All-state volleyball 2017: Xavier's Charlotte Richards earns top 4A honor

According to Austin Filer, Charlotte Richards is "the cornerstone" of the Cedar Rapids Xavier volleyball program.

'She has been a tremendous contributor here for four years. She's the definition of a true six-rotation outside hitter,' said Filer, the Saints' head coach.

'She's definitely one of the top players in the state, in any class.'

And in Class 4A, the best.

Richards was selected as the 4A player of the year by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association, which released its all-state teams Wednesday morning.

'It's pretty amazing,' she said. 'My teammates deserve a lot of the credit for this. Without them, this wouldn't happen.'

Richards, who led the Saints to the 4A state semifinals for the second straight year, is one of eight area players to earn first-team accolades in their respective classes.

Maddie Slagle of Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Megan Renner of Linn-Mar are on the 5A first team, and Richards is joined on the top 4A unit by Caitlyn Smith of Marion, Madison Larson of Independence and Abbey Weideman of Center Point-Urbana.

Madi Wagaman and Alyssa Jaeger of Springville are 1A first-teamers.

Sydney Petersen of Dike-New Hartford, a libero headed for the University of Texas, is the all-class state player of the year. The daughter of UNI Coach Bobbi Petersen, Sydney averaged 4.13 digs per game as the Wolverines (50-3) won the Class 2A state championship, the third of her career. She is one of three DNH players on the eight-player Elite team.

A 6-foot senior bound for Missouri-St. Louis, Richards posted 4.07 kills and 2.94 digs per set as the Saints finished 32-10.

'I went to practice every day and put in a lot of work,' she said. 'I wanted to bring a positive attitude every day, and worked on my skills a lot.'

Slagle led Jefferson to a memorable season. The J-Hawks (39-7) won the MVC Mississippi Division championship and reached the state tournament for the first time since 1997.

'We knew this was going to be our year,' she said. 'We had a lot of weapons. Everybody developed a lot in the offseason.'

A 5-9 outside hitter who signed with Iowa, Slagle averaged 3.04 kills and 3.72 digs per set.

Renner is a 6-2 junior setter who also is a dangerous hitter. The Purdue commit led Linn-Mar (31-11) to the 5A state semifinals, posting 1.45 kills and 7.87 assists per set.

Weideman, Smith and Larson provided star power in the Wamac Conference West Division.

CPU (32-11) won the division title, Marion (26-14) captured the conference tournament, then Independence (33-9) beat both to advance to state.

A South Dakota signee, Weideman averaged 3.89 kills per set for CPU. Smith, a Drake signee, distributed 9.15 assists per set for the Indians. And Larson led junior-dominated Indee with 4.17 kills per set.

Wagaman (8.69 assists per set) and Jaeger (2.20 kills, 1.27 digs per set) were key figures as Springville (39-3) reached the state tournament the past three seasons, including the semifinals both of the last two.

IGCA All-state volleyball Elite Team

Sydney Petersen, sr., Dike-New Hartford; Baylee Petersen, sr., Dike-New Hartford; Anna Sinnott, sr., Waterloo Columbus; Ashtyn Veerbeek, sr., Western Christian; Morgan Weber, soph., Dike-New Hartford; Madi Kubik, jr., West Des Moines Valley; Taylor Lynch, sr., Cedar Falls; Tayah Mahi, sr., Cedar Falls; Devyn Robinson, soph., Ankeny Centennial.

Player of the year — Sydney Petersen

Class 5A

FIRST TEAM

Madi Kubik, jr., West Des Moines Valley; Taylor Lynch, sr., Cedar Falls; Tayah Mahi, sr., Cedar Falls; Devyn Robinson, soph., Ankeny Centennial; Sally Gaul, sr., West Des Moines Dowling; Maddie Slagle, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Megan Renner, jr., Linn-Mar; Grace Burken, sr., Cedar Falls.

Player of the year — Kubik

Coach of the year — Matt Johnson, Cedar Falls

SECOND TEAM

Claire Gerdes, sr., Cedar Falls; Jada Wills, soph., Dubuque Hempstead; Maddy Baxter, jr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Ari Winters, jr., Ankeny Centennial; Emily DeDonker, sr., Urbandale; Elissa Moylan, sr., Pleasant Valley; Colby Greene, sr., Iowa City West; Jenna Wagemester, sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie.

HONORABLE MENTION (area only)

Kaylee Donner, jr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

Class 4A

FIRST TEAM

Charlotte Richards, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Emily Holterhaus, jr., Pella; Katherine Poore, sr., Lewis Central; Kylee Christensen, sr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Aliyah Carter, soph., Dubuque Wahlert; Madison Larson, jr., Indepedence; Abbey Weideman, sr., Center Point-Urbana; Caitlyn Smith, sr., Marion.

Player of the year — Richards

Coach of the year — Lindsay Beaves, Dubuque Wahlert

SECOND TEAM

Jenna Gremmel, sr., Dubuque Wahlert; Krystal Tranel, sr., Dubuque Wahlert; Jayme Willemssen, sr., Waverly-Shell Rock; Samantha McCabe, sr., Sioux City Heelan; Madison Harms, jr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Claire Marsh, sr., Waverly-Shell Rock; Same Schepers, sr., Adel ADM; Amber Dilsaver, sr., Fort Madison.

HONORABLE MENTION (area only)

Jade Henderson, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Shauntina Williams, jr., Clear Creek Amana.

Class 3A

FIRST TEAM

Aimee Adams, jr., Carroll Kuemper; Anna Sinnott, sr., Waterloo Columbus; Alexis Toering, sr., Sioux Center; Kelsey Havel, sr., Osage; Kate Shannon, jr., Waterloo Columbus; Sierra Athen, sr., Red Oak; Kalee Peters, sr., Carroll Kuemper.

Player of the year — Sinnott

Coach of the year — Hannah Nuss, Waterloo Columbus

SECOND TEAM

Inga Rotto, sr., Gilbert; Sommer Daniel, soph., Tipton; Rylie Olson, jr., Osage; Rory Light, jr., Mount Vernon; Olivia Fain, sr., Waterloo Columbus; Kara Peters, soph., Carroll Kuemper; Madi Parson, jr., Camanche.

THIRD TEAM

Kealey Anderson, jr., Shenandoah; Belle Weber, fr., Union Community; Grace Pettinger, sr., Mount Vernon; Macy Akers, jr., West Liberty; Claire Demmer, jr., West Delaware; Jordyn Van Maanen, sr., Sioux Center; Sydney Steffen, jr., Dyersville Beckman.

HONORABLE MENTION (area only)

Isabelle Bennett, jr., Dyersville Beckman; Jordan Kuper, soph., Monticello; Brianna Morales, sr., West Liberty.

Class 2A

FIRST TEAM

Sydney Petersen, sr., Dike-New Hartford; Baylee Petersen, sr., Dike-New Hartford; Ashtyn Veerbeek, sr., Western Christian; Morgan Weber, soph., Dike-New Hartford; Jenna Brandt, sr., Sumner-Fredericksburg; Corrina Timmermans, jr., Unity Christian; Sydney McLaren, sr., Council Bluffs St. Albert; Aubrey Putnam, jr., Wilton.

Player of the year — S. Petersen

Coach of the year — Diane Harms, Dike-New Hartford

SECOND TEAM

Madison Hedges, sr., Dike-New Hartford; Kylie Willis, jr., Grundy Center; Jessi DeJager, sr., Western Christian; Lauren Bair, sr., Clarinda; Camryn McClintock, jr., Sidney; Bekah Horstman, sr., Pella Christian; Jori Bronner, jr., Unity Christian; Amber Rickert, jr., Dike-New Hartford.

THIRD TEAM

Mariah Mitchell, sr., Wapello; Lexie Petrey, sr., Council Bluffs St. Albert; Kenzie Mantz, jr., Belle Plaine; Hallie Reuter, sr., Hinton; Alex Wiese, jr., Iowa City Regina; Darby Hawtrey, sr., North Cedar; Lauren Rowher, sr., Alta-Aurelia; Kayla Chapman, jr., Treynor.

HONORABLE MENTION (area only)

Jaedynn Evans, jr., Iowa City Regina.

Class 1A

FIRST TEAM

Bree Thompson, jr., Janesville; Emily Box, jr., Fort Madison Holy Trinity; Katie Peters, jr., LeMars Gehlen; Alisa Bengen, jr., Janesville; Kennedy Meister, sr., Janesville; Madi Wagaman, sr., Springville; Maya Rashid, sr., Fort Madison Holy Trinity; Alyssa Jaeger, sr., Springville.

Player of the year — Thompson

Coach of the year — Shelly Sorenson, Janesville

SECOND TEAM

Kennedy Drewis, sr., Tripoli; Lily Liekweg, jr., Janesville; Carson McSorley, sr., New London; Katelyn Langel, sr., LeMars Gehlen; Taylor Meyer, jr., Harris-Lake Park; Katie Kopriva, soph., North Tama; McKayla Boeschen, sr., Dunkerton; Breanna Mettler, sr., New London.

THIRD TEAM

Daiton Martin, sr., Essex; Hayley Goedken, jr., Starmont; Sadie Brobst, jr., Tripoli; Caleigh Smith, sr., Iowa Valley; Chloe Bunkers, soph., LeMars Gehlen; Alex Knop, soph., East Mills; Sami Johnson, sr., Springville; Mikayla Nachazel, sr., Springville.

HONORABLE MENTION (area only)

Riley Gatton, jr., Montezuma; Cherissa Ward, sr., Iowa Valley; Rylee Menster, sr., Springville; Regan Janssen, jr., Starmont; Macie Boots, jr., HLV.

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