IGCA honors Stark as state player of the year

Ali Stark was an immediate contributor for the Mount Vernon High School varsity volleyball team.Her first match, as a freshman, she started."She was tremendous then, and she just kept getting better and better," said Mustangs Coach Shirley Ryan.Better and better, and now the best.Stark was selected as the Iowa Girls Coaches Association state player of the year, an award released in conjunction with the IGCA all-state teams."It's a great honor to be selected," said Stark, who has signed a national letter of intent to play at the University of Illinois next year. "I couldn't have done it without my teammates, and it's been an honor to have played with them."A 6-foot-1 outside hitter with exceptional ball-handling skills, Stark led the Mustangs to two state championships -- in Class 2A in 2009, in Class 3A earlier this month.She started every match in four years and the Mustangs posted a 150-11 mark in that time, including a 56-match winning streak at the end."The skills, they come with repetition," Stark said. "But I think a lot of our success comes from being comfortable with the people you play with and the ability to stay level-headed."Stark averaged 3.1 kills per game with a .436 kill efficiency. She served 95.3 percent with 63 aces, and was second on the team in assists and third in digs.Teammate Courtney Kintzel, who will join older sister Shelby at Northern Iowa next year, also is a member of the eight-player Elite all-state team.Kintzel, a 6-1 middle blocker, led the team in kills (3.2 per game), kill efficiency (.456) and blocks (1.4 per game).Mount Vernon was 41-0 this season and is ranked No. 6 nationally by prepvolleyball.com.Stark, Kintzel and Amanda Platte are Class 3A first-team all-state picks, along with Allison Pasker of state runner-up West Delaware. Ryan and West Delaware Coach Brett Mather shared the 3A coach-of-the-year honor.Kathy Bresnahan of Iowa City West is the 4A coach of the year after leading the Women of Troy to the big-school championship. West's Alli O'Deen and Lexi Potter are 4A first-teamers, as is Kari Mueller of Iowa City High.West finished 37-7, losing only one match (to Mount Vernon) after O'Deen returned from a torn ACL.Haley Eckerman of Waterloo East is the 4A player of the year. Western Christian's Kayla Gesink and Tripoli's Megan Gilbert were honored in 2A and 1A after leading their teams to state titles.Tammi Veerbeek of Western and Will Baumann of Tripoli are the 2A and 1A coaches of the year.

IGCA ALL-STATE TEAMS

ELITEOH Ali Stark, sr., Mount Vernon (player of the year)OH Haley Eckerman, sr., Waterloo EastS Kayla Gesink, sr., Western ChristianMB Megan Gilbert, jr., TripoliMB Rachel Peth, sr., Waverly-Shell RockMB Courtney Kintzel, sr., Mount VernonMB Morgan Kuhrt, jr., Waverly-Shell RockS Leisa McClintock, sr., Sioux City Heelan

CLASS 4A

Player of the year -- Haley Eckerman, Waterloo East.

Coach of the year -- Kathy Bresnahan, Iowa City West.

First TeamHaley Eckerman, sr., Waterloo East; Lexi Potter, sr., Iowa City West; Alli O'Deen, sr., Iowa City West; Haley Wandrey, Ankeny; Taylor Goetz, Ankeny; Tory Knuth, sr., Johnston; Sydney Howard, sr., Cedar Falls; Kari Mueller, sr., Iowa City High.

Second TeamMaddie Manning, jr., Ankeny; Ann Miller, sr., Bettendorf; Katie Sickelka, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Erin Roggenburg, sr., Ankeny; Olivia Fairfield, jr., Iowa City West; Alexus Litts, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Brittni Donaldson, sr., Sioux City North; Margit Hansing, sr., Urbandale.

Third TeamAllie Hutcheson, jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Katie Kelley, sr., Iowa City West; Ty Sampson, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Kiah Stokes, sr., Linn-Mar; Kelsey Coleman, sr., Iowa City High; Kara Grant, sr., Western Dubuque; Jordan Loney, sr., Marshalltown; Halli Meyer, sr., Bettendorf.

CLASS 3A

Player of the year -- Ali Stark, Mount Vernon.

Coaches of the year -- Shirley Ryan, Mount Vernon and Brett Mather, West Delaware.

First TeamAli Stark, sr., Mount Vernon; Brooke Fessler, sr., Pella; Leisa McClintock, sr., Sioux City Heelan; Allison Pasker, sr., West Delaware; Amanda Platte, sr., Mount Vernon; Morgan Kuhrt, jr., Waverly-Shell Rock; Courtney Kintzel, sr., Mount Vernon; Rachel Peth, sr., Waverly-Shell Rock

Second TeamKinsey Caldwell, jr., Waverly-Shell Rock; MacKenzie Bigbee, jr., Williamsburg; Natalie Vondrak, jr., Sioux City Heelan; Jenna Hermsen, sr., West Delaware; Hali Steenhoek, sr., Pella; Laura TerHark, sr., Algona; Katelyn Walsh, sr., Sioux City Heelan; Brittany Vaske, sr., Algona.

Third TeamSarah Ryan, sr., Mount Vernon; Jessie Sindlinger, soph., Charles City; Dani Sweet, sr., West Delaware; Lindsay Schulz, jr., Carroll; Lindsay Bentzinger, sr., Pella; Mackenzie Harbaugh, jr., West Delaware; Gabi French, jr., Red Oak; Brie Winegar, sr., Solon.

CLASS 2A

Player of the year -- Kayla Gesink, Western Christian.

Coach of the year -- Tammi Veerbeek, Western Christian.

First TeamKayla Gesink, sr., Western Christian; Abby Graves, sr., Grundy Center; Brooke Wolterstorff, soph., Western Christian; Morgan Fjelstad, jr., Lake Mills; Josie Brackey, jr., Lake Mills; Roxanne Grundmeier, sr., Ridge View; Kalyn Ertz, jr., Mediapolis; Katelyn Schuller, sr., Unity Christian.

Second TeamEmily Eberhardt, sr., Mediapolis; Hallie Peterson, sr., West Fork; Kellie Goedken, jr., Sheldon; Kaitlyn Floeschinger, sr., Treynor; Abby Horstman, sr., Western Christian; Caitlyn Boeckman, sr., East Sac; Kaity Brouwer, jr., Dike-New Hartford; Sarah Calderwood, sr., Mediapolis.

Third TeamAshley Van Kooten, jr., Pella Christian; Kate Kragt, sr., Sioux Center; Abbie Perez, jr., Dike-New Hartford; Ashley Lage, sr., IKM-Manning; Heather Hook, soph., Grundy Center; Samantha Meyers, soph., Grundy Center; Lauren Martin, sr., Forest City; Shelby Broders, sr., Wilton.

CLASS 1A

Player of the year -- Megan Gilbert, Tripoli.

Coach of the year -- Will Baumann, Tripoli.

First TeamMegan Gilbert, jr., Tripoli; Olivia Fisher, sr., Janesville; Amanda Bell, Grandview Park Baptist; Jordan Henningson, sr., Alta; Kadie Subbert, sr., Stanton; Steph Rohe, jr., LeMars Gehlen; Natalie Figanbaum, sr., Tripoli; DeAnna Knustrom, sr., Fort Madison Holy Trinity.

Second TeamMeridyth Bates, sr., Iowa Mennonite; Karlie Schut, jr., Iowa Christian Academy; Bailey Kirchhoff, soph., Tripoli; Bethany Pierschbacher, sr., Grandview Park Baptist; Genna Valvick, sr., North Sentral Kossuth; Danielle Rowe, sr., Bedford; Whitney VanderMaten, jr., Boyden-Hull; Ashley Tinguely, jr., Fort Madison Holy Trinity.

Third TeamAbby Schares, sr., Don Bosco; Courtney Van Haaften, sr., Alta; Amber Goraczkoski, sr., North Sentral Kossuth; Kari Ludvigson, jr., River Valley; Sara Hoppenworth, jr., Tripoli; Lindsey Reinhardt, jr., Fort Madison Holy Trinity; Amber Timmins, jr., LeMars Gehlen; Mariah Kruse, sr., East Union.