Local volleyball girls earn postseason recognition

Erick Starkey
Posted 11/10/17

Nine local girls were named all-conference after the volleyball season concluded following the state tournament last weekend, with four coming from Lingle-Fort Laramie, three from Southeast and Torrington adding another two.

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Local volleyball girls earn postseason recognition

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TORRINGTON – Nine local girls were named all-conference after the volleyball season concluded following the state tournament last weekend, with four coming from Lingle-Fort Laramie, three from Southeast and Torrington adding another two.

Torrington’s Adia Sherbeyn, Southeast’s Hailey Anderson and L-FL’s Jade Cooper were all named all-state.

Torrington

After sitting on the bench all of last season with injury, Sherbeyn returned to the floor this year with a vengeance. Her 113 aces were almost half of the team’s 256 on the season. She finished the year with a 91 percent serving percentage. In the back line, Sherbeyn, a senior, also led the way in digs, tallying 396 on the year.

At the net, Sherbeyn recorded 211 kills, 11 blocks and six assists. Her mark in the killing department was second-best for the Lady Blazers. She also finished the year with a 2.58 passing average.

“She is a very hard worker. I knew she would have a great season,” Chelsi Jackson said. “She was in the state stats for almost everything except for setting. She did great and it was everything I expected from her.”

Logan Murphy flexed her muscle at the net for a majority of the season, racking up a team-high 380 kills, nearly 170 more than Sherbeyn’s 211, which was second on the team. Murphy also finished the season with 30 blocks, five assists and 36 aces.

In the back line, Murphy accounted for 284 digs, which was second for Torrington behind Sherbeyn. She finished the year with a 2.07 passing average.

“When she is doing well, the other girls are doing well… she is a strong player,” Jackson said. “The girls know, if we have to put it away, that’s where the ball goes. She sees the court very well. She can hit with her right hand or her left hand. She was definitely one that if you wanted it to go down, you give it to her.”

Murphy cracked into the postseason recognition this year with her position on the 3A East all-conference list. Sherbeyn has been all-conference before, but in 2015, so this season is her second time as all-conference and first time as all-state.

Among the 3A teams, Lyman and Rawlins both had three representatives on the all-state list, followed by Worland, Riverton and Douglas, who each had two. Torrington, Buffalo, Cody and Star Valley all had one all-state player. In the 3A East, Rawlins was well represented on the all-conference list, taking up six honorees. Douglas had three nominees, while Torrington and Worland had two apiece. Wheatland, Thermopolis and Buffalo each had one player named all-conference.

Southeast

Anderson had a year to remember, and only as a junior. She broke the school record at Southeast for most kills, racking up 425 on the year. Her mark of 425 kills, which was first in the Southeastern Wyoming Athletic Conference (SEWAC), broke the old school record by 129 kills. Anderson had a 44.4 kill percentage.

Elsewhere on the court, the junior tallied 50 blocks (fourth in the SEWAC), 245 digs (10th) and 33 aces. She had a 94.6 percent serving percentage, putting her seventh, and finished the year with a 2.24 passing average.

“Hailey worked hard all season long to improve her skills and she became a better all-around volleyball player,” Southeast coach Roxanne Jolovich said. “She was a major threat in the front row and worked hard to keep the ball off the ground in the back row. Hailey also became very good at reading the other side of the court and placing more balls.”

For her efforts this fall, Anderson picked up all-state recognition, while being named player of the year in both the 2A Southeast conference and the SEWAC, which is comprised of Southeast, Lingle-Fort Laramie, Pine Bluffs, Glenrock and Burns.

Ellie Schmitt and Kassidy McClun joined Anderson on both the SEWAC all-conference list and the 2A Southeast all-conference list. Schmitt, who is also a junior this year, racked up 366 assists this season, ranking her fifth in the SEWAC. She ranked third in the SEWAC in kills, finishing with 232 on the season. She was 15th in digs (207), while rounding out her season-long stat sheet with 50 aces, 17 blocks, a 37.6 percent kill percentage and a 2.39 passing average.

“As a volleyball player, Ellie sees the court very well. She saves balls and makes plays when everyone else thinks the ball is dead,” Jolovich said. “Her quick arm swing in the front down and amazing sets while in the back row make her a threat all the way around the court.”

With 208 assists, McClun finished seventh in the standings among setters in the SEWAC. The senior also added 114 digs, 11 blocks and 21 aces to her totals in 2017, while having a 2.13 passing average.

“Kassidy is a very calm and consistent player. Her composed mannerisms made her a great passer,” Jolovich said. “Kassidy’s soft hands made her an asset to our team as a setter. What I love most about Kassidy is her huge smile when she does something that she didn’t think she could do.”

Schmitt and Anderson were both named to the 2A southeast all-conference list last year and Anderson is now a two-time all-state honoree.

On the 2A all-state list, Big Piney, Sundance and Wright all had two players, while Southeast, Wind River, Upton, Shoshoni, Pine Bluffs, Lusk, Kemmerer, Greybull, Glenrock and Big Horn all had one representative. In the 2A Southeast, the Lady Cyclones, Lady Tigers and Lady Hornets all had three honorees, while Burns and Glenrock each had one.

Lingle-Fort Laramie

Cooper, the Lady Doggers’ setter, was named all-state. She racked up 596 of L-FL’s 659 assists on the season. On top of having a solid setting game, Cooper tallied 77 kills, 35 aces and had a 94 percent serving percentage.

“Jade was the quarterback on this team. Many setters are considered to be the quarterback, but Jade epitomized this term,” coach Barb Clark said. “She ran our offense and took special care in getting the ball to the best spot on each play… she used her tipping and dumping ability to make blockers play us straight and not cheat.”

In addition to playing a key role on offense, Cooper led the Lady Doggers in digs, with 340, while tallying 14 blocks.

Fellow senior Amanda Riley joined Cooper on the SEWAC all-conference list, as well as the 1A Southeast all-conference list. Riley racked up a team high 318 kills and 45 blocks. Her kill percentage of 44 percent and serving percentage of 97 percent also led the Lady Doggers. At the service line, Riley accounted for 27 aces, while rounding out her stat sheet with 279 digs from the back row.

“Her greatest asset was her hitting ability. Amanda led the team with 318 kills and more importantly, she had a kill percentage of 44 percent,” Clark said. “I have never had a middle hitter who could hit with that much efficiency.”

A pair of juniors made the 1A East all-conference list in Jordyn Gaspers and Jordan Hunt. Gaspers finished second on the team in kills, with 111, while turning in 31 aces, nine blocks and 231 digs. She finished third on the team in both aces and digs.

“This young lady has worked hard all season and in the off season also… Jordyn took her role on the team serious and wanted to do her best,” Clark said. “She is coming along and her experience this year should really help her next year.”

Hunt turned in the fourth-most digs for the Lady Doggers with 216, but her presence was felt all over the court. She had the second-best serving percentage, coming in at 96.6 percent, while accounting for 24 aces. She was also second in blocks, racking up 19, while adding 91 kills to her stat sheet.

“Jordan is a stabilizing force on the court. She works hard to get better at her position every day,” Clark said. “Her backrow skills have increased so much this year it is amazing. Knowing that she is only 5-feet, 4-inches, you wouldn’t expect her to play the front row but Jordan did and was second on the team for blocks.”

Riley and Cooper were both all-conference honorees a season ago, while Gaspers and Hunt are new to the recognition. Cooper was also all-state a year ago.

On the 1A all-state list, Cokeville led the way with four nominees, while Dubois, Encampment and Little Snake River each added two. L-FL, Burlington, Farson-Eden, Hulett, Meeteetse and Rock River all had one nominee. On the 1A Southeast all-conference list, the Lady Doggers and Rock River each had four players honored, while three came from Hanna-Elk Mountain and Guernsey-Sunrise kicked in another.