Seven northeastern South Dakota players named All-State volleyball
Seven northeastern South Dakota standouts have been named to the South Dakota Volleyball Coaches Association's 2022 All-State teams.
The honor squads include 14 Class AA, 13 Class A and 13 Class B players. Another 12 players (six in Class A and six in Class B) received honorable mention.
The All-State honorees include Watertown-area players Ally Abraham of Hamlin, second team Class A; Tevan Erickson of Elkton-Lake Benton, first team Class A: and Mackenzie Everson of Castlewood, Class B second team.
Ava Nilsson (first team) and Lauren Marcuson (second team) of Warner also earned Class B honors along with Ella Haven of Northwestern (first team) and Addison Melius of Faulkton Area (second team).
Rachael Krog of Elkton-Lake Benton (Class A) and Katelyn Schroeder of Hitchcock-Tulare (Class B) each received honorable mention.
Here's a look at each of the honorees:
Ava Nilsson, Warner
The 6-foot junior setter earned first-team All-State honors for a fourth-straight year by tallying 63 aces, 94 kills, 61 blocks, 250 digs and 1,167 assists for the Monarchs. Warner capped a 36-2 season with a second-straight Class B title. Nilsson now has 4,094 assists and 1,108 digs in her career.
Ella Haven, Northwestern
The 5-9 senior outside hitter sparked Northwestern to a 29-9 record and the consolation championship in the State B tournament by recording 670 kills, 59 aces, 316 digs and 68 blocks. She repeated as a Class B first-team selection.
Mackenzie Everson, Castlewood
The 5-7 senior outside hitter guided Castlewood to its first state-tournament appearance in 25 years and helped the Warriors closed out a 23-9 season with a sixth-place finish. Everson had 340 kills, 35 aces and 459 digs.
"Mackenzie has been an outstanding leader and player on the court," said Castlewood head coach Breanna DeKam. "She stepped up during many pressure moments and helped lead the team to state."
Addison Melius, Faulkton Area
The 5-10 junior outside hitter produced 50 aces, 331 kills and 274 digs for a Faulkton Area team that went 20-12 and had its season end with a SoDak 16 loss to Northwestern.
Lauren Marcuson, Warner
The 5-7 junior outside hitter was another key component of a talented Warner team. She notched 337 kills, 38 aces and 293 digs this season. She has now accumulated 1,150 digs in her career.
Tevan Erickson, Elkton-Lake Benton
The most successful season in Elkton-Lake Benton volleyball history concluded with a 32-4 record and a runner-up finish in the state Class A tournament. The 5-9 junior setter directed the Elks' offense and finished with 863 assists, 192 digs, 75 kills and 44 aces.
Ally Abraham, Hamlin
The 5-10 senior middle hitter helped guide the Chargers to another successful season. Hamlin went 26-5, but was denied a third-straight trip to state with a SoDak 16 loss to Platte-Geddes. She produced 459 kills, 42 aces, 54 blocks and 83 digs this season. She finished her career with 1,320 kills, 210 blocks and 164 aces.
"Ally is one of the most hardworking and talented volleyball athletes I have had the privilege of coaching," said Hamlin head coach Ashley Heinrich. "She is an amazing leader on and off the court."
Katelyn Schroeder, Hitchcock-Tulare
The 5-11 sophomore middle hitter received honorable mention on the Class B All-State team for a second-straight year despite being limited a handful of matches due to injury. She still managed to record 119 kills and 105 digs for the Patriots, who went 14-17 and lost to Northwestern in the Region 1B semifinals.
Rachael Krog, Elkton-Lake Benton
The 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter was another key cog for the Elks. She made 330 kills and 430 digs this season.
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Two players from state champion Warner named to Class B team.
