Introducing the 2021 Wichita Eagle All-Metro high school volleyball team
The Wichita Eagle announced its 18th annual All-Metro volleyball team on Friday, recognizing some of the best high school volleyball players in the state of Kansas from the 2021 season.
The All-Metro first team features the top seven players and the top coach from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties, based on statistics, team success, postseason recognition and area coach’s feedback. Andale junior McKenzie Fairchild was named the Player of the Year after an all-around standout season that helped Andale win the Class 4A title for its first state championship in program history.
Here is the full look at the 2021 Wichita Eagle All-Metro volleyball team:
Wichita Eagle All-Metro volleyball first team
Annabeth Baalmann, Andale senior setter
The maestro behind Andale’s smooth-running offense, Baalmann delivered her most poised performance on the biggest stage to help Andale win the Class 4A title for its first state championship. Whether it was finding McKenzie Fairchild for highlight-reel spikes or spreading the offense around to an array of weapons like Maddie Schrandt, Jenna Kuepker, Jaley Eck and Emery May, Baalmann was masterful in leading Andale to a 40-3 season. In her second year running the show for Andale, Baalmann finished with 716 assists (8.1 per set) and became more aggressive and successful at dumping to go along with her ability to be an effective blocker at 5 foot 9. She was named a first team all-state performer in Class 4A by coaches.
Andale coach Kaylie Bergkamp: “I don’t have to have a conversation with her about how to run the offense. She’s a very mature setter and the decisions she makes on the court I can trust and that’s hard to find in a setter these days where you don’t have to hound them about what they’re trying to set. And what makes Annabeth unique is just how physically strong she is. She was a state champion in the pole vault last spring and she uses that same strength on the volleyball court. She became a great leader for us this year and really took command of the court.”
Lauren Cary, Trinity Academy senior middle blocker
With Trinity transitioning to a new coach and with a roster of just nine players, Cary’s all-around contributions were vital to a 31-6 season that included notable wins over Cheney, Garden Plain and Augusta. Cary, a 5-foot-11 middle, was dominant at times putting balls away, evident by a team-high 366 kills (4.4 per set) while hitting .291, and provided an excellent block (62 blocks total) as the first line of Trinity’s defense. Not only that, but Cary’s power made her a dangerous server (66 aces) and she was a six-rotation player who was able to still contribute on the back row (216 digs for 2.6 per set, while grading out at 93% in serve receive. Along with junior Sarah Graham on the outside, Cary formed one of the most dangerous one-two combinations in the area with their setter, Kourtney Koster.
Trinity coach Melissa Smith: “First off, she’s just a great hitter and she’s always working on improving her game and trying something new. She’s always talking with our setter and telling her let’s do this and let’s do that. They just worked so well together. And Lauren is just a good all-around athlete. Her serve was just outrageous and we could always count on her for some aces. She was a four-year varsity athlete and she did such a good job of stepping up and really taking a leadership role on the team and helping me out as a first-year coach.”
Jacqueline Corcoran, Circle sophomore outside hitter
The biggest breakout star of the area was Corcoran, a transfer from Wichita Northwest who blossomed in an expanded role at Circle and helped the Thunderbirds reach the Class 4A state tournament. Corcoran’s ability was on full display on the biggest stage when she helped wear down Andale’s block to win a three-set marathon match over the Indians, the eventual champions, in what was their only loss at the state tournament. Corcoran was the go-to option on the outside for Circle and delivered a superb all-around season with 379 kills (4.1 per set) while hitting .242 to go with 42 aces, 40 blocks, 266 digs (2.9 per set) and a 95% grade in serve receive. Corcoran was named a first team all-state player in 4A and was the offensive force behind Circle’s 35-7 season that included the AV-CTL Division III championship.
Circle coach Shelly Nibarger: “Jacqueline is such a dynamic hitter for us. She sees the court so well and can rip it down the line or mix it up and hit it off-speed for the kill. She was an outstanding six-rotation player for us this season.”
Lily Ebright, Bishop Carroll senior libero
On a team that had to replace so much production, Ebright’s consistency in the back row was crucial in Bishop Carroll advancing to the state tournament for the fifth straight year. One of the best liberos in the state, Ebright earned honorable mention all-state honors and a first-team designation in the City League. Ebright finished the season with 372 digs (4.5 per set) and was always reliable in serve receive, helping Carroll to a season record of 26-14.
Carroll coach Tammy Long: “What stands out about Lily the most is her ability to read the hitters. She’s excellent at staying low and she has a low center of gravity, so she’s very smart when it comes to that. She’s just really good at anticipating and she’s so quick with her moves. And she never gives up. That girl has got quite a bit of determination and she does not like to lose. She gave it her all at state and was just 100% diving for everything.”
McKenzie Fairchild, Andale junior middle blocker (MVP)
There was no question who was the most dominant force in the area this season, as Fairchild helped carry Andale to its first state championship in program history and was named the Class 4A Player of the Year and MVP in the AV-CTL Division IV. Fairchild can do a little bit of everything and that’s exactly what she did as a six-rotation player for the Indians. On top of handling a large burden of the offense — she finished with 442 kills (4.8 per set) and hit .289 — Fairchild led the team with 351 digs (3.8 per set), added 53 blocks and graded out at 96% in serve receive. But what made her truly special was her ability to rise above the block and hammer down kills for so many highlights in Andale’s historic 40-3 season.
Andale coach Kaylie Bergkamp: “McKenzie is hands down the best all-around player in the state. She’s so aggressive and she’s not afraid to swing, but she also has the ability to mix up her shots. When people are expecting her to pound it, she can tip it, throw it, roll it. People would try to serve her to wear her down in serve receive, but it never worked because of the work she puts in in the weight room. She became a very good vocal leader for us and when things got tough at state, I just told her to keep swinging because there’s no one that can stop her when she’s swinging on the ball.”
Caiya Stucky, Wichita Northwest senior outside hitter-setter
The heart and soul of the best season in program history, Stucky led an ensemble cast that won a City League championship with an undefeated record and reached the Class 6A state tournament with a 39-1 record. A natural setter who is signed to do just that at Fort Hays State next year, the 6-foot-2 Stucky was too good hitting for Northwest not to utilize her there. All Stucky did was split the two responsibilities about as well as possible, doling out 372 assists (4.2 per set) and finishing with a team-high 260 kills (2.9 per set) on an outrageous .402 hitting percentage. While Stucky earned honorable mention all-state honors in Class 6A and was voted the City League MVP, Northwest had its historic season with first-year coach Emily Hiebert because of its balance with other stars like Payton Benoit, Brailee Bogle, Camdyn Stucky, Daetyn Bogle and Grace Dickerson.
Northwest coach Emily Hiebert: “Caiya was such a great leader for us, both on and off the court. She worked hard every practice and set the tone for everyone else and when your best player takes every rep as seriously as she does, it makes everyone else better. And then she was just a freak athlete. Her lateral movements while blocking are some of the best I’ve ever seen and just how explosive she is. She did it all for us and I was extremely lucky to have her in my first year coaching.”
Brooklyn Wewe, Cheney senior setter
A three-year starter running the show for Cheney’s offense, Wewe was the backbone behind the Cardinals’ 40-win season and run to the Class 3A state championship match. She controlled just about everything on the court for Cheney and orchestrated a dangerous and balanced attack featuring Olivia Albers, Alex Bittner, Campbell Hague, Anna Martin and Lacy Luehrs. Defenses were never comfortable with Wewe, as she earned a reputation as one of the most dangerous setters (209 kills in three seasons) of keeping defenses honest with her dumps and left-handed serves. She finished this season with 745 assists (8.2 per set), 296 digs (3.3 per set) was nearly perfect in serve receive.
Cheney coach Sara Walkup: “Brooklyn is the fastest person on the court almost every time. She has the best ball control of almost anybody I’ve ever coached. And what’s so impressive about her ball control is that she’s excellent with either hand-setting or with her forearm. She plays in the front row for us, even though she’s not that tall, and does a pretty good job of blocking for us. She’s running around everywhere on the court for us and she’s making contact on the ball every time. She just makes our team go and keeps us in it and keeps us rolling.”
Kaylie Bergkamp, Andale coach
For the third time in the last four years, Bergkamp earned the nod as the All-Metro Coach of the Year. And for good reason, as she has turned Andale into a consistent state title contender at the Class 4A level that has won 92% of its games (116-10) the last three seasons. After two years of heartbreak losing in the state championship match, Andale finally broke through this season by clawing back from an 11-4 deficit in the decisive third set to top Baldwin and win its first state championship in program history. Andale was led by all-state performers like McKenzie Fairchild, Annabeth Baalmann and Maddie Schrandt, but also had key contributions throughout the season from Grace Gorges, Jaley Eck, Isabel Shackelford, Camryn Winter, Jenna Kuepker, Eva Preister, Emery May and Landry Johnson.
Andale coach Kaylie Bergkamp: “It wasn’t just about this year, this has been four years in the making since I started at Andale. It didn’t happen in a year. We’ve come close and I think what actually helped us when we got down 11-4 was that we had finished second at state and we knew what that felt like. So when you talk about digging down and refusing to lose, that’s what was on our side. Our football team just won their third straight title and you talk to (coach) Dylan (Schmidt) and he likes to say it’s the result of year-round work. I feel the same way about our volleyball players. They were doing the same thing, lifting in the summer and doing skill work, putting in long hours of practice and it all paid off.”
All-Metro second team
Olivia Albers, Cheney senior outside hitter
Payton Benoit, Wichita Northwest junior libero
Brailee Bogle, Wichita Northwest junior setter
Kenzie Dugan, Bishop Carroll senior middle blocker
Sarah Graham, Trinity junior outside hitter-middle blocker
Brooke Hammond, Garden Plain senior outside hitter
Ella Mullins, Circle senior libero
Gracie Morrow, Maize South sophomore outside hitter
Sydney Puetz, Garden Plain junior libero
Gracie Rains, Newton senior outside hitter
Tommie Shaffner, Augusta senior middle blocker
Laurel Streit, Clearwater senior middle blocker
Emily Hiebert, Wichita Northwest coach
Shelly Nibarger, Circle coach
All-Metro third team
Brooke Berlin, Clearwater senior setter
Alex Bittner, Cheney sophomore outside hitter
Tatum Boettjer, Derby senior outside hitter
Naomi Dooley, Garden Plain senior setter
Harley Ferralez, Hesston senior libero
Jillian Gregory, Maize South freshman outside hitter
Avery Riedel, Augusta senior libero
Talya Sampson, Sedgwick sophomore outside hitter
Haylie Sanders, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior outside hitter
Maddie Schrandt, Andale junior outside hitter
Reagan Smith, Circle sophomore setter
Hannah Weber, Eisenhower senior outside hitter
Sara Walkup, Cheney coach
Gina Clark, Garden Plain coach
This story was originally published December 3, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
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