Back-to-back honors for G-R’s Brant
The future of Gladbrook-Reinbeck volleyball is in great hands.
G-R junior middle hitter Kennedy Brant was named to the all-NICL West Division first team for the second year in a row as the Rebels look to rise again in the competition-rich conference.
Brant ranked in the top six in a number of statistical categories and is one of three all-conference selections for the Rebels who will return next season. Junior right-side hitter Elly Sieh earned first-team honors for the first time, while sophomore setter Kailey Larsen was a repeat second-team selection.
Grundy Center, which finished second to South Hardin in league play before falling to the Tigers in the Class 2A regional finals, had two first-time first-teamers in senior middle hitter Kayden Muller and sophomore middle hitter Ryanne Brubaker. Senior right-side hitter Paige Venenga was a second-team selection as well for the Spartans.
East Marshall, though winless in NICL West play, had a second-team pick in senior libero Bailey Grant.
Brant, a 6-foot middle, led the division in kills (59), ranked second in hitting efficiency (.287), second in blocks (11), and tied for sixth in digs (34). This marks her second-straight first-team selection after gaining honorable mention as a freshman.
Sieh finished fourth in the conference in kills (38) and was among the top servers, going 71-for-81 with nine aces. Larsen led the league in assists (141) and was third in digs (50).
Brubaker, a 6-foot-7 middle, emerged more and more as the season went on. She led the division in blocks (15) and finished third in the league in kills (53). Muller and Venenga tied for third in blocks (9), ranked eighth (27) and ninth (26) respectively in kills, and Muller was eighth in digs (33). Muller led the league with 10 service aces and Venenga tied for fifth with nine.
Grant, East Marshall’s libero, finished fifth in the division with 41 digs during league play. She was a 92-percent server, earning her promotion from honorable mention last fall.
Gaining honorable mention this season were East Marshall senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Cora Talbert, Gladbrook-Reinbeck senior libero Dylan Mathern and Grundy Center sophomore outside hitter Raelyn Steinmeyer.
Talbert ranked 17th in kills (15) and was one of the league’s most efficient servers, going 26-for-27 (96.3 percent) with four aces. Mathern was second in digs (58), while Steinmeyer was fourth in digs (44) while serving 66-for-68 (97.1) with eight aces.
South Hardin senior outside hitter Ava Salvo and AGWSR senior setter Trevyn Smith shared the conference’s Outstanding Player honor, while South Hardin’s John and Suzy Teske were honored as Coaches of the Year.
Smith was a three-time first-team selection, while Salvo was a repeat honoree this year.
North Iowa Cedar League West Division
All-Conference Volleyball Teams
Co-Outstanding Player — Ava Salvo, sr., South Hardin and Trevyn Smith, sr., AGWSR
Coaches of the Year — John and Suzy Teske, South Hardin
FIRST TEAM
Trevyn Smith, sr., S, AGWSR
Ava Salvo, sr., OH, South Hardin
Kayden Muller, sr., MH, Grundy Center
Ryanne Brubaker, so., MH, Grundy Center
Kennedy Brant, jr., MH, Gladbrook-Reinbeck
Ava Paige, sr., S, South Hardin
Elly Sieh, jr., RS, Gladbrook-Reinbeck
SECOND TEAM
Brylea Metzgar, jr., MH, AGWSR
Abby Teske, sr., L, South Hardin
Paige Venenga, sr., RS, Grundy Center
Alli Sheldahl, sr., MH, South Hardin
Kailey Larsen, so., S, Gladbrook-Reinbeck
Elise Olson, jr., OH, AGWSR
Bailey Grant, sr., L, E. Marshall
HONORABLE MENTION
Emma Minteer, so., OH/RS, South Hardin
Raelyn Steinmeyer, so., OH, Grundy Center
Tori Metzgar, sr., OH, AGWSR
Dylan Mathern sr., L, Gladbrook-Reinbeck
Cora Talbert, sr., OH/DS, E. Marshall
Final Conference Standings
South Hardin 4-0
Grundy Center 3-1
AGWSR 2-2
Gladbrook-Reinbeck 1-3
East Marshall 0-4