Laker volleyball team announces season-ending awards and honors
Sports | Published on December 4, 2023 at 2:24pm CST
The Minnewaska Area volleyball team announced its season-ending awards recently. The Lakers had another great season in 2023, going 16-13 overall and 7-7 in the WCC.
The Lakers, who were seeded 10th in the Section 6AA Tourney, had their season end with a three-game loss to second-seeded Pequot Lakes after opening up the tourney with a four-game win over seventh-seeded Foley. Pequot Lakes went on to beat Albany for the section title.
Seniors who will be lost to graduation from this year’s volleyball team are Avery Fier, Haley Shea, Dreya Barsness, Brooklyn Meyer and Miaya Guggisberg. Coaching the Lakers this year were Michele Johnson, Bailey Gronner, Kari Nelson and Jacalyn Skoglund.
Among team awards, Dreya Barsness earned the Best Offensive Player award, Avery Fier earned the Best Defensive Player honor, Addy Kath won Most Improved and also shared the Most Positive Player award with Miaya Guggisberg.
In addition, Dacia Fleury won the “Tough as Nails Award” and Haley Shea earned the “Leadership ‘Bringing It’ Award.”
• Fier and Barsness both earned All-Conference honors this year, while Shea was named to the honorable mention team.
Barsness and Shea also earned recognition on the All-Section 6AA team.
In addition, Fier named the “Best Defensive Player” in the WCC and was named to the All-Area first team, while Barsness was named to the All-Area honorable mention team for 2023.
• Earning Academic All-State for the Lakers this were seniors Brooklyn Meyer, Avery Fier, Haley Shea and Dreya Barsness. Recipients needed to be seniors with a grade-point average of 3.8 or higher.
• Named to receive WCC All-Conference Academic Achievement honors (g.p.a. of 3.6-4.0) were Avery Fier, Dreya Barsness, Brooklyn Meyer, Dacia Fleury, Addy Kath, Haley Shea and Emma Poegel.
• And, earning varsity letters on this year’s Minnewaska volleyball team were seniors Avery Fier, Haley Shea, Dreya Barsness, Brooklyn Meyer and Miaya Guggisberg; juniors Dacia Fleury and Addyson Kath; sophomore Emma Poegel; ninth-graders Brooklyn Noyes, Eliana Marthaler, Emma Hellermann and Haillie Schulz; and eighth-graders Mya VanLuik and Berlynn Green.
• Sauk Centre won this year’s conference title with a 13-1 record, followed by BOLD (11-3), West Central Area and Melrose Area (both 9-5), Minnewaska Area (7-7), Morris Area-CA (5-9), Montevideo (1-13) and Benson (1-13).
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