The Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association released its list of All-State players for the 2011 season, and Canby senior middle hitter Riley Nordgaard was named the Class A Player of the Year.
In 31 matches this season, Nordgaard had 529 kills, including an area-best 6.0 kills per set, as well as 291 digs, 52 blocks and 37 ace serves. With Nordgaard leading the way, the Lancers went 27-5, finishing the regular season as the No. 2-ranked team in Class A. Canby reached the Section 3A-North semifinals, falling in three sets to MACCRAY. Nordgaard with attend Augustana College (S.D.) for basketball next year.
Along with Nordgaard, five other area players - Marshall's Morgan McKittrick, Kenzie Beekman and Sydney Griffin in Class AA, and Minneota's Kelsey Hennen and Canby's Casie Baer in earned All-State honors in Class A.
Helping the Tigers to the No. 1 seed in the Class AA state tournament, McKittrick, a senior, and Beekman, a sophomore, had 290 and 425 kills, respectively, earning first team honors. McKittrick and Beekman each had 33 ace serves, and Beekman finished with 38 blocks. Griffin was named All-State honorable mention after finishing with 127 kills and a team-high 458 set assists in the regular season. In Marshall's Section 3AA-North victory over Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop, Griffin picked up her 1,000th career set assist.
After being named All-State honorable mention last year, Hennen was bumped up to the first team in 2011 after helping the Vikings to their third straight appearance in the Class A state tournament. Hennen led the Marshall area in digs (381), and also had 24 ace serves, leading Minneota to the Camden Conference championship with a 10-0 Camden record, 26-6 overall.
Baer, the 2009 Independent Player of the Year, was named All-State honorable mention with 808 set assists, 150 kills and 197 digs for Canby this season. Baer will play volleyball collegiately next year, heading to Minnesota State-Moorhead.
Class A All-State Players
Class A Player of the Year Riley Nordgaard, Canby
All-State 1st Team
Jessie Mathews, Junior, OH, Bethlehem Academy; Kalyn Biever, Junior, S, Wabasha-Kellogg; Maddie Borwege, Junior, MH, Bethlehem Academy; Jennifer Mundt, Senior, MH, Lewiston-Altura; Riley Nordgaard, Senior, OH, Canby; Erica Handley, Junior, S, Win-E-Mac; Riley Hanson, Junior, MH, Nevis; Kelsey Hennen, Senior, LIB, Minneota; Mackenzie Horkey, Sophomore, OH, Southwest Christian; Kendra Schmidgall, Senior, OH, Hancock; Jennifer Krentz, Senior, LIB, Mayer Lutheran; Tiffany Strand, Senior, MH, Ada-Borup; Katie Lubben, Junior, S, Southwest Christian; Abbey Thissen, Senior, MH, MACCRAY
Honorable Mention
Casie Baer, Senior, S, Canby; Teagan Molden, Senior, MH, MACCRAY; Tori Davidson, Junior, MH, Northern Freeze; Erin Radke, Senior, MH, Nicollet; Brittany Roelike, Junior, OH, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa; Belle Sand, Sophomore, OH, Mabel-Canton; Olivia Kaster, Senior, MH, Win-E-Mac; Nicole Schmidt, Junior, OH, Mayer Lutheran
Class AA All-State Players
Class AA Player of the Year Whitney Burmeister, Jackson County Central
All-State 1st Team
Emilee Gutzmer, Senior, S, Jordan; Kenzie Beekman, Sophomore, OH, Marshall; Kaia Buck, Senior, S, Kasson-Mantorville; Whitney Burmeister, Senior, OH, Jackson Co. Central; Morgan McKittrick, Senior, OH, Marshall; Kelsey Chambers, Senior, OH, Jordan; Emily Miron, Junior, MH, Wadena-Deer Creek; Brittney Noon, Senior, OH, Wadena-Deer Creek; Brooke Decker, Senior, S, Maple Lake; Alexandra Duxbury, Sophomore, LIB, Chatfield; Hannah Tapp, Junior, MH, Stewartville; Haley Fogarty, Junior, OH/S, Belle Plaine;
Abby Wolpern, Senior, MH, Belle Plaine
Honorable Mention
Stephanie Bandelin, Senior, MH, Esko; Jillian Krier, Junior, S, Byron; Emma Lange, Junior, MH, Caledonia; Anne Debertin, Junior, OH/RS, Visitation; Samantha Schlangen, Junior, S, Albany; Jessica Thelemann, Junior, OH/MH, LeSueur-Henderson; Sydney Griffin, Sophomore, MH/S, Marshall
Class AAA All-State Players
Class AAA Player of the Year/2011 Ms. Baden Minnesota Volleyball Leigh Pudwill, Centennial
All-State 1st Team
Karlie Hauer, Senior, OH, Andover; Julianne Blomberg, Senior, OH, Chanhassen; Taylr McNeil, Sophomore, OH, Eagan; Sydney Dimke, Senior, RS, Blaine; Anna Pioske, Junior, OH, Waconia; Leigh Pudwill, Senior, OH, Centennial; Taylor Dordan, Senior, LIB, Blaine; Claire Sames, Senior, MH, Shakopee; Julia Doyle, Senior, S, Wayzata; Monica Turner, Senior, MH, Lakeville South; Sarah Wilhite, Junior, OH, Eden Prairie; Alyssa Goehner, Sophomore, OH, Lakeville North
Honorable Mention
McKell Anderson, Senior, OH, Lakeville South; Alex Berger, Senior, LIB, Shakopee; Maren Loe, Senior, OH, Apple Valley; Lydia Dimke, Sophomore, OH/RS, Blaine; Maggie Ewen, Junior, OH/MH, St. Francis; Jocelyn Youngdahl, Senior, OH, Hill-Murray