It's a Wrap: Women's Volleyball-NCAA Division III
There are fewer from this area who compete in DIII than the other two divisions. Only 109 (That is still a big number!). But these athletes perform both in Volleyball and in the classroom.
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Playing On Sports covers the graduates of 1,000 high schools located in Kansas and Missouri who compete in 11 sports in any of the 1,100 NCAA Division I, II, or III colleges and universities.
Our best athletes go on to play the sport they love in college. It is impossible to keep track of them because our lives are busy. And then there is the Transfer Portal. Contact is lost. Until now. Playing on Sports is the only publication that delivers so much information on so many athletes as they compete at the next level. No longer are they “Out of sight, out of mind”.
Every athlete is identified by their name, sport, position, class, high school, college, and collegiate conference.
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This Series
Playing On Sports covered five Fall Season sports. The “It’s a Wrap” series takes a postseason look at each athlete. Complete stats are provided. Also highlighted are those athletes who achieved one of several distinctions. It is a great way to wrap up the season to see the achievements and honors earned by our local athletes on the national stage.
Here is a list of the articles in that series:
Field Hockey - All Three Divisions - 67 Athletes - See the athletes here here.
Football - Division I - 590 Athletes - Coming Soon
Football - Division II - 941 Athletes - Coming Soon
Football - Division III - 218 Athletes - Coming Soon
Women’s Volleyball - Division I - 182 Athletes - See the athletes here.
Women’s Volleyball - Division II - 263 Athletes - See the athletes here.
Women’s Volleyball - Division III - 109 Athletes - This is it!
Men’s Soccer - Division I - 107 Athletes - Coming Soon
Men’s Soccer - Division II - 217 Athletes - Coming Soon
Men’s Soccer - Division III - 156 Athletes - Coming Soon
Women’s Soccer - Division I - 299 Athletes - Coming Soon
Women’s Soccer - Division II - 361 Athletes - Coming Soon
Women’s Soccer - Division III - 128 Athletes - Coming Soon
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The Basketball Series
In this series, we take an in-depth, midseason look at all of the area athletes who compete in a sport in one of the NCAA divisions. During the Winter Season, both Men’s and Women’s Basketball are covered. All three divisions. We list identifying demographic information along with 25 statistics for each athlete. Highlighted, are those who are in the Top Five of any of ten statistical categories. Recent articles in this series are:
NCAA DI MBB - 111 Athletes - Read the article here.
NCAA DI WBB - 122 Athletes - Read the article here.
NCAA DII MBB - 152 Athletes - Read the article here.
NCAA DII WBB - 166 Athletes - Read the article here.
NCAA DIII MBB - 116 Athletes - Read the article here.
NCAA DIII WBB - 92 Athletes - Read the article here.
More mid-season updates coming! Don’t miss this series!
And Now for the NCAA Division III Volleyball Athletes
Just like we have come to expect from our Volleyball athletes, this group is filled with outstanding athletes and students. Some have received season honors for their play on the court. Some have received season honors for their classroom performance. And some received both. They are truly outstanding.
There are 109 Missouri and Kansas athletes who competed in NCAA Division III Volleyball. Thirty-two of those met one or more of the criteria to be highlighted individually below. Seventeen of those were named to an all-conference team, while 15 times one of these athletes was named her conference’s Player of the Week.
I asked a few of the collegiate coaches for their thoughts about their athlete. You will like what they had to say!
Eight times one of our athletes was named to her conference’s All-Conference First Team. Seventeen times one of our athletes was named to her College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. Amazingly, seven of those ladies were named to both. These ladies epitomize how academics and athletics can intertwine when done right. Take a look who they are, where they are, and from where they came:
Lily Ebright - Sophomore - Defensive Specialist - Bishop Carroll - Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Hannah Gallagher - Senior - Outside Hitter - Francis Howell - Fontbonne University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Sophia Howell - Junior - Defensive Specialist - Webster Groves - Millikin University - College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
Elyse Johnson - Senior - Middle Hitter - Kirksville - Central College-IA - American Rivers Conference
Jenna Keller - Senior - Outside Hitter - Perry-Lecompton - Grinnell College - Midwest Conference
Gabbie O’Toole - Junior - Setter - Blue Valley - Middlebury College - New England Small College Athletic Conference
Ella Werner-Click - Senior - Setter - Parkview - Fontbonne University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
And one athlete was named her conference’s Libero of the Year while earning CSC Academic All-District and CSC Academic Honorable Mention All-American honors:
Blake O’Brien - Senior - Libero - Marquette - Methodist University - USA South Athletic Conference
The High Schools
These Division III Volleyball athletes come from 94 high schools throughout Missouri and Kansas. The high schools with the most graduates competing in NCAA Division III Volleyball are:
Francis Howell - 4
Liberty-Wentzville - 3
Northwest-Cedar Hill - 3
The Criteria
If someone was on a NCAA Division III Volleyball roster this year, they, and the numbers they produced are on the attached spreadsheet. To be highlighted below, these athletes achieved one or more of the following criteria:
All-Conference Team
A conference season award
A conference weekly award
Top Five conference finish in a selected statistic
AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) All-American
Top Ten NCAA finish in a selected statistic
CSC (College Sports Communicators) Academic All-District
CSC Academic All-America
A Word About Accuracy.
Playing On Sports strives to have the most complete and accurate information available. But errors and omissions can happen. If you see any error or omission, please let me know at PlayingOnSports@gmail.com. You can also contact me for any reason. I respond to all.
I really appreciate your input.
The Spreadsheet
Don’t miss the spreadsheet attached at the end which contains eight biographical details along with 27 statistics for each of the 109 athletes.
Take a look at these superlatives. You will find details in their highlights and on the spreadsheet.
Payton Balfour - Junior - Middle Blocker - Raymore-Peculiar - Knox College - Midwest Conference
Conference No. 4 Blocks Per Set - .66
Ellie Biedenstein - Junior - Setter - Cor Jesu Academy - Webster University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Lauren Blakemore - Sophomore - Defensive Specialist - Hallsville - Kenyon College - North Coast Athletic Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Mia Bonacorsi - Senior - Outside Hitter - Fort Zumwalt East - Greenville University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year
First Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference Offensive Player of the Week
Conference No. 2 Kills Per Set - 3.22
Conference No. 2 Service Aces Per Set - .54
Conference No. 2 Points Per Set - 4.00
Sam Borton-Center - Freshman - Outside Hitter - Liberty-Wentzville - Principia College - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Sportsmanship Team
Sophia Brinker - Junior - Middle Blocker - Fort Zumwalt North - Ripon College - Midwest Conference
Conference No. 3 Hitting Percentage - .261
CSC Academic All-District
Amaya Earls - Senior - Opposite - Lutheran North - Fontbonne University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Sportsmanship Team
Lily Ebright - Sophomore - Defensive Specialist - Bishop Carroll - Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year
First Team All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Conference Defensive Player of the Week-Five Times
Conference No. 1 Digs Per Set - 6.74
CSC Academic All-District
NCAA No. 3 Digs Per Set - 6.74
“Lily is an incredible competitor and a joy to coach. She has an understanding of the game that puts her a step ahead of her competitors. Sh knows what it takes to be great and puts in the work on and off the court to achieve it.”
Rachel Sellari-Delsi
Women’s Volleyball Head Coach
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Hannah Gallagher - Senior - Outside Hitter - Francis Howell - Fontbonne University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
First Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Kelly Ann Greene - Junior - Middle Blocker - St. Teresa’s Academy - Univ. of California-Santa Cruz - Coast to Coast Athletic Conference
Second Team All-Coast to Coast Athletic Conference
Conference No. 5 Hitting Percentage - .304
Conference No. 5 Blocks Per Set - .86
“Kelly Ann has played great for us this year. She developed into a six-rotation player, and is among the top players in kills, blocks, and aces.”
Embele Awipi
Sports Information Director
University of California-Santa Cruz
Trinity Harmon - Senior - Defensive Specialist - Marquette - College of Wooster - North Coast Athletic Conference
Third Team All-North Coast Athletic Conference
Conference No. 4 Digs Per Set - 4.05
Jordan Harpel - Junior - Middle Blocker - Waynesville - Junior - Fontbonne University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Second Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 2 Hitting Percentage - .279
Conference No. 4 Blocks Per Set - .78
“Jordan took a huge step in her development this year. Her offensive ability has always been a strength for our team, but her improvement as a blocker over the offseason has made her one of the most well-rounded middles in the region. Her all-conference recognition was more than deserved, and we’re looking forward to seeing her improve even more going into her senior season in 2024!”
Jimmy Stika
Women’s Volleyball Head Coach
Fontbonne University
Lacey Higgins - Sophomore - Setter - Lee’s Summit West - Wheaton College-IL - College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
Conference No. 2 Assists Per Set - 9.20
Sophia Howell - Junior - Defensive Specialist - Webster Groves - Millikin University - College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
First Team All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
Conference Defensive Player of the Week
Conference No. 4 Digs Per Set
CSC Academic All-District
Jen Humbolt - Junior - Defensive Specialist - Ste. Genevieve - Illinois College - Midwest Conference
Second Team All-Midwest Conference
Conference No. 2 Digs Per Set - 4.62
Elyse Johnson - Senior - Middle Hitter - Kirksville - Central College-IA - American Rivers Conference
First Team All-American Rivers Conference
Conference Defensive Player of the Week-Two Times
CSC Academic All-District
“Elyse has always been a good athlete with a lot of energy, and we were really exited to have her come our way. She started her college experience in 2020 amidst the mentally and emotionally challenge of a pandemic. She earned four varsity letters despite struggling to find her confidence early on. She invested a great deal of time into her mental game going into her junior year. She never turned back after that. She has been a two year captain for us and has helped our team culture learn, adapt and grow. She has always competed hard, and as the four-year team Spirit Award winner, she always celebrated her teammates with her whole heart and soul. We are so proud of who she is and so thankful for the commitment she has made in her four years with us.”
Jeanne Czipri
Women’s Volleyball Head Coach
Central College
Alyssa Jones - Junior - Right Side - Northwest-Cedar Hill - Webster University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Second Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Kristen Kaempfe - Junior - Opposite - Perryville - Fontbonne University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Second Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
“Kristen established herself as one of the best attackers in the SLIAC last season and did not show down in 2023. Leading the team in kills as a 3-rotation player is tough to do, but she was able to pull it off while also being one of our best blockers as well. She’s climbing the all-Time records at Fontbonne very quickly, and we’re all excited to see what she can achieve as a senior next season as well!”
Jimmy Stika
Women’s Volleyball Head Coach
Fontbonne University
Jenna Keller - Senior - Outside Hitter - Perry-Lecompton - Grinnell College - Midwest Conference
First Team All-Midwest Conference
Conference No. 3 Kills Per Set - 3.18
Conference No. 3 Points Per Set - 3.69
CSC Academic All-District
“Jenna was a rock for our team this season. She impacted our team in every phase of the game. Jenna has developed into one of the best all-around players in our conference and was a player our team relied on in the big moments.”
Eric Ragan
Women’s Volleyball Head Coach
Grinnell College
Emma Matteson - Senior - Defensive Specialist - Hickman - Webster University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Sportsmanship Team
Maggie McInerney - Junior - Outside Hitter - St. Teresa’s Academy - University of Chicago - University Athletic Association
Second Team All-University Athletic Association
Conference No. 2 Kills Per Set - 3.47
Conference No. 5 Points Per Set - 3.82
CSC Academic All-District
Braylee Montgomery - Sophomore - Setter - North County - Westminster College-MO - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 2 Assists Per Set - 6.64
Meghan Nolte - Sophomore - Middle Hitter - Holt - Westminster College-MO - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Third Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference Offensive Player of the Week
Conference No. 1 Hitting Percentage .331
Blake O’Brien - Senior - Libero - Marquette - Methodist University - USA South Athletic Conference
USA South Athletic Conference Libero of the Year
Second Team All-USA South Athletic Conference
Conference Defensive Player of the Week-Four Times
Conference No. 1 Digs Per Set - 6.06
CSC Academic All-District
“Blake is the ultimate competitor on the floor. She makes everyone around her better. She elevated our defense and serve receive this year to a different level. Obviously, her athleticism is great but she is an even better person!!”
Eddie Matthews
Women’s Volleyball Head Coach
Methodist University
Gabbie O’Toole - Junior - Setter - Blue Valley - Middlebury College - New England Small College Athletic Conference
First Team All-New England Small College Athletic Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Honorable Mention AVCA All-America
“Gabbie has been the backbone of this team since the day she arrived. She took a talented senior class of hitters her freshman year to the NCAA’s second round. As a junior this past year she once again played every minute of every match we played, as she has done every year. Gabbie is our ROCK! She’s calm cool, and collected under pressure. Nothing gets to her, she keeps a clear head and runs our offense with very little guidance. Gabbie is a huge key to our success, and I couldn’t be happier with her leadership for this team as well. She’ll be a captain her senior year, and I really can’t say enough good things about her both as a player and as a person.”
Sarah Raunecker
Women’s Volleyball Head Coach
Middlebury College
Jackie Oetterer - Junior - Setter - Washington-MO - Univ. of Wisconsin-Lacrosse - Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Avery Rahe - Sophomore - Middle Blocker - Olathe West - Macalester College - Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Sara Reathaford - Junior - Setter - Kirkwood - Kalamazoo College - Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Paige Rowland - Freshman - OPP - Pattonville - Fontbonne University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 3 Blocks Per Set - .83
Kirstin Schrader - Junior - Defensive Specialist - St. Pius X-Festus - Westminster College-MO - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Sportsmanship Team
Conference No. 4 Service Aces - .46
Kate Todd - Senior - Setter - Festus - Anderson University-IN - Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Ella Werner-Click - Senior - Setter - Parkview - Fontbonne University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
First Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 5 Assists Per Set - 5.09
CSC Academic All-District
“Ella capped off her career here at Fontbonne with another phenomenal season. Even though she’s been the best setter in the conference the past two years, she still always displayed a team-first attitude and took on a great leadership position for our team. I was very proud to see all of the accolades and records she has broken over her four years here, and she will definitely go down as one of the best setters in our history!”
Jimmy Stika
Women’s Volleyball Head Coach
Fontbonne University
Here is the spreadsheet with 27 statistics for each of the 109 athletes. The data is as of the end of the season and is provided by each school. The athletes are sorted first by high school, and then by the athlete’s last name:
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