First Team
Hailey Hollar, OH,
The Tomahawk All-Conference Volleyball Player of the Year, Hollar provided consistent leadership for the Cougars in her third-straight All-Conference season. Cedar Mountain head coach Beth Hill said Hollar serves aggressively, serve-receives well, gets great touches on the block, and even sets well if she doesn’t take the first ball. Hollar finished the season with 335 kills, 417 digs, 45 aces and 14 blocks with a 2.222 serve receive number. Hollar has been an extremely influential and impactful player for Cedar Mountain for years, as Hollar surpassed 1,000 in two career statistics this year, totaling 1,534 career digs and 1,123 career kills.
Kadence Hesse, MH, Sleepy Eye, Sr.
Hesse was a two-way player for the Indians this season, demonstrating her flexibility by leading the team in kills (254) and aces (54) while leading the Tomahawk Conference in blocks (102) all while posting 246 digs. Sleepy Eye head coach Sydney Geiger praised Hesse for her athleticism and volleyball IQ, calling her a powerful hitter and a skilled passer. Hesse earned her second All-Conference selection for her play after leading her team to the Section 2A Volleyball Championship.
Brooklyn Sturm, OH/S, Springfield, Sr.
Sturm was Springfield’s most consistent player on the season, helping the Tigers win a playoff game against Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey. Doubling as a hitter and a setter, Sturm broke the 200 mark in both kills and set assists, with 205 kills and 210 set assists. She also added 35 blocks, 27 aces and 189 digs. Springfield head coach Tiffany Hillesheim described Sturm as a leader on and off the court that brings passion to the sport. Sturm earned herself her third All-Conference selection for her play this season.
Jenna Hotovec, OH,
Cathedral, Sr.
Senior outside hitter Jenna Hotovec helped lead a young Greyhounds team in 2023 with a team-best 274 kills. She also was the top serve receive passer, passing over 2.0, and was second on the team in digs with 321. A unanimous All-Conference repeat selection this year, Hotovec ended the season third in the conference in kills and ended her career with 580 kills, 877 digs, 88 aces, 49 blocks and an 89% serving percentage.
Brea Mertz, MH,
Sleepy Eye, Sr.
Mertz played in both rows for the Sleepy Eye, with head coach Sydney Geiger calling her was one of the team’s most consistent passers and hitters. Mertz totaled 217 kills, 238 digs, 44 blocks and 29 aces on her way to a unanimous All-Conference selection.
Jenica Schroepfer, OH, St. Mary’s, Sr.
Schroepfer led the Knights in kills with 286 while also posting 346 digs and 40 aces. St. Mary’s head coach Karri Hoffmann said Schroepfer was a great leader for the team, an all-around player that did whatever was needed to help the team win games. Schroepfer was named as an All-Conference player for her senior season.
Second Team
Ava Munsen, MH, MVL, Sr.
Despite missing the final five games of the season with a broken hand, the 5-11 Munsen was a unanimous All-Conference selection this year, leading MVL in both kills (200) and blocks (59). Munsen led with her play and her mentorship abilities, as MVL head coach Amy Pearson credits her with helping bring along the younger players on the team. Munsen finishes her career top 10 in school history in both kills (479) and blocks (145).
Alivia Olson, OH,
Wabasso, Jr.
Olson finished an All-Conference junior season with the Tomahawk Conference-winning Rabbits as the team’s kill leader with 239. She also added 31 aces and 20 blocks while adding 107 digs. For her career, Olson currently has 591 kills, 307 digs, 54 blocks and 54 kills in 224 sets.
Josie Helget, S,
St. Mary’s, So.
Helget was second in the Tomahawk Conference in assists with 907 on the season, acting as the straw that served the Knights offense. Helget also had 43 aces. Head coach Karri Hoffmann said Helget was always a leader on the court who did a good job of mixing up her sets to help the hitters be more successful.
Reese Hoffmann, OH,
St. Mary’s, So.
Hoffmann was second on St. Mary’s in kills with 252, helping the team to a second-place finish in the Section 2A, South Subsection Volleyball Tournament. Hoffman also had 262 digs and was described as a consistent server by head coach Karri Hoffmann. Coach Hoffmann said Reese Hoffmann was a staple on the knights an all-around player that was able to help score points when needed, a hard hitter who worked hard on the court.
Aubrey Steffl, OH/RS, Cedar Mountain, Fr.
Described as extremely athletic by head coach Beth Hill, Steffl was important on both offense and defense for the Cougars. Hill said Steffl plays fantastic defense, anticipates where the ball is going, and keeps the team in system with quality plays on the ball. Offensively, she is extremely smart and finds openings in the defense and can place the ball well and gets other teams out of system. Steffl had 218 kills, 344 digs and 19 total blocks in her All-Conference freshman season.
Addie Hoffmann, L,
St. Mary’s, Sr.
The Knights’ digs leader with 378, Hoffmann was a leader who did the little things for St. Mary’s by communicating with hitters and acting as a secondary setter for the team. Hoffmann added 28 aces while leading the team in serve receive passes, earning an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
Third Team
Taylor Schafer, OH, GFW, Sr.
Schafer capped off her senior year of volleyball with the Thunderbirds as a member of the Tomahawk All-Conference Volleyball Team. In her fourth season as a varsity starter, she was a six-rotation athlete that finished with 245 kills, 23 total blocks, 258 digs and 27 aces. She also had a serve receive average of 2.28. GFW head coach Imia Mages said Schafer had a strong knowledge of the court and was able to read opposing defenses well. She finished her career with 610 kills and 448 digs.
Gabbie Bleick, OH,
MVL, Sr.
MVL head coach Amy Pearson called Bleick her team’s best all-around player, as she demonstrated her skills serving, attacking, and digging on a consistent basis. Pearson said Bleick had an uncanny ability to read the defense to find holes from her outside hitter spot, staying calm under pressure. Bleick had 193 kills, 20 aces and 219 digs on her way to an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
Avery Carlson, OH,
Wabasso, Sr.
During her senior year with the Rabbits, a year which Carlson finished as an All-Conference selection, Carlson was a six-rotation player that led the team in both the front and back rows. She finished the season with 153 kills, 280 digs, 44 ace serves and 12 blocks in a year the Rabbits climbed back to the top of the conference to win the Tomahawk title for the first time since 2018.
Shay Wilfahrt, OH/MB, Cathedral, So.
After the Greyhounds graduated two of their top hitters from a 2022 Tomahawk Conference champion squad, Wilfahrt was tasked with stepping into a bigger role early on in her sophomore campaign. She finished her first year on varsity playing six rotations for the team, specializing in the front row to finish second in team kills with 249. She also led the team in hitting efficiency and blocks with 24 1/2 and finished the year as an All-Conference selection.
Kendra Erickson, S, Cedar Mountain, Fr.
Setter was a new position for Erickson, but that didn’t stop her from helping the Cougars to second place in the Tomahawk Conference. Cedar Mountain head coach Beth Hill said Erickson was an instrumental piece to the puzzle that helped the Cougars maintain their high level of play. Erickson had 678 set assists while adding 40 aces, 68 kills, 30 total blocks and 227 digs, earning an All-Conference Honorable Mention. Hill is looking forward to seeing Erickson grow in the following seasons.
Ashlynn Sweet, MH,
Madelia, Jr.
Sweet was the leader of the Madelia front line, earning a team-best 232 kills and 26 total blocks. She was also a valuable server, leading the team in serve percentage (92.9%) while coming in second in aces (39). Sweet added 130 digs on defense.
Honorable Mentions
Sam Price, OH,
Sleepy Eye, So.
Price took a big step up this season after starting for the Indians last season. Sleepy Eye head coach Sydney Geiger said Price put in a lot of work in the offseason, and when she was on, she was tough to slow down. Price finished the season with 177 kills, 92 digs and 38 blocks as she helped the Indians win the Section 2A, South Subsection Volleyball Tournament.
Audrey Johnson, L,
Wabasso, So.
Johnson played a big role in the Rabbits winning the Tomahawk Conference with her defense and leadership and finished the year with All-Conference honors as a result, the only player to make the team as a libero. She passed a 2.33 on serve receive and had 317 digs to go with 22 aces. She is also closing in on 1,000 career digs after her third year of varsity and has 954.
Paige Haala, OH.,
Sleepy Eye, Jr.
Haala moved from libero to outside hitter this season and made a smooth transition, totaling 171 kills, 272 digs, 33 blocks and 35 aces. Sleepy Eye head coach Sydney Geiger said Haala has great volleyball IQ and can read ball well in both the front and back row while demonstrating top-notch serve receive.
Lainey Brandt, S,
Sibley East, Sr.
Brandt saw an increased roll for the Wolverines as their primary setter, totaling 604 set assists, good for fifth best in school history. She was also the team’s best server, leading Sibley East with a 94.7 serve percentage and 51 aces. Sibley East head coach Chip Wolverton said Brandt was a steady presence on the court, encouraging teammates and making sure everyone was on the same page. Brandt added 54 kills and 158 digs on the season.
Afton Hulke, OH,
New Ulm, Sr.
Hulke was the Eagles’ leader in kills (151) while adding 38 aces and reaching 792 career digs this year. She also had 11 blocks and 16 set assists.
Leah Bode, MH,
Nicollet, Sr.
Bode was a key part of Nicollet’s offense and defense, leading the team in kills (145) aces (43) and blocks (31) while being second in digs (124). She also added 21 set assists.
