rapids Bayard team and won over a ranked West Monona team in the Regional Semifinals on the road.
1st Team
Kaylie Simons- Kuemper
Simons has been an elite libero from her entire career, starting as a freshman. She helped the Knights qualify for State in all four-years of her career. She became the all-time leader in digs this season and set the number high enough it will take a special player to break it. She made 669 digs this season, finishing with 2323 in her career. Simons was at her best when teams were trying to tip and dump, reading those extremely well and having the quickness and anticipation to make those plays. She never backed away from big time hitters coming at her as well. Simons wasn’t just a tremendous digger, she was a strong server, having 21 aces this season as well as doing a nice job setting hitters when it was needed. She had 94 assists this season. Simons will take her talents to DMACC next fall.
Kolbi Peter- Kuemper
Peter ended up leading the Knights in kills this season, finishing with 282 kills and hitting .227. She may have played her best down the stretch of the regular season and in the postseason. Peter became unstoppable on the outside, doing a nice job of taking what the defenses were giving her. She learned how to read the defenses better as the season progressed and thrived on pressure situations. She kept improving her all-around game, finishing the season with 108 digs and 33 blocks with 18 of those solo. She gained more confidence in her serve, making 32 aces with a 95.2% serve efficiency.
Malia Clayburg- Coon Rapids Bayard
Malia Clayburg was as good as any player this season, putting together a dominant season and helping the Crusaders to one of their best seasons in school history. She became the all-time leader in kills in Crusaders history, ending this season with 450 kills, a new single season record (breaking her record from last season) and an incredible .435 hitting efficiency. She carried the offense most nights, routinely making over 20 kills in a match. She went over 1,000 kills in her career this season, finishing with 1,086, a new school record. Her .435 hitting efficiency was 4th in the State in all classes. Clayburg isn’t just a great hitter, she is an all-around player. She added 231 digs, ranking 3rd on the team along with 15 blocks, 2nd on the team. She served at a 91.9% clip, finishing in a tie for 2nd on the team with 42 aces. Clayburg will determine where she wants to play college at a later date.
Anna Hart- Coon Rapids Bayard
Hart became one of the best libero’s in the area during her career, only playing the position full-time her last two seasons. She broke the Crusaders digs record with 443 digs this season, giving her 1,369 for her career. She went over 1,000 digs early in the season. Her great quickness and anticipation allow her to make plays many others aren’t able to. She can cover very well and is strong on serve receive and taking kills away from hitters. She isn’t just in the back row, she is dynamite at the service line, having 44 aces this season to lead the Crusaders. Hart’s great leadership and out all style of play helps carry over to the rest of the team.
Harlow Miller- Audubon
Miller worked her tail off to become an elite volleyball player and it paid off. She was tremendous during her career setting several school records. Miller went over 1,000 kills in her career, setting a new school record with 1,177. Her 435 kills this season are a single season record for Audubon along with averaging 4.5 kills per set. She is 2nd all-time in hitting efficiency at .294 and 2nd in school history in career blocks with 218, making 34 blocks this season. Miller added 264 digs this season, giving her 648 for her career, ranking her 5th on the school’s all-time list. Miller was 2nd on the team this season with 52 aces, serving a 92.9% serve efficiency. Miller was undetermined if she would continue her career in college.
Keagan Eischeid- IKM-Manning
The sophomore is a six-rotation player that excels in many different aspects of the game. Eischeid is a strong hitter from the outside or her main spot on the right side. She led the Wolves with 369 kills this season and flourished late in sets when the pressure was on. Eischeid went over 500 kills in her career. She was 2nd on the team with 267 digs and 3rd on the team with 31 blocks. She is adept covering tips or in serve receive and continues to get better in the back row. Her left handed serve is tough for teams to read, helping her finish with 35 aces, ranking 4th on the team.
Karlee Arp- IKM-Manning
Arp is off to a great start for her senior season, becoming an elite setter for the Wolves, helping them have the best season in nearly 10-years. She ranked 4th in Class 1A with 835 assists, being among the top setters in assists all season. Arp ended the year surpassing 1,000 assists in her career. She showed growth in getting all her hitters involved but also feeding her hitters when they were in a groove. She helped the team hit .187 this season, adding 42 kills on her own, oftentimes picking up a clutch kill. Arp is a solid all-around player, making 189 digs, ranking 3rd on the team while making 15 blocks. She added 37 aces while serving a 91.3% serve efficiency.
2nd Team
Addisyn Bandow- IKM-Manning
Bandow was extremely strong for the Wolves at the net this season, becoming their go to player late in sets. She was nearly unstoppable late in sets, finishing the season with a .347 hitting efficiency, helping her have 314 kills, 2nd on the team. She went over 500 kills in her career. She tended to save her best matches for the biggest moments and matches on their schedule. She can go above most blockers with a strong jumping ability or use their hands to finish the kill. She was 4th on the team with 22 blocks, adding 62 digs. Bandow grew as a server, adding 27 aces with a 94.5% serve efficiency.
Anna Stangl- IKM-Manning
Stangl developed into a top level libero, using her athleticism to her advantage. She paced the Wolves with 399 digs, well over 100 more than anyone else on the team. Her season allowed her to break the school record for digs in a career as she went over 1,000. She helped captain a young back row into performing their best late in the season and in crucial road wins over Treynor and Missouri Valley. Stangl does a nice job taking the second ball when needed, finishing with 33 assists. Stangl was huge for the Wolves as the service line, serving a 93.3% serve efficiency, leading to a team high 41 aces.
Anna Larsen- Audubon
Larsen wrapped up an outstanding career with the Wheelers with a record breaking senior season. She went over 1,000 assists and 750 digs in her career. She sits 4th on the Wheelers career assists list with 1,248 and her 692 this season is 3rd all-time. She ended her career with 772 digs, ranking her 4th on the Wheelers career digs list. Larsen helped the Wheelers hit .188 this season while adding 52 kills and a .273 hitting efficiency for herself. She made 243 digs, ranking 3rd on the team and her 18 blocks was 4th on the team. As good as she was in every other aspect, she might have had her best impact serving the ball. She ended the season with a team high 53 aces, serving at 92.7%.
Mia Milligan- Kuemper
Milligan exploded onto the scene this season, earning a starting job as a defensive specialist. She was strong all season, teaming with Kaylie Simons for the best back row duo in the area. Milligan ended her junior campaign with 249 digs, 2nd on the team. She did a strong job in serve receive and was very mobile in making digs in the back row. Her ability to get opponents out of system with her serve may have been as important as her play in the back row. She led the Knights with 55 aces, serving a 95.3% efficiency.
Mariah Heuton- Kuemper
Heuton led the Knights in kills most of the season, finishing 2nd with 269 kills, going over 500 kills for her career. She added a .233 hitting efficiency. She showed great growth this season in her arm swing and reading defenses. She was tough for opponents to stop, being able to hit multiple shots, with great arm action. Kuemper was an elite blocking team and Heuton was a big part of that, finishing 2nd on the team with 53 blocks, making 36 of them solo. She added 51 digs in limited time in the back row.
Jordin Carroll- East Sac
Carroll had another great season for the Raiders, becoming the career leader in assists in school history in two seasons. She had 710 assists this season, setting the single season record and helping her break the school record with 1,400 assists. What made her season more impressive was having to break in nearly all new hitters this season. She added 70 kills of her own, hitting .193. Carroll is a strong all-around player, adding 238 digs, 4th on the Raiders and 16 blocks. She added 20 aces with a 93.2% serve efficiency.
Jaelynn Petersen- Exira-EHK
Petersen was dominant for the Spartans, helping a fairly young and inexperienced team finish 2nd in the Rolling Valley Conference during the regular season and postseason tournament. Most defenses didn’t have an answer for her in the middle. She hit .224, finishing with a team high 323 kills. She had several matches with more than 20 kills, helping the Spartans finish the season 13-13. The senior led the team with 45 blocks while adding 179 digs, ranking second on the team. She added 34 aces, ranking second on the team. Her competitive nature was fun to watch. Petersen set the single season kills mark with 323 and became the all-time kills leader in Spartans history with 837. She also set the single game record with 35 kills.
Taryn Petersen- Exira-EHK
Taryn was outstanding again for the Spartans, teaming with Jaelynn to give them to hitters defenses had few answers for. She went over 500 kills in her career, finishing this season with 243 and 514 in her career. Petersen hit .261, tops for the Spartans this season. Taryn had several matches this season in high double figures, taking advantage of what defenses gave her. She isn’t just an offensive threat. She added a team high 228 digs along with 20 blocks, 13 of those were solo. She is one of the most aggressive servers in the area and it showed with a team high 50 aces while serving 88.9% efficiency. Petersen is one of the most competitive kids in the area, which makes her clutch down the stretch of matches.
3rd Team
Amelia Cook- Coon Rapids Bayard
The sophomore continues to excel as a setter for the Crusaders, having another big season. She surpassed 1000 assists for her career, having 643 assists this season, a new single season school record. Her assists record broke the record she set for a single season last year. She helped the Crusaders finish the season with a .303 hitting efficiency. Cook added 20 kills, hitting .265 this season. She isn’t just a strong setter, she has a nice all-around game, adding 178 digs, ranking 4th on the team and had 14 aces.
Addy Anthofer- Kuemper
Anthofer was crucial to the Knights run to the semifinals at the State Tournament, getting named to the All-Tournament team. She earned more playing time early in the season and made herself so valuable, they didn’t want to take her off the floor. Her stats were great this season but her most important contribution may have been her all out hustle. Anthofer wasn’t afraid to dive over the bench, crash into walls or put her body in jeopardy to save a ball. That hustle helped her finish the season with 195 kills with a .267 hitting efficiency. She added 160 digs and 49 blocks with 28 solo blocks. Anthofer was a good server as well, with 18 aces and a 94.3% serve efficiency.
Zoe Bruning- Kuemper
Bruning was incredible this season in getting kills and blocking opponents kills. She has an uncanny knack for finding open spaces in the defense, hitting .363 efficiency, helping her end the season with 129 kills. She made only 26 errors this season, showing her ability to make plays at the net. As good as she is hitting, she may be better defensively at the net. She had a team high 81 blocks, finding ways to block taller players with great timing and knowledge of what opponents tendencies were. 46 of her blocks were solo. She added 11 aces in a limited number of serves.
Brianna Wittrock- Kuemper
She had to battle back from another injury this season, going down early at the Humboldt Tournament. She battled through injuries a season ago and appeared poised for a great season. She fought her way back and was critical for Kuemper in late season wins at Sergeant Bluff Luton and Lewis Central. She played her best at the State Tournament, helping them knock off Red Oak in the Quarterfinals. Many people think of her for her offense, but her defense is elite. She is 2nd in Kuemper history in career blocks with 355, making 39 blocks this season, along with adding 94 digs. Wittrock ended the season with 98 kills, hitting .235 efficiency. She added 17 aces in only 15 matches played this season.
Amanda Wardell- Carroll
Wardell went over 500 kills in her career, adding 262 kills this season. She had a .209 hitting efficiency. She was a force defensively at the net, leading the Tigers with 44 blocks. Wardell made 32 solo blocks, more than anyone else on the team had total blocks. She added 19 aces and a 86.4% hitting efficiency. Her most important role for the team may have been leading a younger team that didn’t have a lot of varsity experience coming into the season. She helped the younger players grow.
Analia Ayala
Ayala is a strong all-around player for the Tigers and is becoming their leader. She ended the season with 208 kills, 2nd on the team with a .181 hitting efficiency. She is their top player in the back row, finishing the season with a team high 291 digs. Her athleticism makes her a great six rotation player, being an explosive jumper along with being quick enough to get to balls in the back row. Ayala added 26 aces with a 93.2% serve efficiency.
Katelyn Schmitt- East Sac
Schmitt ended a strong career with exactly 500 kills, making 261 this season to lead the team. She played through injuries late in the season, helping the Raiders advance to the Regional Semifinals before falling. Schmitt is a strong player in the back row, finishing with 259 digs, 2nd on the team. She added 19 blocks, ranking 3rd on the Raiders. Her 48 aces were a team high, serving a 94.3% serve efficiency.
Sarah Bontrager- East Sac
She had a really strong season all over the floor, leading the Raiders in digs with 437, helping her become the single season record holder for East Sac. She was all over the floor, keeping the ball alive, routinely finishing with over 25 digs in a match. Bontrager was strong up front as well with 102 kills and a .123 hitting efficiency. Her complete game included a strong season at the service line, finishing with 43 aces and a 92.8% serve efficiency.
Honorable Mention
Emerson Ludwig- East Sac
She had a very strong senior campaign, finishing with 214 kills while hitting .206 efficiency. She was the Raiders best defender at the net, leading them with 58 blocks with all of them solo. Ludwig added 50 digs and served a 92.7% serve efficiency. Her ability to come up clutch in late situations was key for the Raiders making a strong push in the conference race.
Josie Rydl- Carroll
Rydl started all 35 matches for the Tigers, getting her first varsity experience in a tough conference. She grew as a setter, finding a rhythm with her hitters as the season went on, finishing with 629 assists. Rydl is a strong player in the back row, helping the team with 206 digs. She is an accurate server at 96% efficiency. That consistency helped get opponents out-of-system.
Kadence Brannan Sporrer- Audubon
She took her game to another level this season, putting herself in the school’s record books. Sporrer has been really good in the back row her entire career and finished 3rd all-time in digs with 789, surpassing the 750 milestone this season. She ended the season with 306 digs, 5th all-time in Wheelers singles season history. Her biggest growth was her swing at the net. Knowing she would be counted on to hit more this season, she became a strong hitter, finishing with 191 kills, second on the team. She added 38 aces with an 87.6% serve efficiency.
Aubrey Hofbauer- Coon Rapids Bayard
The senior gave the Crusaders another strong hitter this season, helping them have their best season since 2008-2009. She ended the year with 142 kills and a strong .234 hitting efficiency. Hofbauer continued her strong play in the back row with 238 digs, ranking 2nd on the team. She had a really good year at the service line, adding 42 aces with a 91.8% serve efficiency.
Kassidy Wenck- Glidden Ralston
Wenck is an undersized middle but it doesn’t affect her ability to make a difference for her team. She ended the season with a .300 hitting efficiency with 177 kills. Her timing and understanding how to block helped her have a team high 30 blocks with 16 of them solo. She showed her all-around skills, leading the Wildcats with 197 digs. Wenck nearly led the Wildcats in another category, having 23 aces with a 90.6% serve efficiency.
Amelia Garrett- Glidden Ralston
Garrett returned from injury this season and finally got the chance to show her skills. She was able to do that, having a strong all-around season. She led the Wildcats with 329 assists, helping an inexperienced team to a .171 hitting efficiency. What might have been the most impressive was her 190 digs, ranking her 2nd on the team. Garrett had a strong season at the service line with 24 aces and a 90.9% serve efficiency.
Sadie Wheelock- South Central Calhoun
Wheelock was one of the most experienced players returning for the Titans, having to take on a leadership role as a junior. She gave them a strong player in the middle, leading the team with 276 kills and a .200 hitting efficiency. She paced the Titans in blocks with 32 with 27 of them assisted. Wheelock did play the back row much as a middle but finished the season with 49 digs. She added a strong year at the service line with 18 aces and a 95.3% serve efficiency.
