Iowa all-state volleyball 2018: Tipton’s Sommer Daniel is tops in 3A

Update: The Iowa Girls Coaches Association has released the Elite all-state volleyball team, which included two Metro players — Megan Renner of Linn-Mar and Kaylee Donner of Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

Both are seniors.

The remainder of the team consisted of Madi Kubik of West Des Moines Valley — the state player of the year — along with Devyn Robinson and Kenna Sauer of Ankeny Centennial, Akacia Brown of Cedar Falls, Aliyah Carter of Dubuque Wahlert and Bree Thompson of Janesville.

Original story:

For Sommer Daniel, there is no offseason.

A week after the high-school volleyball season ended, Daniel was in a beach tournament in the Quad Cities. Actually, it was a sand doubles tournament, indoors.

'I don't take a break. I don't want a break,' said Daniel, a junior dynamo from Tipton High School. 'I am so passionate about volleyball. I want to play all the time.'

Daniel, a setter/hitter combo who led Tipton to a state runner-up finish in Class 3A, was named the player of the year in that class by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association, which released its all-state teams to the media Monday — and the public Tuesday morning.

She headlines a list of 10 first-team Gazette-area selections.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Maddy Baxter and Kaylee Donner are on the Class 5A first team, as is Megan Renner of Linn-Mar.

The 4A team includes Akeela Jefferson of Cedar Rapids Xavier, Madison Larson of Independence and Macey Kleitsch of West Delaware.

Daniel is joined on the top 3A team by Rory Light of Mount Vernon. Sydney Steffen of Dyersville Beckman is on the 2A first team, Hayley Goedken of Starmont on the 1A first team.

All 10 of those players competed at the state tournament. Like Daniel, Jefferson led her squad into Championship Friday; Xavier was defeated in the 4A final by Dubuque Wahlert.

A commit for the University of Utah, Daniel averaged 4.25 kills, 4.46 assists and 3.03 digs per set. The Tigers (39-4) reached the 3A final, falling in four sets to Carroll Kuemper.

The Tigers have qualified for state in back-to-back seasons.

Daniel stands a modest 5-foot-9, but makes up for that with a vertical jump that was last measured at 31.5 inches. Add some off-the-chart court instincts, and you have an uncommon player.

'I think my best quality is my volleyball IQ, my knowledge of the game,' she said. 'I was gifted with some pretty good instincts.

'This is a huge honor, and honestly, I think I deserve it. My family is very competitive. We all push each other. I wouldn't do it if I wasn't going to be successful.'

Tipton Coach Amy Calonder said that Daniel's court vision is unmatched.

'She's always thinking a step or two ahead of most players,' Calonder said. 'We do a 40-point warm-up before practice, and she always wins. She's very unpredictable.'

Renner and Larson are repeat first-team selections. A Purdue recruit, Renner led Linn-Mar to the 5A semifinals for the second straight year. Larson was brilliant in Independence's five-set first-round 4A loss to Wahlert, counting 34 kills.

Baxter and Donner guided Jefferson to their second consecutive 5A state berth. The J-Hawks were Mississippi Valley Conference divisional champions.

Other players of the year were Madi Kubik of West Des Moines Valley (5A), Aliyah Carter of Dubuque Wahlert (4A), Corrina Timmermans of Unity Christian (2A) and Bree Thompson of Janesville (1A).

Elite Team

Akacia Brown, jr., Cedar Falls; Aliyah Carter, jr., Dubuque Wahlert; Kaylee Donner, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Madi Kubik, sr., West Des Moines Valley; Megan Renner, sr., Linn-Mar; Devyn Robinson, jr., Ankeny Centennial; Kenna Sauer, sr., Ankeny Centennial; Bree Thompson, sr., Janesville.

Player of the year — Madi Kubik, sr., West Des Moines Valley

Class 5A

First Team

Maddy Baxter, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Akacia Brown, jr., Cedar Falls; Kaylee Donner, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Emerson Greem, jr., Cedar Falls; Madi Kubik, sr., West Des Moines Valley; Megan Renner, sr., Linn-Mar; Devyn Robinson, jr., Ankeny Centennial; Kenna Sauer, sr., Ankeny Centennial.

Player of the year — Madi Kubik, sr., West Des Moines Valley

Coach of the year — Matt Johnson, Cedar Falls

Second Team

Kaylissa Arndorfer, sr., Waterloo West; Elaina Bohnet, jr., Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln; Haley Bush, sr., Waukee; Sydney Kloubec, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Phyona Schrader, soph., Ankeny; Ari Winters, sr., Ankeny Centennial; Jada Wills, jr., Dubuque Hempstead; Alayna Yates, jr., Cedar Falls

Honorable Mention (area only)

Anna Gorsich, sr., Linn-Mar

Class 4A

First Team

Aliyah Carter, jr., Dubuque Wahlert; Emily Holterhaus, sr., Pella; Kenzie Foley, jr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Madison Larson, sr., Independence; Akeela Jefferson, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Carolyn Conlon, sr., Dubuque Wahlert; Macey Kleitsch, jr., West Delaware; Madison Harms, jr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

Player of the year — Aliyah Carter, jr., Dubuque Wahlert

Coach of the year — Lindsey Beaves, Dubuque Wahlert

Second Team

Eve Magill, soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Kate Tidman, sr., Bondurant-Farrar; Holly Cooksley, sr., Independence; Claire Demmer, sr., West Delaware; Megan Witte, jr., Lewis Central; Katelyn Knudsen, jr., Dallas Center-Grimes; Grace Tubbs, sr., Clinton; Nicole Jacobson, sr., Sioux City Heelan

Honorable Mention (area only)

Jazmine Yamilkoski, soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Shauntina Williams, sr., Clear Creek Amana; Sydney Hearn, sr., Independence; Lee Ann Potter, jr., Iowa City Liberty; Holly Faley, sr., Marion

Class 3A

First Team

Aimee Adams, sr., Carroll Kuemper; Sommer Daniel, jr., Tipton; Rory Light, sr., Mount Vernon; Sydney Midlang, sr., Osage; Rylie Olson, sr., Osage; Kara Peter, jr., Carroll Kuemper; Kate Shannon, sr., Waterloo Columbus

Player of the year — Sommer Daniel, jr., Tipton

Coach of the year — Keith Stickrod, Carroll Kuemper

Second Team

Macy Akers, sr., West Liberty; Jazlyn DeHaan, soph., MOC-Floyd Valley; MaKayla Geise, sr., Roland-Story; Danielle Johnson, soph., Osage; Madi Parson, sr., Camanche; Amanda Smith, sr., Tipton; Sophia Walker, jr., Red Oak

Third Team

Payton Ahrenstroff, sr., Spirit Lake; Delaney McSweeney, sr., Center Point-Urbana; Morgan Middleton, soph., Clarion CGD; Maci Overmohle, sr., Carroll Kuemper; Rachel Rinken, jr., New Hampton; Belle Weber, soph., Union Community; Kylie Welch, jr., Davenport Assumption

Honorable Mention (area only)

Karly Berkland, sr., Williamsburg; Morgan Husmann, sr., Center Point-Urbana

Class 2A

First Team

Corrina Timmermans, sr., Unity Christian; Sydney Steffen, sr., Dyersville Beckman; Aubrey Putman, sr., Wilton; Madison Hofman, sr., Western Christian; Amber Rickert, sr., Dike-New Hartford; Morgan Weber, jr., Dike-New Hartford; Jori Bronner, sr., Unity Christian; Camryn McClintock, sr., Sidney

Player of the year — Corrina Timmermans, sr., Unity Christian

Coach of the year — Tammi Veerbeek, Western Christian

Second Team

Heather Boeckenstedt, sr., Dyersville Beckman; Hailey Wallis, sr., Grundy Center; Kenzie Mantz, sr., Belle Plaine; Olivia Granstra, sr., Western Christian; Jaden Daffer, sr., Sidney; Kylie Willis, sr., Grundy Center; Sydni Huisman, sr., Treynor; Ellie Bildstein, sr., Dyersville Beckman

Third Team

Macay Van't Hul, jr., Western Christian; Brooklyn Hundt, sr., Tri-Center; Kamryn Meyer, Durant; Selena Sayre, jr., Van Buren; Allie Petry, soph., Council Bluffs St. Albert; Olivia Larsen, jr., Sidney; Helaina Hillyard, jr., Mediapolis; Tori Wynja, jr., Western Christian

Honorable Mention (area only)

Abbey Fryauf, sr., West Branch; Isabelle Bennett, sr., Dyersville Beckman; Jaedynn Evans, sr., Iowa City Regina

Class 1A

First Team

Bree Thompson, sr., Janesville; Emily Box, sr., Fort Madison Holy Trinity; Zoe Semelroth, jr., Tripoli; Alisa Bengen, sr., Janesville; Saari Kuehl, soph., Gladbrook-Reinbeck; Katie Peters, sr., Le Mars Gehlen; Lily Liekweg, sr., Janesville; Hayley Goedken, sr., Starmont

Player of the year — Bree Thompson, sr., Janesville

Coach of the year — Shelly Sorensen, Janesville

Second Team

Riley Gatton, sr., Montezuma; Alex Knop, jr. East Mills; Regan Janssen, sr., Starmont; Eryn Anderson, sr., Fort Madison Holy Trinity; Emilee Danner, sr., Ar-We-Va; Gabby Gergen, soph., Janesville; Shateah Wetering, jr., Montezuma; Katie Kopriva, jr., North Tama

Third Team

Chloe Coleman, sr., New London; Katelyn Langel, sr., Le Mars Gehlen; Madilyn Vaske, sr., Starmont; Taylor Meyer, sr., Harris-Lake Park; Taylor Boeding, sr., Fort Madison Holy Trinity; Julia Meister, jr., Janesville; Taylor Smith, jr., Iowa Valley; Takoa Kopriva, jr., North Tama

Honorable Mention (area only)

Kelsi Askeland, sr., Edgewood-Colesburg; Macy Mommer, sr., Starmont; Abby Pospisil, jr., Cedar Valley Christian; Lizzie Gifford, sr., Elkader Central

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