War Eagle Conference Preview

<p>Northwest Iowa is stacked with volleyball talent, and this conference is no exception. The twelve team conference houses top athletes and the teams represent well at state. Here is a recap of last year’s successes and a look at the returning athletes of the War Eagle Conference.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><u>Unity Christian</u></p> <p>The #1 team in the conference last year went undefeated for a perfect 11-0 conference record. The Lady Knights qualified for the Class 2A State Tournament last year where they fell first round to Council Bluffs St. Albert. Coached by Patty Timmermans, the team is looking forward to another successful season after retaining the majority of their roster.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="40771" first="Corrina" last="Timmermans"]</strong> will be a senior leader on the court and on the stat book for the Knights this year. The uncommitted hitter was tabbed on the All-Conference 1^st Team last season after leading the team in kills with 424.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="40836" first="Jori" last="Bronner"]</strong>, a 1^st Team All-Conference selection, will be entering her senior season this fall and be a lethal six-rotation player for the Knights. The uncommitted hitter came in second on the team in kills tallying 415 along with 259 digs.</p> <p>Also a senior this year, setter <strong>Erin Wieringa</strong>, will return to man the Knights’ offense. Recording 644 assists last season, Wieringa earned a spot on 2^nd Team All-Conference. The Lady Knight’s will be the team to beat this year with a roster full of senior-level experience.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><u>Hinton</u></p> <p>Coached by Mary Jo Coleman, the Lady Blackhawks finished second in the War Eagle Conference last year with a 10-1 record. After losing key positions in libero, <strong>Kaley Stoulp</strong>, setter, <strong>Hallie Reuter</strong>, and middle hitter <strong>Bryce Klein</strong> (who will be a member of the Coe College volleyball team this fall in Cedar Rapids), the Blackhawks will have positions to fill this season.</p> <p>Returning from last year’s successful squad is<strong> Aspen Coffee,</strong> who will be entering her final season as a Blackhawk. Last year, the uncommitted six-rotation outside totaled 182 kills and 159 digs, tabbing her as a 2^nd Team All-Conference selection.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><u>Gehlen Catholic</u></p> <p>Finishing 3^rd in the competitive War Eagle Conference with a 9-2 record, the Jays went on to qualify for the 1A State Tournament and made it to the championship match in a five-set thriller. The Lady Jays lost the state championship match to #1 seed, Janesville. Coached by Mike Meyer, Gehlen Catholic will be returning several stand-out athletes.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="40796" first="Katie" last="Peters"]</strong> was the highlight player for the Jays last fall, leading the team in kills with 351, blocks with 68, and second on the team in digs with 271. These impressive stats earned the uncommitted middle hitter a 1^st Team All-Conference selection in 2017. Peters will be a senior this fall.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="40839" first="Katelyn" last="Langel"]</strong>, another 2017 1^st Team All-Conference selection, will also be entering her final season as a Jay. Langel tallied 213 kills and 60 blocks last year.</p> <p>Both setters are returning for the Jays as well, providing the team with stability and experience. <strong>Anna Britt</strong> will be a senior this fall with 527 assists last season, and <strong>Sydney Livermore</strong> will be entering her junior season with 332 assists and a 2017 Honorable Mention selection.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><u>2017 War Eagle Conference Final Standings:</u></p> <p>Unity Christian 11-0</p> <p>Hinton 10-1</p> <p>Gehlen Catholic 9-2</p> <p>Harris-Lake Park 8-3</p> <p>West Sioux 7-4</p> <p>Akron-Westfield 6-5</p> <p>Trinity Christian 4-7</p> <p>South O’Brien 4-7</p> <p>Remsen St. Mary’s 3-8</p> <p>Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 3-8</p> <p>MMCRU 1-10</p> <p>Clay Central-Everly 0-11</p>