West Liberty’s Macy Daufeldt headlines the 2021 Gazette all-area volleyball team

Opposing student sections, take note:

You may get into Macy Daufeldt’s ears, but it stops there. You won’t get into her head.

The kids from Davenport Assumption learned that the hard way.

Early in a Class 3A state semifinal volleyball match, the old and tired “Over-rated” chant arose from the Assumption student section during a timeout.

Daufeldt’s left hand was holding a water bottle, from which she was drinking. Her right hand was waving toward the chants, as if to say, “Keep it coming.”

West Liberty Coach Ruben Galvan concluded communicating his adjustments in the huddle, then Daufeldt chimed in:

“Let’s show them who’s overrated.”

A 6-foot senior outside hitter, Daufeldt finished that match with 37 kills, and West Liberty prevailed in five sets. She had 91 of them in three matches at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse and earned 3A all-tournament captainship, even though the Comets fell to West Delaware in the championship match.

Then came the Iowa Girls Coaches Association all-state teams, and Daufeldt was the state co-player of the year, along with Payton Petersen of Dike-New Hartford.

So maybe it’s a bit anticlimactic in announcing Daufeldt as the 2021 Gazette-area player of the year.

It’s not just about the numbers, according to Galvan — and those numbers certainly are staggering: 5.97 kills (a .440 efficiency) and 3.34 digs per set this season; 1,811 career kills, 1,082 career digs.

It’s also about growth and maturity.

“It’s been so awesome to watch her grow, as a player and also as a leader,” Galvan said. “The patience and respect she showed our younger players ... she made them feel comfortable, so there was no pressure on them.”

A dynamic, springy Drake University signee with a wicked swing, Daufeldt said: “When you lose a point, you don’t have to harp on somebody. The best part of being a player is being a teammate. I like to take a lot of pride in being that person, that shoulder for somebody else when they’re struggling.

“If your teammates know you trust them, they’re going to play better. Everybody was playing to their highest potential at state, and that’s why we got as far as we did.”

Daufeldt’s state-tournament brilliance set her above everybody else in the area, and this was an area full of talent. Eleven of the 12 players selected to the all-area team were first-team all-staters. Iowa City Liberty’s Cassidy Hartman and Dyersville Beckman’s Kiersten Schmitt joined Daufeldt on the nine-player Elite all-state team.

Hartman, a junior, has committed to Northern Iowa. Schmitt, a senior, has signed with Iowa State.

The all-area team also consists of Meredith Bahl and Madison Maahs of Class 4A state champion Western Dubuque, Ella Koloc and Alivia Schulte of 3A titlist West Delaware, Nia Howard of 1A runner-up Springville, Maya Karl of Cedar Rapids Xavier, Shelby Kimm of Liberty, Madeleine Miller of Mount Vernon and Avery Van Hook of Marion.

State-champion coaches Megan Scherrman (Western Dubuque) and Brett Mather (West Delaware) are all-area co-coaches of the year.

Mather, 51, has crafted an 885-200 record in 26 years at West Delaware, with 14 state appearances. A native of Greenfield, he spent his first two years at Wellsburg-Steamboat Rock and is 915-222 overall.

“The kids’ mindset was an important key for us,” he said. “If they won the first set or lost the first set, you couldn’t tell any difference. Whether it was a match or practice, the kids had the idea of what they could accomplish, and what they needed to do to get there.

“There were a lot of times in which the kids would run practice and I would just sit back and watch. It was fun to listen to the kids as they became leaders. They saw stuff that needed to change, and they took care of it.”

Scherrman, 35, was a 2005 graduate of Beckman, where she played for Todd Troutman. She served as a coach at Beckman for two years, then took over at Western Dubuque.

There, she owns a 160-74 mark in eight years; she is 197-121 in 10 seasons overall. The Bobcats have gone to state four times in her tenure, capped by this year’s title.

The Bobcats finished the season with 27 consecutive victories.

“These kids ... I wanted this (championship) for them more than anything,” Scherrman said. “This group did it for each other. The work they’ve put into it the last four years, it’s amazing.

“Moving to the (Mississippi Valley Conference) a few years ago, it took some time for us to grow into it. But we only played one 4A school before regionals, and we were ready for anything that anybody threw at us. We were prepared physically and mentally.”

The Gazette’s 2021 All-Area Volleyball Team

Meredith Bahl, 5-11, sr., Western Dubuque — Averaged 4.47 kills and 3.27 digs per set as the Bobcats (34-3) won the Class 4A state championship. Posted a .333 kill efficiency. IGCA 4A 1st-team all-stater.

Macy Daufeldt, 6-0, sr., West Liberty — Averaged 5.97 kills and 3.34 digs per set as the Comets (39-5) reached the Class 3A state final. Posted a .440 kill efficiency. IGCA state co-player of the year, Class 3A player of the year, Elite all-state selection and 3A first-team pick. Drake University signee.

Cassidy Hartman, 6-0, jr., Iowa City Liberty — Averaged 4.23 kills and 4.00 digs per set as the Lightning (34-5) reached the Class 5A state tournament. Posted a .351 kill efficiency. IGCA Elite all-state selection and Class 5A 1st-team pick. University of Northern Iowa commit.

Nia Howard, 5-6, jr., Springville — Averaged 1.19 kills, 9.02 assists and 2.83 digs per set as the Orioles (35-5) reached the Class 1A state final. IGCA 1A 1st-team all-stater.

Maya Karl, 5-11, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier — Averaged 3.37 kills and 0.89 blocks per set as the Saints (29-5) advanced to the Class 4A state tournament. Posted a .378 kill efficiency. IGCA 4A 1st-team all-stater.

Shelby Kimm, 6-0, jr., Iowa City Liberty — Averaged 2.69 kills and 3.64 digs per set as the Lightning (34-5) reached the Class 5A state tournament. Posted a .281 kill efficiency. IGCA 5A 1st-team all-stater.

Ella Koloc, 5-4, sr., West Delaware — Averaged 5.56 digs per set as the Hawks (43-5) won the Class 3A state championship. IGCA 3A 1st-team all-stater.

Madison Maahs, 5-8, sr., Western Dubuque — Averaged 1.05 kills, 11.14 assists and 2.19 digs per set as the Bobcats (34-3) won the Class 4A state championship. IGCA 4A 1st-team all-stater.

Madeleine Miller, 6-1, jr., Mount Vernon — Averaged 1.62 kills, 9.32 assists and 2.30 digs as the Mustangs (34-13) advanced to the Class 3A state tournament. Posted a .446 kill efficiency. IGCA 3A 1st-team all-stater. University of New Mexico commit.

Kiersten Schmitt, 6-0, sr., Dyersville Beckman — Averaged 5.39 kills and 2.88 digs per set as the Blazers (33-12) advanced to the Class 2A state tournament. Posted a 3.44 kill efficiency. IGCA Elite all-state selection and 2A 1st-team pick. Iowa State University signee.

Alivia Schulte, 5-7, jr., West Delaware — Averaged 3.59 kills and 3.16 digs per set as the Hawks (43-5) won the Class 3A state championship. Posted a .299 kill efficiency. IGCA 3A 2nd-team all-stater.

Avery Van Hook, 5-9, jr., Marion — Averaged 2.99 kills, 3.98 assists and 2.88 digs per set as the Wolves (37-9) reached the Class 4A state semifinals. Posted a .326 kill efficiency. IGCA 4A 1st-team all-stater. University of South Dakota commit.

Player of the year — Macy Daufeldt, sr., West Liberty

Co-Coaches of the year — Brett Mather, West Delaware; Megan Scherrman, Western Dubuque

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com