(KMAland) -- The Martin Blog Fall Sports Preview series continues with a look at Bluegrass Conference volleyball.
PREVIOUS FALL SPORTS PREVIEWS
7/24: Class 2A District 8 Football
7/25: Rolling Valley Conference Volleyball
7/26: Class 4A District 1 Football
7/27: Class 2A District 7 Football
7/28: Corner Conference Cross Country
7/29: Hawkeye Ten Conference Cross Country
7/30: Western Iowa Conference Cross Country
7/31: Pride of Iowa Conference Volleyball
8/1: Class A District 7 Football
8/2: Missouri River Conference Volleyball
8/3: Class 8-Player District 1 Football
8/4: Rolling Valley Conference Cross Country
8/5: Class A District 6 Football
8/6: Class 8-Player District 7 Football
8/7: Missouri River Conference Cross Country
8/8: Class A District 8 Football
8/9: Class 3A District 6 Football
8/10: Pride of Iowa Conference Cross Country
2023 BLUEGRASS CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW
Ankeny Christian went undefeated in the conference, lost just three times total and won the 1A state championship. They also won the Bluegrass Conference Tournament over Seymour while Twin Cedars took third over Moravia. Conference records are division only. The top four listed are the four teams that ended up in the tournament semifinals:
1. Ankeny Christian Eagles — 39-3 overall, 5-0 conference
2. Seymour Warriorettes — 21-12 overall, 4-0 conference
3. Twin Cedars Sabers — 13-12 overall, 3-1 conference
4. Moravia Mohawks — 15-14 overall, 2-2 conference
5. Mormon Trail Saints — 17-7 overall, 4-1 conference
6. Lamoni Demons — 9-17 overall, 3-2 conference
7. Murray Mustangs — 10-13 overall, 2-3 conference
8. Melcher-Dallas Saints — 5-17 overall, 1-3 conference
9. Diagonal Maroons — 12-13 overall, 1-4 conference
10. Moulton-Udell Eagles — 0-19 overall, 0-4 conference
11. Orient-Macksburg Bulldogs — 1-16 overall, 0-5 conference
COACHES
•Ankeny Christian: Michele Quick
•Diagonal: Mallory Grandfield
•Lamoni: Laura Jeanes
•Melcher-Dallas: Jesyka Nolte
•Moravia: Ryan VanBogaert
•Mormon Trail: Katie Newton
•Moulton-Udell: Tom Hill
•Murray: Maki Barber
•Orient-Macksburg: Bree Ross
•Seymour: Jennifer Miller
•Twin Cedars: TBA
TOP-RETURNING HITTERS
These are the top-returning hitters in the league, sorted by total kills during the 2022 season:
1. Carley Craighead, JR, Ankeny Christian — The leading hitter for the best team in the conference and in Class 1A, Craighead pounded in 326 winners in 101 sets and hit a ridiculous .362 efficiency.
2. Anna Weathers, JR, Ankeny Christian — The No. 2 hitter on the best team in the conference in Class 1A, Weathers posted 219 kills in 92 sets and hit .317 efficiency.
3. Taylor Henson, JR, Lamoni — Henson breaks up the Ankeny Christian monotony here with a 202-kill season in 63 sets while hitting .213.
4. Katie Quick, JR, Ankeny Christian — She’s not a hitter, but she is one of the best setters I have had the privilege of seeing during my time covering this great sport in the area. She had 195 kills in 102 sets and had a .411 efficiency. So smart.
5. Olivia Power, SR, Seymour — The top-returning senior hitter, Power had 187 kills in 82 sets for the Warriorettes last year.
6. Macey Nehring, JR, Ankeny Christian — They are a state champion for a reason. Nehring provides great depth and had 160 kills in 102 sets while hitting just .300 (.294).
7. Maysen Trimble, SR, Seymour — Another Seymour returnee, Trimble also had a strong season with 154 kills in 84 sets while hitting .162.
8. Annika Shanks, SR, Mormon Trail — The top hitter for Mormon Trail last season is back. Shanks had 143 kills in 66 sets and hit .224 for the year.
9. Candace Walton, SO, Moravia — Moravia brings back the top hitter in the sophomore class. Walton hit .202 while finishing with 138 kills in 76 sets.
10. Jillian French, SR, Twin Cedars — French is Twin Cedars’ top-returning hitter, as she finished with 134 slams in 64 sets a year ago.
The rest of the top 20:
11. Sydney Forkner, JR, Mormon Trail (120 kills, 66 sets, .143 EFF)
12. Gabby Overgaard, JR, Melcher-Dallas (108 kills, 60 sets, .182 EFF)
13. Morgan Fincham, JR, Ankeny Christian (106 kills, 80 sets, .361 EFF)
14. Aidan Newton, SR, Mormon Trail (94 kills, 66 sets, .094 EFF)
15. Emaleigh Pierschbacher, SR, Lamoni (93 kills, 71 sets, .120 EFF)
16. Keelie Anderson, SR, Moravia (88 kills, 77 sets, .067 EFF)
16. Lauren Burton, SR, Diagonal (88 kills, 66 sets)
18. Mia Shanks, SR, Mormon Trail (84 kills, 66 sets, .102 EFF)
19. Taylor Ruby, SR, Seymour (81 kills, 84 sets, .066 EFF)
20. Saydi Benz, JR, Melcher-Dallas (76 kills, 56 sets, .157 EFF)
20. Destiny Drew, SR, Moravia (76 kills, 77 sets, .108 EFF)
TOP-RETURNING SETTERS
The top-returning setters in the league are sorted by total assists during the 2022 season:
1. Katie Quick, JR, Ankeny Christian — Quick had A LOT of assists during her sophomore season, finishing with 842 helpers in 102 sets.
2. Kaitlyn Keller, JR, Seymour — Keller was next on the list with 364 assists in 84 sets during her sophomore season.
3. Sydney Forkner, JR, Mormon Trail — Forkner is the only remaining member of the 200-assist club from last year, which totaled seven. She finished with 212 assists in 66 sets.
4. Aidyn Newton, SR, Mormon Trail — Newton joined with Forkner at the setter position and totaled 166 assists in 66 sets.
5. Kinsey Eslinger, SR, Orient-Macksburg — Eslinger had a strong season of her own with 140 assists in 50 sets.
6. Emaleigh Pierschbacher, SR, Lamoni — She was also 15th on the returning kills list and had 128 assists in 71 sets for the season.
7. Jenna Mickey, JR, Melcher-Dallas — Mickey was the No. 2 setter on the Melcher-Dallas team last year with 111 assists in 60 sets.
8. Riese Gjerde, SR, Ankeny Christian — More known for her defensive abilities, she also played a bit of setter with 110 assists in 100 sets.
9. Ami Mockenhaupt, JR, Twin Cedars — Mockenhaupt was a secondary setter for the Sabers and had 98 assists in 42 sets.
10. Finley Spencer, SR, Moravia — Another that will likely be stepping into a bigger setting role, Spencer had 88 assists in 77 sets.
11. Lauren Olsen, JR, Lamoni — She is listed as a rare MH/S, and she finished with 75 assists in 67 sets last year for the Demons.
TOP-RETURNING DEFENDERS
These are the top-returning defenders in the league, sorted by total digs during the 2022 season:
1. Riese Gjerde, SR, Ankeny Christian — Gjerde was mentioned earlier as someone that can set, but she mostly spends her time as the team’s libero. She had 308 digs in 100 sets to lead the conference.
2. Kenzyn Roberts, SR, Twin Cedars — Another returning libero, Roberts had 267 total digs in 64 sets as a junior.
3. Macey Nehring, JR, Ankeny Christian — A six-rotation standout, Nehring totaled 241 digs in 102 sets in 2022.
4. Gracie Peck, SR, Seymour — Peck also had a strong defensive season for Seymour with 233 digs in 84 sets.
5. Katie Quick, JR, Ankeny Christian — She can truly do it all for the Eagles, as Quick tallied 194 digs in 102 sets.
6. Jillian French, SR, Twin Cedars — A second Sabers player in the top six returnees in digs, French had 192 digs last season.
7. Aleksys Gannon, SR, Murray — A senior defensive specialist, Gannon led the Mustangs last season with 169 digs in 60 sets.
8. Brooklyn Metz, SR, Melcher-Dallas — Metz has hitting ability, too, but she had a big season with 162 digs in 60 sets.
9. Annika Shanks, SR, Mormon Trail — Shanks tops the Mormon Trail returnees with 160 digs in 2022.
9. Leah Rinchiuso, JR, Seymour — And Richiuso was right there with Shanks with 160 digs in 84 sets as a sophomore.
The rest of the top 25:
11. Ella Hysell, JR, Mormon Trail (156 digs, 66 sets)
12. Mia Shanks, SR, Mormon Trail (154 digs, 66 sets)
13. Keelie Anderson, SR, Moravia (153 digs, 77 sets)
14. Kasyn Shinn, SR, Orient-Macksburg (153 digs, 50 sets)
14. Maysen Trimble, SR, Seymour (153 digs, 84 sets)
16. Destiny Drew, SR, Moravia (151 digs, 77 sets)
17. Cayleigh Woollums, SO, Diagonal (141 digs, 51 sets)
18. Lauren Burton, SR, Diagonal (140 digs, 66 sets)
19. Taylor Henson, JR, Lamoni (138 digs, 63 sets)
20. Sydney Forkner, JR, Mormon Trail (137 digs, 66 sets)
21. Emaleigh Pierschbacher, SR, Lamonio (136 digs, 71 sets)
22. Cejay Kent, SR, Murray (22 digs, 64 sets)
23. Ami Mockenhaupt, JR, Twin Cedars (121 digs, 42 sets)
24. Miah Burgher, SO, Moulton-Udell (113 digs, 51 sets)
25. Carley Craighead, JR, Ankeny Christian (110 digs, 101 sets)
TOP-RETURNING BLOCKERS
These are the top-returning defenders in the league, sorted by total blocks during the 2022 season:
1. Maysen Trimble, SR, Seymour — Trimble led the league last season and is the top returning player with 58.0 total blocks as a junior.
2. Olivia Power, SR, Seymour — Seymour will once again have the top two blockers in the league after Power had 33.0 blocks in 82 sets.
3. Katie Quick, JR, Ankeny Christian — Our run of Quick being involved in every category continues here. She had 32.0 blocks as a sophomore.
3. Mia Shanks, SR, Mormon Trail — Shanks also finished last season with 32.0 blocks for Mormon Trail.
5. Annika Shanks, SR, Mormon Trail — Right behind Mia Shanks was Annika Shanks, who posted 31.0 total blocks a year ago.
6. Morgan Keller, SR, Murray — Keller is the last of the six that had at least 31.0 blocks last season. She had 31.0 right on the dot.
7. Gabby Overgaard, JR, Melcher-Dallas — Overgaard returns as the top blocker for Melcher-Dallas, finishing with 28.0 total last year.
8. Candace Walton, SO, Moravia — The top-returning sophomore blocker is Walton, who finished with 27.0 blocks in 2022.
8. Anna Weathers, JR, Ankeny Christian — Weathers pulled off 27.0 blocks during her own sophomore season for the Eagles.
10. Chloe Roe, SR, Ankeny Christian — Roe makes for a third returning Ankeny Christian player in the top 10. She had 25.0 total blocks on the year.
The rest of the top 15:
11. Lauren Burton, SR, Diagonal (24.0 blocks, 66 sets)
12. Carley Craighead, JR, Ankeny Christian (21.0 blocks, 101 sets)
13. Emma Boswell, SO, Orient-Macksburg (17.0 blocks, 50 sets)
14. Morgan Finchamm, JR, Ankeny Christian (15.0 blocks, 80 sets)
15. Destiny Drew, SR, Moravia (14.0 blocks, 77 sets)
15. Sydney Forkner, JR, Mormon Trail (14.0 blocks, 66 sets)
TOP-RETURNING SERVERS
These are the top returning servers in the league, sorted by total aces during the 2022 season:
1. Katie Quick, JR, Ankeny Christian (112 aces, 89.8% EFF)
2. Macey Nehring, JR, Ankeny Christian (84 aces, 92.8% EFF)
3. Jillian French, SR, Twin Cedars (76 aces, 84.3% EFF)
4. Carley Craighead, JR, Ankeny Christian (75 aces, 90.1% EFF)
5. Candace Walton, SO, Moravia (62 aces, 90.4% EFF)
6. Maysen Trimble, SR, Seymour (51 aces, 89.9% EFF)
7. Riese Gjerde, SR, Ankeny Christian (50 aces, 88.9% EFF)
8. Gracie Peck, SR, Seymour (49 aces, 90.0% EFF)
8. Anna Weathers, JR, Ankeny Christian (49 aces, 84.9% EFF)
10. Ella Hysell, JR, Mormon Trail (44 aces, 89.7% EFF)
11. Mia Shanks, SR, Mormon Trail (43 aces, 91.5% EFF)
12. Aidyn Newton, SR, Mormon Trail (42 aces, 92.4% EFF)
12. Annika Shanks, SR, Mormon Trail (42 aces, 85.7% EFF)
14. Keelie Anderson, SR, Moravia (39 aces, 88.3% EFF)
14. Lauren Burton, SR, Diagonal (39 aces, 76.2% EFF)
16. Olivia Power, SR, Seymour (35 aces, 92.6% EFF)
17. Cejay Kent, SR, Murray (34 aces, 87.3% EFF)
18. Taylor Ruby, SR, Seymour (33 aces, 87.2% EFF)
18. Finley Spencer, SR, Moravia (33 aces, 90.9% EFF)
20. Morgan Fincham, JR, Ankeny Christian (32 aces, 85.0% EFF)
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
These are the returning all-conference players for each team:
•Ankeny Christian (6): Katie Quick (1st), Carley Craighead (1st), Macey Nehring (2nd), Anna Weathers (2nd), Riese Gjerde (2nd), Morgan Fincham (HM)
•Diagonal (0)
•Lamoni (2): Taylor Henson (1st), Emaleigh Pierschbacher (2nd)
•Melcher-Dallas (1): Gabby Overgaard (2nd)
•Moravia (2): Candace Walton (1st), Keelie Anderson (2nd)
•Mormon Trail (4): Annika Shanks (1st), Sydney Forkner (2nd), Aidyn Newton (2nd), Mia Shanks (HM)
•Moulton-Udell (0)
•Murray (0)
•Orient-Macksburg (2): Kasyn Shinn (2nd), Kinsey Eslinger (HM)
•Seymour (5): Maysen Trimble (1st), Olivia Power (1st), Taylor Ruby (2nd), Gracie Peck (2nd), Kaitlyn Keller (HM)
•Twin Cedars (3): Jillian French (1st), Kenzyn Roberts (2nd), Ami Mockenhaupt (HM)
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Here’s your KMA Sports Preseason All-Conference based on returning stats and all-conference nominations. The Preseason All-Conference needs a setter, a libero and the best four regardless of position:
Carley Craighead, JR, Ankeny Christian
Riese Gjerde, SR, Ankeny Christian
Taylor Henson, JR, Lamoni
Katie Quick, JR, Ankeny Christian
Maysen Trimble, SR, Seymour
Anna Weathers, JR, Ankeny Christian
PRESEASON COACHES PICKS
Here’s a look at what the league’s coaches are thinking heading into the season. In voting, I stipulated that coaches could not vote for their own team or players.
Preseason Player of the Year: Katie Quick, Ankeny Christian — Quick picked up five of the eight votes from the conference’s coaches. Annika Shanks of Mormon Trail, Jillian French of Twin Cedars and Carley Craighead of Ankeny Christian also had one tally each.
Preseason Poll:
1. Ankeny Christian (7) — 35 points
2. Mormon Trail — 21 points
3. Lamoni — 19 points
4. Seymour — 18 points
5. Twin Cedars — 8 points
6. Melcher-Dallas (1) — 7 points
6. Murray — 7 points
8. Moravia — 5 points
Note: Ankeny Christian gets the virtiual unanimous nod as the conference’s favorite, as you might expect. Mormon Trail, Lamoni and Seymour are seen as threats for the No. 2 position in the league this year, although Melcher-Dallas did nab the other first-place tally.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATION
These are not my predictions. This is a simple formulaic prognostication with 2022 overall wins + top-returning players listed above + returning all-conference players + preseason all-conference. Here’s how it lines up:
1. Ankeny Christian (37)
2. Mormon Trail (25)
3. Seymour (23)
4. Moravia (15)
5. Lamoni & Twin Cedars (12)
7. Melcher-Dallas (7)
8. Diagonal & Murray (6)
10. Orient-Macksburg (5)
11. Moulton-Udell (1)
Thoughts: Yes, Ankeny Christian is the heavy favorite here, too. Mormon Trail and Seymour both end up as the biggest threats to that No. 2 position in the formula. There aren’t too many moves up or down in this league, as it looks like the formula sees the 2023 season as one that maintains the status quo.
Send any questions, comments and/or concerns to dmartin@kmamail.com.
