The 2022 Your Prep Sports Area Volleyball Team
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
It was a historic volleyball season in the Your Prep Sports area.
Liberty High made history with the first state title in school history while Clear Creek Amana posted its best ever state tournament performance with a runner-up finish.
For more than half a decade Your Prep Sports has honored the top area players with their inclusion on the Your Prep Sports area volleyball team.
The 2022 edition of the annual YPS all-area team is one of the most decorated in the history of the team.
This year’s 10-member team features all-America and all-state selections. Conference players of the year, state tournament all-tournament team members. School record holders, college recruits and state champions.
Liberty High senior Cassidy Hartman is the captain of the 2022 team after leading the Lightning to the Class 5A state title.
Hartman is appearing on the Your Prep Sports area team for the fourth consecutive season and is the team captain for the third straight season.
Cassidy Hartman (Captain)
Senior, Liberty High
The most decorated player in program history Hartman added a big piece to an already stellar career resume capping an incredible senior season by leading Liberty High to the Class 5A state title.
A four-time Your Prep Sports area team member, Hartman is the team captain for the third consecutive season.
Hartman had career-highs in kills and digs as a senior helping Liberty High to a 33-8 record and the first team championship in school history.
The 6-foot-1 Hartman ranked eighth in the state and second in 5A with 538 kills this season becoming just the sixth player in Class 5A since 2016 to have 500 kills in a season.
Hartman had a hitting efficiency of .348 while hammering a career-high 538 kills and also had a career-best 429 digs, 41 blocks and 23 ace serves.
A Northern Iowa recruit, Hartman was named to the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Elite all-state team for the third year in a row and was the Mississippi Divisional player of the year for the third consecutive season.
Hartman closes her prep career with a school-record 1,542 career kills and 1,104 digs helping Liberty High to a 125-19 record and four consecutive state tournament appearances.
In eight career state tournament matches Hartman hammered 174 kills and had at least 17 kills in each of her final seven matches at the state tournament.
Hartman had 64 kills in three state tournament matches this season on her way to being named to the 5A all-tournament team.
Shelby Kimm
Senior, Liberty High
A cornerstone of the program since her freshman season Kimm played a key role in building Liberty High into one of the premier programs in the state.
Kimm enjoyed the best season of her career as a senior posting career highs in kills and digs while helping Liberty High cap an impressive four-year run in which it went 125-19 with a Class 5A state title.
The 6-foot Kimm ranked seventh in 5A with 344 digs on a career-best .295 hitting percentage and ranked third in 5A with 448 digs.
Kimm joined teammate Cassidy Hartman as the only 5A players to rank in the top 10 in both kills and digs.
A St. Cloud State recruit, Kimm had 28 blocks and 42 ace serves as a senior earning first-team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association for the second consecutive season.
Kimm had 42 kills and 41 digs in three state tournament matches helping Liberty High win the first team title in program history and landing on the 5A all-tournament team.
Kimm had double figure kills in each of her final five state tournament matches dating back to her sophomore season and finished her career with 91 kills in eight state tournament matches.
A three-time all-state pick, Kimm closes her career with 970 kills, 902 digs, 152 blocks and 116 ace serves.
Bliss Beck
Junior, Clear Creek Amana
Following a breakthrough sophomore season Beck continued to establish herself as one of the top players in the state with a dominating junior campaign in which she ranked in the top five in Class 4A in kills, blocks and hitting efficiency.
Beck had career highs in kills, blocks and hitting efficiency this season while leading Clear Creek Amana to the best season in program history.
The 6-foot-2 Beck had 399 kills on .411 hitting and a Class 4A-leading 153 blocks as Clear Creek Amana went 34-11 and finished runner-up in 4A.
Beck was a big part of the success for the Clippers this season.
She was the only player in the state with at least 150 blocks and 350 kills and ranked fifth in the state in blocks and 14th in hitting efficiency.
Beck was named WAMAC West Division player of the year for the second consecutive season and earned first-team Class 4A all-state honors for the first time after being an honorable mention selection as a sophomore.
Beck was at her best at the state tournament, posting 44 kills and 20 blocks on her way to being named to the 4A all-tournament team.
In three seasons Beck has already amassed 807 career kills and 267 career blocks.
Claire Ernst
Junior, City High
Ernst continued her ascent as one of the top hitters in the area with another strong season.
A repeat Your Prep Sports area selection, Ernst followed up a breakthrough sophomore season with a strong junior campaign in which she led City High with 285 kills on .256 hitting.
Ernst earned first-team all-Mississippi Valley Conference divisional honors for the first time following her strong junior season as a unanimous pick in the Valley Division.
The 5-foot-11 Ernst had a career-high 222 digs and 24 blocks while leading City High in kills for the second consecutive season.
In three varsity seasons Ernst has already amassed 748 kills, 581 digs and 48 blocks.
Melae’ Lacy
Junior, West High
The more Lacy plays the better the West High junior gets.
Lacy posted a third consecutive season of at least 200 kills and increased her kill production for the third consecutive season on her way to earning first-team MVC all-division honors for the second straight season.
The 5-foot-11 Lacy had career highs in kills, digs and blocks as a junior while helping West High to an 11-22 record.
Despite regularly being the focus of opponent’s game plans, Lacy had a career-high 280 kills, 26 more than she had as a sophomore.
Lacy showed her progress as an all-around player as a junior collecting a career-best 218 digs and adding 29 blocks while leading the Trojans with 30 ace serves.
Iva Senio
Senior, West Branch
A four-year varsity contributor Senio saved her best season for last posting career-highs in kills, digs and blocks in a stellar senior season.
Senio led West Branch in kills for the second time in the past three season with a career-high 279 kills and added 283 digs on her way to earning honorable mention Class 2A all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.
The 5-foot-8 Senio added 22 blocks and 18 ace serves while helping West Branch to a 17-17 record.
Senio was named to the River Valley Conference South Division team for the second consecutive season after posting a third consecutive season with at least 175 kills.
Senio closed her career with 703 kills and 687 digs.
Reese Naeve
Freshman, Regina
Naeve exploded onto the high school scene this season with an impressive debut season in which she ranked eighth in Class 2A in kills.
The 5-foot-7 Naeve hammered 442 kills while hitting .350 as a freshman helping Regina to a 19-15 record.
An explosive athlete, Naeve was one of only nine players statewide to have 400 kills and a hitting efficiency of at least .350 this season and her 442 kills ranked 18th in the state and were the most of any freshman in the state.
Naeve also ranked second on the team with 291 digs and added 14 blocks and 16 ace serves while being named to the River Valley Conference South Division team.
Naeve was also an honorable mention all-state selection on the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Class 2A all-state team and was one of only three freshmen on the 2A all-state squad.
Grace Erwin
Sophomore, Solon
Solon had its best season since winning the 3A state title in 2014 this fall winning 26 matches and advancing to a 3A regional final.
The emergence of Erwin as a major threat on both sides of the net was a big reason why the Spartans had their first winning season since 2018.
In the first extended action of her varsity career Erwin ranked second in the state and led Class 3A with 169 blocks.
The 5-foot-10 Erwin added 191 kills which ranked second on the team for Solon and led the Spartans with a .372 hitting efficiency.
Erwin was a first-team all-WAMAC East Division selection following her breakthrough season.
Asta Hildebrand
Sophomore, Liberty High
An underclassman on a Liberty high roster loaded with talented seniors Hildebrand played a critical role in helping the Lightning secure the Class 5A state title.
Hildebrand ranked fourth in 5A with 863 assists and ranked fourth on the team with 95 kills on her way to earning all-state honors for the first time.
The 5-foot-11 Hildebrand was a MVC first-team all-division selection and earned honorable mention all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association following her stellar sophomore season.
Hildebrand had 273 digs, 16 blocks and 28 ace serves.
An impressive athlete and versatile weapon for the Lightning, Hildebrand was outstanding during the state tournament run for Liberty High.
In three state tournament matches Hildebrand had 92 assists and 17 kills including a 32-assist, eight-kill, nine-dig effort in the state title match win over Pleasant Valley.
Meg Berkland
Junior, Clear Creek Amana
A steady presence in the Clear Creek Amana backrow since her freshman season Berkland emerged as one of the premier liberos in the state during a stellar junior season.
Berkland led Clear Creek Amana in digs for the third consecutive season helping the Clippers to a 33-11 record and a Class 4A runner-up finish.
The 5-foot-2 Berkland ranked ninth in the state and second in 4A with a career-high 540 digs this season on her way to being named second-team all-state by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.
Berkland was at her best during an impressive state tournament run for Clear Creek Amana.
She had 105 digs in three state tournament matches including 37 and 38 in back-to-back upsets of top-three ranked opponents Marion and North Scott.
A three-year starter Berkland has posted three consecutive seasons of 300 plus kills and at leats 39 ace serves, racking up 1,247 digs and 123 ace serves.
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