Fluent, Busswitz are MVC’s best

Anna Fluent of Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Kate Busswitz of Cedar Rapids Prairie have been selected by Mississippi Valley Conference coaches as divisional players of the year.

A 5-foot-9 senior setter bound for Loyola University in Chicago, Fluent guided the Cougars (29-9) to their first state-tournament appearance since 2011 (they'll play Cedar Falls in the first round next Tuesday) and their first MVC divisional crown since 2006. She averages 8.81 assists per set, and is an offensive threat at 1.25 kills per set and a .358 kill efficiency.

Busswitz, a 6-foot-1 senior hitter who has committed to Northern Iowa, helped lead Prairie (31-8) to a share of the MVC Mississippi Division title (with Dubuque Hempstead and Iowa City High), the Hawks' first since 2008. She averaged 3.01 kills and 1.12 blocks per set and posted a .389 kill efficiency. The Hawks were eliminated by Hempstead in a regional final Tuesday.

Prairie's Lynnette Stecklein is the Mississippi Division coach of the year; Matt Johnson of Cedar Falls earned the honor in the Valley Division.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONFERENCE ALL-DIVISION VOLLEYBALL TEAMS

Mississippi Division

First Team (*unanimous)

*Alexa Aldrich-Ingram, jr., Iowa City High; *Kate Busswitz, sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; *Kasey Davis, sr., Dubuque Hempstead; *Hope Splinter, jr., Dubuque Hempstead; Kenzie Soeken, sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Ashley Smith, sr., Iowa City High; Charlotte Richards, soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Ashley Cary, sr., Waterloo East.

Player of the year — Busswitz.

Coach of the year — Lynnette Stecklein, Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Second Team

Kendra Gaskill, sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Megan Oldenburger, jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Makayla Doyle, sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Nicole Simmerman, sr., Waterloo West; Elizabeth Fleckenstein, jr., Dubuque Hempstead; Kendra Cave, jr., Iowa City High; Shannon Stamp, jr., Iowa City High; Jessica Callahan, jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Valley Division

First Team (*unanimous)

*Amanda Ollinger, sr., Linn-Mar; *Mackenzie May, jr., Dubuque Wahlert; *Anna Fluent, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Macy Anderson, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Ellie Anderson, jr., Linn-Mar; Alicia Harrington, sr., Cedar Falls; Tayah Mahi, soph., Cedar Falls; Ali Tauchen, jr., Iowa City West.

Player of the year — Fluent.

Coach of the year — Matt Johnson, Cedar Falls.

Second Team

Grace Burken, soph., Cedar Falls; Emily Halverson, jr., Iowa City West; Emilee McGowan, jr., Linn-Mar; Carly Spies, soph., Linn-Mar; Paige Franck, jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Brinley Milbrath, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Kelly Boge, sr., Dubuque Wahlert; Maddie Slagle, soph., Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com