Introducing the players on the 2023 Wichita Eagle high school volleyball All-Metro team

The Wichita Eagle announced its 20th annual All-Metro volleyball team on Thursday, recognizing some of the best high school volleyball players in the state of Kansas from the 2023 season.

The All-Metro team features the top players and the top coach from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties based on statistics, team success, postseason recognition and area coaches’ feedback. Maize South senior setter Camdyn Stucky, a Tennessee signee, was named the Player of the Year after helping Maize South to a program-best third-place finish at the Class 5A state tournament.

Here is the full look at the 2023 Wichita Eagle All-Metro volleyball team:

Alex Bittner, Cheney senior

It’s not often Cheney needs a single player to carry the scoring load quite like Bittner did this season. She was the go-to option to help deliver another superb season for the Cardinals, which ended with a 37-7 record and another appearance in the Class 3A semifinals. Bittner finished the season with 521 kills (5.5 per set) on a .291 hitting percentage with 598 digs (6.4 per set), 50 blocks and 49 aces. The 5-foot-9 senior, who signed with Pittsburg State as a defensive specialist, eclipsed 1,000 career kills and digs this season. Bittner was named a first team all-state pick in Class 3A and voted Player of the Year in the Central Plains League as a first team all-league outside hitter.

Cheney coach Sara Walkup: “Alex is probably the most polished all-around player I’ve ever coached. She can literally do anything at any position on the court. She’s a great team leader and very encouraging and uplifting to her teammates. She’s just a great person and has played a lot of volleyball from a young age. We’ve been so lucky to have her.”

Jacqueline Corcoran, Circle senior

A three-time All-Metro selection, Corcoran concluded a stellar career at Circle by finishing as the program’s all-time leader in kills with 1,185. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter was once again a dynamic pin hitter, finishing with 364 kills (4.1 per set) on a .304 hitting percentage and led her team in digs with 307 (3.4 per set). Corcoran paired with setter Reagan Smith and next to Mia Fox in the middle, Circle had one of the most dangerous attacks in Class 4A and finished the season with a 34-7 record and trip to the state tournament. Corcoran, who is still uncommitted, was named a first team all-state player in Class 4A and voted Co-Player of the Year with Fox in AV-CTL Division IV.

Circle coach Shelly Nibarger: “Jacqueline has meant so much to our program. She’s been an outstanding, six-rotation player and I think her play in the back row doesn’t get as much attention as her front-row play does. She’s actually been recruited by colleges as a libero. Her leadership on the team was outstanding this year. I think if you ask any girl in our program, they all idolized her. Jacqueline had the ability to make every girl in our program feel important and special, so it’s been very unique having her in the program.”

Avery Elofsson, Collegiate senior

Another one of the best six-rotation players in the area, Elofsson was superb for a 31-win Collegiate team. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter finished with 341 kills (4.8 per set) with a .339 hitting percentage to go along with a team-high 51 blocks and 48 aces, plus 171 digs. Elofsson, who finished as the program’s all-time leader in kills and blocks, was voted a first team all-league outside hitter in AV-CTL Division IV.

Collegiate coach Chris Zander: “Avery has been a four-year varsity starter and played all six rotations every year. She can truly do it all. There’s a reason why she was our all-time leader in kills. She has all of the shots from all three hitting positions. She is also a very talented player in the back row as a passer and defensive player with a great serve. But the most impressive part of her game is how she is so humble and always looking to get better.”

Jillian Gregory, Maize South junior

One of the top high school volleyball recruits in the class of 2025, Gregory’s talents as an outside hitter helped lead Maize South its best season in program history. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter registered a team-high 386 kills (4.2 per set) with a .357 hitting percentage and added 141 digs. She was voted second team all-state in Class 5A and named a first team all-league outside hitter in AV-CTL Division I. Gregory, who has a host of Division I schools recruiting her, helped the Mavericks finish with a 38-5 record and third-place finish at the Class 5A state tournament.

Maize South coach Alexis Head: “She is all about information. Jillian wants to know what’s open on the floor, so she can execute on the play. She’s a no-nonsense type player, she’s intense and her biggest objective is to win games and do whatever she can to help her team win. She has this ability to elevate and her arm is just really, really fast. She’s got one of the fastest arms in the state and that allows her to diversify her shot selection and be able to hit a lot of different types of shots once she’s up there in the air.”

Abby Koontz, Newton senior

There were a handful of top-notch liberos in the area this season, but Koontz made a compelling case as the top one. The 5-foot-4 senior was lights out on the back row this season for Newton and a major reason why the Railers were able to win 20 games and advance to a Class 5A regional final. Koontz, who has signed with Bethel, finished with 590 digs (7.1 per set) this season, which earned her first-team all-league honors in AV-CTL Division I.

Newton coach Jamie Dibbens: “Abby is just such a competitor. She wants to be the best at everything she does, whether that’s in school or in sports. She just always expects so much from herself. And then on the court, she has such great ball awareness and court awareness. She always knows where exactly to be. She can recognize if the setter isn’t going to be able to get there, she’ll step up and take that second ball. She never gets rattled. All of those things are what made her so good for us.”

Kenzy McArtor, Clearwater junior

Clearwater was the breakthrough team of the season in the area and McArtor was the engine who helped power that. The 6-foot outside hitter finished the season with 417 kills (4.4 per set) on a .304 hitting percentage, but also registered a program-record 96 aces and 224 digs as a six-rotation player. McArtor was voted a first team all-state player in Class 4A and the Player of the Year in AV-CTL Division IV, as Clearwater finished with a 36-5 record and appearance at the Class 4A state tournament.

Clearwater coach Abbee Schultz: “Kenzy was a six-rotation starter for me and from a statistical standpoint, she was one of the top in the state for outside hitters. But she was also one of my top passers in serve-receive and then she just served so tough. She is just a great athlete. Usually most athletes pick a position and they’re great at that one spot, but Kenzy exceeds expectations in every single skill set.”

Gracie Morrow, Maize South senior

A two-time All-Metro selection, Morrow was once again excellent to help lead Maize South to a 38-win season and a program-best third-place finish at the Class 5A state tournament. The 6-foot senior outside hitter, who has signed to play for Wichita State, finished with 344 kills (3.7 per set) and a .297 hitting percentage to go along with a team-high 220 digs playing as a six-rotation player. Morrow was named a first team all-state player in Class 5A and a first team all-league player in AV-CTL Division I.

Maize South coach Alexis Head: “Gracie is a quick-twitch kid. She can get up in the air and score at will. But the thing about Gracie that makes her super versatile is her ability to pass. When Gracie was in the back row, that’s when we were so efficient offensively. Her ability to dig is such a high level going into Wichita State and I can’t wait to see her continue to improve at the next level.”

Gabby Reynolds, Andover senior

Andover went on the road to secure another berth to the Class 5A state tournament, a credit to the standout play from Reynolds as an outside hitter. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter finished with 390 kills (4.1 per set) and 303 digs this year to help lead the Trojans to a 29-win season. Reynolds, who has signed with Division II Missouri S&T, was voted Co-Player of the Year in AV-CTL Division II as a first team all-league outside hitter.

Andover coach Ashley Eichman: “Gabby was a six-rotation player for us and a lot of her accolades and big numbers come from her hitting, but she is such a great defensive player. I think that’s what sets her apart because she loves to play defense. She’s a fantastic hitter, a strong line hitter, but she gets it done on defense too. She was a team captain for us and a great leader. She didn’t care about her stats, she just wanted to see everyone on our team succeed and I love that about her.”

Hayden Snodgrass, Andover Central senior

The versatility of Snodgrass helped lead Andover Central to one of its best seasons in program history, ending with a 39-3 record and appearance in the Class 5A state tournament. She had been a standout setter in her career, but Snodgrass sacrificed to do what was best for the team and split time between hitting and setting this season. The 5-foot-9 senior finished with 278 kills (3.0 per set) on a .268 hitting percentage to go along with 458 assists and 230 digs. Snodgrass, who has signed to set for Pittsburg State, was voted the Co-Player of the Year in AV-CTL Division II.

Andover Central coach Kayla Weidert: “Hayden is a rare kid who loves the game of volleyball and everything that comes with it. You have kids who love the game and they’ll show up to practice a little early and stay late every now and then, but then they’re done thinking about volleyball. If you look at Hayden’s Hudl account and the time she spends watching film and the texts she’ll send me asking about college volleyball plays and players, she is just constantly learning and striving to get better. She is one of those special kids who is really truly invested in the game beyond just the practices and the games.”

Camdyn Stucky, Maize South senior

One of the top volleyball players to ever come out of Wichita, Stucky is a 6-foot-3 setter signed to play in the SEC next season at Tennessee. The crafty left-hander orchestrated one of the state’s best offenses, which helped Maize South to a 38-win season and program-best third-place finish at the Class 5A state tournament. Not only did Stucky register a school-record 935 assists (10.1 per set) this season, but she also had 173 kills on a .435 hitting percentage, a team-high 57 aces, 54 blocks and 207 digs. Stucky was named a first team all-state player in Class 5A and voted Player of the Year in AV-CTL Division I as a first team all-league setter.

Maize South coach Alexis Head: “I think it was Camdyn’s leadership style that made her special this season. She has always led by example, but was much more of a vocal leader for us this year. She talks to the passers, the hitters, the blockers. And then the thing that stands out the most about her on the court is just her physicality. Being 6-3 and the ability to score with her left hand, whether that was taking it over on the second ball with a tip or a full-fledged swing and attack, she was so dangerous.”

Abbee Schultz, Clearwater coach

Clearwater finished last season with a 19-17 record, but when Schultz took over the program this fall, she knew there was potential for so much more. The first-year coach was able to find the right combinations to unlock the talent on the team and Clearwater was the breakout team in the area, finishing with a 36-5 record and trip to the Class 4A state tournament. Clearwater was led this season by All-Metro selection Kenzy McArtor, setter Kaylee Hampton, outside hitter Madison Williams, libero Elizabeth Tjaden and senior middle hitter Allison Clevenger. The 88% season winning percentage was the best in program history.

Clearwater coach Abbee Schultz: “I have a regular full-time job and I told our girls at the banquet that I woke up every single day looking forward to practice because these girls made this season so fun for me. They were such a positive group to work with and they really wanted to win. I think the skill set had always been there, but this year they continued to get better and I think the biggest thing they needed was just to be told how good they actually are. I had to have talks with them throughout the year about how they really are this good and how they deserve to be here. It was just a really fun group of girls to coach and they made this year really special.”

All-Metro second team

Jailyn Adolph, Cheney senior libero

Regan Allen, Trinity Academy junior libero

Kendal Brueggen, Hesston junior outside hitter

Elle Davis, Trinity Academy junior outside hitter

Willow Deckinger, Andover Central senior libero

Delainee Dexter, Eisenhower junior setter

Addy Foster, Derby senior libero

Mia Fox, Circle senior middle hitter

Aliyah Green, Andover junior middle hitter

Hayden Grimes, Andale sophomore outside hitter

Kaylee Hampton, Clearwater junior setter

Nina Mitchell, Northwest senior middle hitter

Mason Palace, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore middle hitter

Grace Rowland, Andale senior outside hitter

Talya Sampson, Sedgwick senior outside hitter

Dominique Schutte, Halstead senior middle hitter

Reagan Smith, Circle senior setter

Jordyn Washington, Andover Central junior middle hitter

Madison Williams, Clearwater junior outside hitter

Kayla Weidert, Andover Central coach

All-Metro third team

Ashlyn Alumbaugh, Mulvane senior setter

Brooklyn Benoit, Northwest sophomore outside hitter

Jordyn Bird, Maize senior setter

Claire Buss, East sophomore outside hitter

Allison Clevenger, Clearwater senior middle hitter

Kaitlyn Cure, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior outside hitter

Cora Daggett, North junior middle hitter

Reese Daugherty, Bishop Carroll junior libero

Samantha Estes, Douglass senior libero

Lauren Heinz, Andover junior setter

Kadance Heumann, Rose Hill junior setter

Carlyle Johnson, Collegiate sophomore middle hitter

Carly Koster, Maize South senior middle hitter

Mya Mayberry, Heights senior libero

Avery McCorry, Bishop Carroll sophomore outside hitter

Jaye McCrudy, Central Christian Academy sophomore setter

Taylor McDonald, Valley Center sophomore middle hitter

Ally Orth, Bishop Carroll sophomore setter

Emma Rains, Newton senior outside hitter

Harlee Randall, Flinthills junior outside hitter

Lizzie Romer, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior middle hitter

Kalyn Sampson, Sedgwick sophomore setter

Dalaina Schutte, Halstead junior setter

Sophie Scott, Augusta senior outside hitter

Kayley Shanfelt, Classical senior outside hitter

Gretta Stover, Andover Central senior outside hitter

Elena Vanderweg, Newton senior setter

Ava Wadley, Southeast senior setter

Kaylor Wasinger, Garden Plain senior outside hitter

Lily Waters, Derby junior outside hitter

Lauren Welch, Maize junior libero

Alexis Head, Maize South coach