A trio of All-State selections highlight the volleyball post-season award winners.
Senior Ms. Everything Coranda Vickerman heads the Mabel-Canton cast. For the fourth straight season, the 5’9” setter/hitter is All-SEC. For a second time she is Class A All-State. ‘C.J.’ helped the Cougars to a fourth straight 1A East title game, a seventh straight 30-win season, and a 19th straight SEC title. She set the pace for M-C in assists (481), was second in kills (371) and digs (267), and tied for third (66) in aces (all despite a leg stress fracture). She had six volleyball triple-doubles. A four year starter, she ends a brilliant career fifth in M-C history with 2,414 assists and fifth with 1,069 digs. She’s the only Cougar ever to top both thresholds, and thus the only one with 2,000 assists, 1,000 digs, and a 300-kill season. She finishes with 668 career kills and 317 aces. Her 5-year varsity record is 166-22. Her individual game-highs are a rare collection: 23 kills (senior versus FC), 42 assists (sophomore versus Randolph), 27 digs (junior versus Caledonia), and 10 aces (freshman versus L-O and Lanesboro). A two-time SEC Player of the Year, Vickerman ceded said distinction to a teammate. Snagging SEC Player of the Year is Savannah Slafter. Vickerman to Slafter was nearest unstoppable. The strong 5’7” junior OH led M-C in kills (382) and hitting percentage (.410). Savannah was second in aces (70) and third in digs (252). She went over 1,000 career kills and will probably reach 1,000 career digs as a senior. Her two best efforts of the season; 26 kills versus FC in the play-offs and 24 versus GM in the East-West Showcase game. It’s her third All-SEC nod. She earns Class A All-State Honorable Mention as well. She’s M-C’s fifth All-State player in five years (Sand twice, Vickerman twice). Joining them as first time All-SEC selections are sophomores, 5’5” libero Lexi Thorson (team-high 81 aces and 277 digs) and 5’6” MH Maddy Michels (151 kills, 38 total blocks). Former two-time All-SEC pick Courtney Graves (5’9” senior setter/MH) is All-SEC HM (113 kills, 220 assists).
Heading Fillmore Central’s four-girl all-league group is Tayah Barnes. It’s the 5’7” senior libero’s second All-TRC nod. She also made Class A All-State HM, the fourth FC All-State player in four years (Taylor Case, Morgan Malley, Leah Scheevel). Barnes led the Falcons in digs the past three years. She’s been second in the TRC the past two seasons. She finishes with 1,519. Over best-of-five matches in 2015 and 2016, she tallied less than ten digs twice. She had 20 or more on 18 occasions. Also repeating as All-TRC is fellow senior Paige Bennett. The 5’11” OH was second on the team with 197 kills at a team-best .264 hitting rate (among hitters). Bennett also had a team second-best 33 aces. Joining them are All-TRC first timers Kenzie Broadwater (5’8” senior OH) and Bailey Barnes (5’5” senior setter). Broadwater was FC’s most improved and their best all-around player, leading the team in kills (229) and aces (35), finishing second in digs (281). She was one of only six in the TRC with 200 digs and 200 kills. B-Barnes led FC in assists (452) and was the squad’s top server (most attempts and serves-good with highest percentage). Kendyl Bennett (5’11” senior MH), Kelsey Berg (5’9” senior RH), Cailey Rindels (5’9” junior MH), and Madison Scheevel (5’5” sophomore setter) made All-TRC HM.
R-P boasts a pair of all-league picks. Three-time All-TRC selection Savannah Skalet headlines the group. The senior setter notched 543 assists, 202 digs, 53 aces, and 70 kills. No other TRC player went 500-200-50-50. She led the TRC in aces for a third straight year and finished second in assists. It’s her third straight year of 500-plus assists and 50-plus aces. She finishes her career with 2,049 helpers, 659 digs, and 205 aces. Earning her second All-TRC designation is Ashley Agrimson. The 5’11” senior MH had her best varsity season, leading R-P with 228 kills, adding a team-second-best 219 digs while serving at nearly 95%. She was one of only six in the TRC in the 200-200 club. Mikayla Crawford (5’6” senior libero), Brianna Koop (5’8” senior OH), and Nicole Blagsvedt (6’0” junior MH) are All-TRC HM. Crawford had a team-high 343 digs, putting her career tally at 1,397. Blagsvedt had a team-high 31 ace blocks and a team second-best 106 kills. Koop, a two-time All-TRC selection, missed most of the year with injury. She finishes her career with 725 kills and 674 digs.
Lanesboro’s three-year starter duo of Cassidy Ruud (5’8” OH) and Lexi Melander (5’8” setter) each repeat as All-SEC. Ruud led the Burros in kills (188), digs (281), and aces (39). Melander had 444 assists and she ends with over 1,450 for her career. She was second on the team in digs (184) and aces (34). The duo was huge in turning Lanesboro from an underling to a fruitful program. Junior Joelie Schrieber (5’11” junior MH) earns All-SEC HM (team second-best 152 kills). Kingsland had three A-C HM picks; Lauren Buchholtz (5’8” sophomore MH), Kailey Link (5’7” senior setter), and Kellyn Webster (5’6” senior DS). Buchholtz led Kingsland in kills (202). Link led the Knights in assists (313) and had a team second-best 198 digs. Webster led the Knights in digs (326). Chatfield had four A-C HM selections; seniors Mariah Bell (5’8” MH), Kyra Dokken (5’6” OH), Haley Goetzinger (5’5” OH), and Lexi Schott (5’4” setter). Dokken led the team in kills (144) and digs (219). Bell was second in each (116, 218) and Goetzinger third (74, 171). Schott led the Gophers in aces (37) and assists (256). Houston had one All-SEC HM athlete; Becca Lee (junior OH).
*All TRC stats courtesy of Bill Bentson.
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