By CONOR NICHOLL
Sports In Kansas presents its final volleyball statistics for the 2021 season. This marks the third year that SIK has covered volleyball extensively across all platforms, including stories, features, social media and video content and weekly statistics. All-state teams will be released later in the month from the Kansas Volleyball Association, along with some all-state stories. We thank all the players, coaches, parents and administrators for working with us again this year and taking time.
In addition to the individual lists below, SIK wanted to note several players with impressive statistical lines and/or records, including some who might not have been featured in-depth this fall.
Inman senior middle hitter Reagan Brake delivered a phenomenal season with 406 kills and a .398 hitting percentage. Brake recorded 151 blocks, including 139 solo. She completely rewrote the Inman volleyball record book. Brake has committed to Division III Ohio Wesleyan. Brake set records for individual match kills (21) and blocks (11). She set individual single season marks for points scored (598), spikes (1132), kills, blocks and solo blocks. Brake collected first team all-league honors.
Nickerson junior Ava Jones narrowly missed the top-25 leaderboard in multiple categories. Across the board, Jones, a 6-foot-2 Arizona State basketball signing, finished with 324 kills and a .238 hitting percentage. She also led Nickerson with 48 aces, 86 blocks and 346 digs and 322 serve receptions. Jones is the only player in Kansas that SIK could find that led her team in kills, hitting percentage, aces, blocks, digs and serve receptions. As well, junior Josie McLean finished with 682 assists. Nickerson finished 30-11 and lost in the sub-state title game to Cheney, the eventual 3A runner-up.
Liberal’s Bree Horyna earned Western Athletic Player of the Year. Horyna has committed to Hutchinson Community College basketball. Liberal finished 19-16 after an 0-10 start. Horyna finished with 300 kills, 312 digs and 34 aces. Horyna also reached state in all three throwing events last spring.
Blue Valley Southwest junior Reese Bates has played multiple positions and is a rare athlete who plays a different position in high school and club. Bates is a libero/defensive specialist and is being recruited for that position for college. Even in club, Bates played outside and right side when needed. Bates, though, set for the first time this fall. In a 6-2 offense, Bates finished with a 2.2 serve-receive on a 3.0 scale. She delivered 188 digs, 382 assists and 96 percent serving accuracy.
Lansing senior Caitlin Bishop earned United Kansas Conference Player of the Year. Bishop set the school record for career assists and led the Lions to the 5A volleyball title. Bishop finished with 3,037 assists. She has committed to University of Missouri-St. Louis. Ottawa setter Kirsten Evans, who helped the Cyclones to a 4A runner-up showing to Andale, finished with 3,452 career assists. It is exceedingly rare in recent Kansas history to clear 3,000 career assists. Evans also finished with 999 career digs and has committed to Fort Hays.
Olathe Heritage Christian sophomore Rachel Van Gorp picked up Kaw Valley Conference Player of the Year. HCA has won 2A and 3A titles the last two seasons.
Kansas players named to the national AVCA Best and Brightest First Team:
Kassidy Nixon, Central Plains
Brooke Berlin, Clearwater
Laurel Streit, Clearwater
Harley Ferralez, Hesston
Anna Dean, Labette County
Kamyrn Farris, Lansing
Davis Guetterman, Louisburg
Corinna McMullen, Louisburg
Cameron Cleary, Maize
Abby Godfrey, Maize
Kelsey Kuhl, Maize
Reese Johnston, Mill Valley
Alex Cummins, Olathe North
Lily Hilgenfeld, Remington
Abby Rose, Smoky Valley
Lauren Schutter, Wabaunsee
Anna Godek, Wheatland-Grinnell
Livia Schultz, Wheatland-Grinnell
Top-25 Leaders (and ties)
Hitting Percentage
Heinson, Kiowa County, .464
Rentschler, Smith Center, .434
Shaffner, Augusta, .431
Jackson, Lansing, .430
Thomasson, Riverton, .414
Long, Smith Center, .411
Brake, Inman, .398
Lewis, Burlingame, .398
Harris, Atchison, .391
Holle, Hanover, .387
Stover, Neodesha, .386
Schutter, Wabaunsee, .385
Ronnebaum, Marysville, .385
Miller, Eureka, .381
Afonja, Baldwin, .373
Serpan, Spring Hill, .367
Rose, Smoky Valley, .364
B. Young, Pretty Prairie, .360
Frakes, Spring Hill, .352
VanGorp, Heritage Christian Academy, .349
Goodenow, St. Thomas Aquinas, .343
Engel, SM Northwest, .338
Martin, St. Thomas Aquinas, .337
Damme, Perry-Lecompton, .337
Swanson, McPherson, .336
Bruna, Hanover, .336
Mackiewicz, SM Northwest, .336
Kills
Budke, Beloit, 679
Swanson, McPherson, 584
Thomasson, Riverton, 569
Schutter, Wabaunsee, 508
Brown, Beloit, 503
Rentschler, Smith Center, 476
Martin, St. Thomas Aquinas, 460
Keebaugh, Ottawa, 454
Ronnebaum, Marysville, 443
Fairchild, Andale, 442
Stover, Neodesha, 439
Perine, Rossville, 437
Nixon, Central Plains, 432
Madsen, Hiawatha, 430
Mae van der Werf, Lansing, 427
Pierce, Olathe Northwest, 425
White, Baxter Springs, 424
Saunders, Hillsboro, 420
Lane, Thomas More Prep-Marian, 419
Brake, Inman, 406
Leiker, Blue Valley West, 403
Cullen, Girard, 388
Serpan, Spring Hill, 388
Rose, Smoky Valley, 388
Seaton, Basehor-Linwood, 386
Long, Smith Center, 385
Assists
Creason, SM Northwest, 1037
Wedman, Blue Valley West, 1025
Gardner, Spring Hill, 1023
Bishop, Lansing, 1014
Evans, Ottawa, 991
Hazelwood, Smoky Valley, 946
Hamblin, Frontenac, 912
Lehman, Goodland, 912
Hazel, Heritage Christian Academy, 902
Koster, Trinity Academy, 901
A.Young, Pretty Prairie, 901
Cruse, Basehor-Linwood, 896
Compton, Riverton, 883
Douglas, Rossville, 880
Suderman, Hillsboro, 880
Rader, Marysville, 872
Delaney, Hiawatha, 869
Alderson, Wamego, 857
Yoder, Hutchinson, 854
Berlin, Clearwater, 851
Messer, St. James Academy, 840
Kauffman, Hutchinson Central Christian, 835
McVey, Holcomb, 805
Hottenstein, Humboldt, 797
Alexander, Maranatha Christian Academy, 796
Houghtaling, Augusta, 752
Aces
Bruce, Atchison, 108
Par, Sumner Academy, 105
Ricke, Leoti-Wichita County, 97
Cunningham, Lakeside, 92
Swingle, Attica, 92
Lindstrom, Hiawatha, 90
Thomasson, Riverton, 87
Harris, Atchison, 87
Cook, Coffeyville, 86
Sher, Maranatha Christian Academy, 81
Morrow, St. Francis, 81
Heglin, Syracuse, 80
A.Young, Pretty Prairie, 79
Dimitt, Ellinwood, 79
Colton, Pretty Prairie, 79
Murrow, Humboldt, 79
Latta, Scott City, 75
Boughfman, Little River, 72
Hazel, Heritage Christian Academy, 71
Wiles, Beloit St. John’s/Tipton, 71
Brummet, Lakeside, 70
Long, Smith Center, 69
Schroeder, Wheatland-Grinnell, 68
Houk, West Franklin, 68
Knobbe, Sylvan-Lucas, 68
Richardson, Elkhart, 68
Torres, Sumner Academy, 68
Blocks
Schutter, Wabaunsee, 174
Afonja, Baldwin, 165
Rentschler, Smith Center, 152
Brake, Inman, 151
Alt, Herington, 142
Ptacek, Eureka, 139
Singahateh, Eureka, 136
Poling, St. Francis, 136
Hawkinson, Elyria Christian, 133
Mackiewicz, SM Northwest, 124
Coughlin, Olpe, 123
Damme, Perry-Lecompton, 120
Gray, Sterling, 114
Warren, Olathe West, 113
Benskin, Blue Valley North, 113
Cure, Goodland, 111
Tolle, Smoky Valley, 107
Luna, Great Bend, 104
McDonald, SM East, 103
Umberger, SM Christian, 102
Doherty, St. Paul, 102
Schurle, Clay Center, 101
Respress, Eisenhower, 101
Sappington, SM Christian, 99
Igo, Derby, 99
Holle, Hanover, 96
Digs
Rutschman, Herington, 645
McMillan, Beloit, 636
Kieffer, SM Northwest, 563
Koontz, Newton, 538
Williams, Udall, 535
Atkins, 530
Hett, Marion, 523
Poje, Tonganoxie, 515
Clemence, Abilene, 505
Pearson, Blue Valley Northwest, 504
Dean, Labette County, 503
Walden, Eureka, 499
Acree, Concordia, 495
Kremeier, Herington, 488
Arnold, Hillsboro, 488
Riedel, Augusta, 472
Ferralez, Hesston, 466
Alloway, Labette County, 464
Calvaruzo, Mission Valley, 456
Lies, Cheney, 455
Puetz, Garden Plain, 450
Buessing, Santa Fe Trail, 448
Latta, Scott City, 448
Hoffman, Udall, 446
Silvers, Lawrence, 446
Dyche, Rossville, 444
Farris, Lansing, 444
