Hutcheson, Stumpff, Nelson join Elite company

Allie Hutcheson did a little bit of everything for the Cedar Rapids Kennedy volleyball team, and did it all well.

"I had a chance to do a lot of fun things," Hutcheson said. "I got to set, I got to hit, I got to play the back row. It was a lot of fun to get the opportunity to push myself so many different ways."

A part-time setter and part-time hitter, Hutcheson was one of eight players named to the Elite all-state volleyball team, released Monday by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.

Megan Gilbert of four-time Class 1A state champion Tripoli is the state's player of the year.  

Shelly Stumpff of Iowa City West, Morgan Kuhrt of Waverly-Shell Rock and Briana Weber of Dike-New Hartford are the players of the year in 4A, 3A and 2A. All led their teams to state titles.

Weber is a freshman.

The remainder of the all-state team consists of Michaela Nelson of Iowa City High, Natalie Vondrak of Sioux City Heelan and Brooke Wolterstorff of Western Christian.

Iowa City West's Kathy Bresnahan is the 4A coach of the year after leading the Women of Troy to their second straight 4A championship.

West's season began with tragedy after setter Caroline Found was killed in a moped accident Aug. 11. The Women of Troy came together and repeated in dramatic fashion, rallying from a two-set deficit to beat archrival City High in the championship match.

"I don't think anything can top this," Stumpff said after the match, played on her 18th birthday.

West finished 39-6.

"We really came together as a team this year," Stumpff said. "We picked it up at the end of the season.

"On a personal note, after Caroline died, I wanted to be the one that people could rely on. I wanted to be the stabilizing force, because I think I was kind of unstable at times last year."

Stumpff was the all-tournament captain and averaged 3.57 kills per game and posting a .299 kill efficiency. She will play next year at Wingate University.

A gifted 6-foot-1 left-hander, Hutcheson averaged 2.7 kills and 7.4 assists per game, notching a .462 kill efficiency as the Cougars finished 30-10 and reached the state semifinals for the fourth straight year. She has signed with the University of Northern Colorado.

"We really grew a lot as a team throughout the season," she said. "We had to start almost from scratch, and we really came a long way."

Nelson is a sophomore who posted 3.03 kills per game and a .367 kill efficiency. She highlights a strong group of hitters that will return for the Little Hawks (40-4) next season.

West's Olivia Fairfield (2.89 kills, 1.16 blocks per game, .350) and City's Erin Muir (the leading setter in 4A at 10.48 assists per game) were tabbed to the 4A first team.

Kelsey Cave, a junior who helped lead Solon (32-2) to its first trip to state, is a 3A first-teamer. Cave averaged 3.31 kills and 1.2 blocks per game, along with a .350 kill efficiency.

IOWA GIRLS COACHES ASSOCIATION ALL-STATE VOLLEYBALL

ELITE TEAM

Pos.

Name

Yr.

School

MH 

Megan Gilbert 

Sr. 

Tripoli 

OH 

Shelly Stumpff 

Sr. 

Iowa City West 

MH 

Morgan Kuhrt 

Sr. 

Waverly-Shell Rock 

OH 

Briana Weber 

Fr. 

Dike-New Hartford 

S 

Allie Hutcheson 

Sr. 

Cedar Rapids Kennedy 

OH 

Natalie Vondrak 

Sr. 

Sioux City Heelan 

MH 

Brooke Wolterstorff 

Jr. 

Western Christian 

OH 

Michaela Nelson 

So. 

Iowa City High 

 

CLASS 4A

First Team

OH Shelly Stumpff, sr., Iowa City West; S Allie Hutcheson, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; S Erin Muir, sr., Iowa City High; OH Michaela Nelson, soph., Iowa City High; MH Olivia Fairfield, sr., Iowa City West; OH Maddie Manning, sr., Ankeny; MH Carly DeMarque, sr., Lewis Central; OH Audrey Reeg, jr., Dubuque Hempstead.

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

Second Team (area only)

MH Lexi Rogers, jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; L Anna Pashkova, sr., Iowa City West.

Third Team (area only)

S Kelley Fliehler, sr., Iowa City West; OH Rachel Rinehart, jr., Iowa City High; OH Liz Hubing, jr., Iowa City High.

Honorable Mention

Jordan Calef, C.R. Kennedy; Abby Saehler, Iowa City High; Laura Shephard, Iowa City High

CLASS 3A

First Team

OH Morgan Kuhrt, sr., Waverly-Shell Rock; MH Natalie Vondrak, sr., Sioux City Heelan; S Kinsey Caldwell, sr., Waverly-Shell Rock; MH Jess Schaben, fr., Harlan; L Ellie Rauch, sr., Dubuque Wahlert; MH Lindsay Schulz, sr., Carroll; MH Kelsey Cave, jr., Solon; S Madeline Hanno, sr., Sioux City Heelan.

Player of the year -- Kuhrt; Coach of the year -- Eavon Woodin, Waverly-Shell Rock.

Second Team (area only)

OH MacKenzie Bigbee, sr., Williamsburg; L Amanda Bries, sr., West Delaware; L Tori Zempel, sr., Union; S Makenzie Harbaugh, sr., West Delaware.

Third Team (area only)

OH Kelsey Hinrichs, jr., Solon; MH Hannah Miller, sr., Marion; S Sara Jesse, sr., Union; OH Devan O'Connell, jr., Maquoketa.

Special Mention

Sam Barz, Union; Lauren Neuzil, Clear Creek Amana; Rayne Cook, West Delaware; Rylie Smith, Solon

Honorable Mention

Michelle Lutz, Clear Creek Amana; Katherine Wetjen, Williamsburg; Haleigh Daurelle, Maquoketa; Sara Ernst, Marion; Jade Rohach, South Tama

CLASS 2A

First Team

OH Brooke Wolterstorff, jr., Western Christian; OH Briana Weber, fr., Dike-New Hartford; OH Sam Meyers, jr., Grundy Center; OH Josie Brackey, sr., Lake Mills; MH Kellie Goedken, sr., Sheldon; S Heather Hook, jr., Grundy Center; S Jamie Gesink, fr., Western Christian; S Abbie Perez, sr., Dike-New Hartford.

Player of the year -- Weber; Coach of the year -- Diane Harms, Dike-New Hartford.

Third Team (area only)

OH Gina Montagna, sr., West Liberty.

Special Mention

Heather Poula, West Branch; Jenna Lansing, Dyersville Beckman

Honorable Mention

Taylor Rathbone, Wapsie Valley; Shannon Kelly, West Liberty

CLASS 1A

First Team

MH Megan Gilbert, sr., Tripoli; MH Mikaela Foecke, fr., Fort Madison Holy Trinity; OH Katelin Langel, jr., LeMars Gehlen; S Sara Hoppenworth, sr., Tripoli; OH Kendyl Sorge, fr., Janesville; MH Karlie Schut, sr., Iowa Christian Academy; OH Whitney Vander Maten, sr., Boyden-Hull; OH Bailey Kirchhoff, jr., Tripoli.

Player of the year -- Gilbert; Coach of the year -- Will Baumann, Tripoli.

Special Mention

Melissa Alger Lisbon; Kelsey Tebbe, Bellevue Marquette