The 2022 volleyball season for the KQ-Radio schools was a more than successful one for the 5 teams and their athletes from the area. Clarion-Goldfield-Dows were the top team record-wise with a 24-4 mark, including capturing their 4th North Central Conference Title in the past 5 years. Athletes left their with many athletes finishing in the top 5 of many categories in the North Central Conference, Heart of Iowa Conference and Top of Iowa Conference West.
Without further adieu, your 2022 KQRadio All-Area Teams and award winners.
Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Lexie Lane, Sr. (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows)
Lexie Lane quickly established herself as one of the top-hitters in not only the North Central Conference, but in all of Class 3A in 2022. Lane’s 318 kills, which matched her output from 2021, were 2nd in the NCC behind Clear Lake’s Xada Johnson, but did hold the top spot in kill efficiency with .294 percentage, finishing two-hundredths of a percentage point ahead of Webster City’s Reese Casey. Lane finishes her high school career with 842 kills and was named a unanimous first-team all NCC selection over this past weekend.
Defensive Player of the Year: Alley Odland, Sr. (Webster City)
This was a tough choice between Odland and teammate Reese Casey who lead the NCC in total blocks, but Odland stepped into some huge shoes at libero after Alayna Finucan’s departure following the 2021 season. Odland led the NCC in digs with 488, over 130 more digs than the next-closest athlete (Humboldt’s Jennika Beach with 356 digs). Odland was named to the second-team All-NCC squad over the weekend.
Coach of the Year: Karen Staples (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows)
Karen Staples took over the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows program following Katrina TerHark’s departure after the 2021 season. All Staples did was keep the status quo and put together one of the best single-season win percentages in school history with their 24-4 record, losing only one 5-set match all year long. Staples also managed to collect a North Central Conference title in his first year at the helm at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows.
All-Area First-Team:
OH: Lexie Lane, Sr. (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows)
Lane earns one of our two outside hitter spots for the reasons listed under why she was named our Area Player of the Year.
MH: Reese Casey, Sr. (Webster City)
Casey was a menace at the net for whoever had the task of facing the Webster City Lynx in 2022, as she recorded 214 kills, which was good for 4th in the North Central Conference, and a conference-high 74 total blocks. Casey was also efficient on the offensive end, as her kill efficiency rate of .292 was 2nd in the conference behind only CGD’s Lexie Lane.
RS: Madelyn Risdal, Jr. (Roland-Story)
Risdal showcased a breakout season as the Norsemen’s right-side attacker in 2022, as she tallied a team-high 220 kills, which was good for 4th in the Heart of Iowa Conference. Risdal also had a kill efficiency rate of .208, and tallied 24 blocks and 126 digs on the defensive end, while finishing in the top five of the HOIC in aces (45), kill attempts (581).
OH: Zoey Duns, Sr. (South Hamilton)
Duns was South Hamilton’s leader on the offensive side of the floor in 2022, leading the Hawks in kills with 164 and a kill efficiency rate of .073. While her efficiency numbers were low, Duns did lead the Heart of Iowa Conference in kill attempts with 673 on the season, as well as in serve efficiency at 96.9%. On the defensive end, Duns 286 digs was 2nd on the team only to libero Kailyn Northrup.
Libero: Alley Odland, Sr. (Webster City)
Odland had some massive shoes to fill following the departure of Alayna Finucan after the 2021 season, as she left Webster City as the school record-holder in digs. Odland entered at Libero and saw little to no drop off in production, leading the conference in digs (488) by over 130 from the next closest athlete in Humboldt’s Jennika Beach.
Setter: Ali Charlson, Jr. (Roland-Story)
Charlson stepped into the setter role following Madison Geise’s departure to Drake, and actually surpassed Geise’s assist total from 2021, with 631 in 2022. Those 631 assists were good for 2nd in the Heart of Iowa Conference behind Nevada’s Mady Gibson. However, Charlson did lead the conference in service aces with 66, and was 2nd in successful serves (308) and serve attempts (339).
Utility: Joslin Gourley, Sr. (Webster City)
Primarily a setter throughout her high school career, Joslin Gourley played some valuable time as a right-side attacker for Webster City this season. Gourley still managed to rack up 415 assists, surpassing the 1,000-career assist mark early in the season, but added 117 kills and a kill efficiency rating of .075. Gourley was also T-4th in the North Central Conference in service aces with 41, 2nd in successful serves (326), T-2nd in serve attempts (352) and 4th in serve efficiency (92.6%). Gourley was named 2nd-team All-NCC over the weekend.
All-Area Second-Team
OH: Clarissa Hasty, Sr. (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows)
Hasty did much of the dirty work in both facets of the game this fall for the Cowgirls, tallying 140 kills and 237 digs, both numbers good for 2nd on the team in their respective statistical categories. Hasty also added 9 blocks on the season, as well as 25 aces on the season.
MH: Kamryn Lande, So. (Roland-Story)
The middle hitter spot became a focal point for the Roland-Story attack in 2022 between Lande and Alynn Solberg, with Lande taking command of the position by season’s end. The sophomore finished the season with 205 kills and a kill efficiency rate of .202, both good for 2nd on the roster. Lande’s 550 kill attempts ranked 5th in the Heart of Iowa Conference as well. Lande was named first-team all-Heart of Iowa this past week.
RS: Livia Kasch, Sr. (Webster City)
Kasch’s senior season was another productive one for the Lynx, as she provided a spark for the front row many times, as she totaled 137 kills and 24 blocks on the season. Kasch has tallied a kill efficiency ratings for .236, while adding 51 digs and 6 aces in limited serve attempts.
OH: Braxton Steil, Sr. (Eagle Grove)
Steil was the leader of an Eagle Grove team that continues to build a young core going forward. Steil was 2nd on the Eagles in kills with 54 and a .044 kill efficiency, as well as blocks (36) and led the team in digs with 86. She also tallied 9 aces on an 86.6% serve efficiency rating.
Libero: Kailyn Northrup, Jr. (South Hamilton)
Libero was a question mark for South Hamilton coming into 2022, but Kailyn Northrup came in an took the spot and ran with it, as she finished 2nd in the Heart of Iowa Conference in digs with 310, trailing only Nevada’s Dakota Hendricks. Northrup also tallied 19 aces on a 91% serving efficiency as well.
Setter: Karlee Lehman, Sr. (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows)
Lehman was a key cog in the dynamic duo between herself and Lexie Lane, tallying a team-high 281 assists on the season. Lehman also led the team in services aces on the season with 40, while collecting a service efficiency rating of 92.5%.
Utility: Kate Barkema, Sr. (South Hamilton)
Barkema was a jack-of-all-trades in her final go-around with the South Hamilton Hawks, tallying 220 assists, along with 110 kills and a kill efficiency rate of .078. Barkema also totaled 19 blocks, 247 digs and a team-high 33 aces on a serving efficiency of 95.3%. She was named honorable mention All-Heart of Iowa Conference this past week.