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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Co-champion Marshfield landed three players on the seven-player first team of the 2021 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Volleyball Team.
Sophomore outside hitter Abby Ongna, senior outside hitter Casey Frankland, and junior setter Reinya Balderson were named to the first team for the Tigers, who tied D.C. Everest for the conference championship with a 10-2 record. Ongna and Frankland were unanimous selections.
Ongna finished second in overall kills (152) and attack percentage (.330) in the conference, while Frankland was third in total kills with 123. Balderson led the Valley in total assists (426) and assists per set (10.65).
D.C. Everest senior middle hitter Riley Zuleger and senior setter/right-side hitter Kiara Hammond, Stevens Point senior setter Montana Zdroik and Wisconsin Rapids senior libero Hayley Wagner were also chosen to the first team.
Zuleger was fourth in the conference in attack percentage (.301), Zdroik was fourth in assists per set (7.5), Wagner was third in digs per set (6.09), and Hammond finished with 91 kills, 234 assists and 139 digs this season.
Junior libero Elise Uphoff and junior middle hitter Caitlyn Pernsteiner were second-team selections, and junior middle hitter Rylee Corteen was an honorable mention choice for Marshfield.
Pernsteiner was third in the conference in blocks per set (0.78) and Corteen led the conference in attack percentage (.346).
2021 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Volleyball Team
(*denotes unanimous selection)
First team: *Riley Zuelger, sr., middle hitter, D.C. Everest; *Abby Ongna, so., outside hitter, Marshfield; *Casey Frankland, sr., outside hitter, Marshfield; *Montana Zdroik, sr., setter, Stevens Point; *Hayley Wagner, sr., libero, Wisconsin Rapids; Kiara Hammond, sr., setter/right-side hitter, D.C. Everest; Reinya Balderson, jr., Marshfield.
Second team: Avery Hoff, so., outside hitter/setter, Merrill; Alli Schauls, so., outside hitter, Wausau West; Emma Barton, jr., middle blocker, Stevens Point; Brenna Lehrke, sr., setter/right-side hitter, D.C. Everest; Aliyah Hennings, jr., middle hitter, Wisconsin Rapids; Savannah Spees, jr., setter, Wausau East; Lexi Crawford, sr., outside hitter, D.C. Everest; Elise Uphoff, jr., libero, Marshfield; Caitlyn Pernsteiner, jr., middle hitter, Marshfield; Molly Dallman, sr., right-side hitter, Merrill; Makenzi Gale, sr., outside hitter, Wausau East.
Honorable mention: Braelyn Beiler, jr., defensive specialist, D.C. Everest; Lyndsie Truitt, so., middle hitter, D.C. Everest; Rylee Corteen, jr., middle hitter, Marshfield; Dani Korman, sr., libero, Merrill; Madelyn Laabs, sr., outside/middle blocker, Stevens Point; Graysen Burger, so., libero, Wausau East; Samantha Federici, sr., setter, Wausau West; Sophia Peissig, sr., libero, Wausau West; Kylie Ellis, sr., setter, Wisconsin Rapids.