Kirkwood Volleyball Post Season Awards
The 12 ICCAC Division II Volleyball schools announced the All-Region and awards for the 2024 season on Thursday.
Kirkwood won the league outright for the first time since 2017 and finished with a perfect 11-0 conference record.
The Eagles, the No. 1 seed of the Region 11 Tournament won their first crown since the took the Region 11-B title in 2022. From their squad, they placed a trio of players on the First Team All-Region list this season.
Kaci Johnson was the top performer and named ICCAC Division II VolleyballPlayer of the Year and Freshman of the Year this season. The 6-2 setter played six rotations, hitting on the right side for the Eagles. Johnson posted a season total of 14 triple-doubles -- all in kills, digs and assists. She averaged 5.77 assists per set (865 total), 2.79 digs per set (418 total) and 2.43 kills per set (365 total).
Her numbers may not lead any category in the conference or the country, but her overall ability, utility and performance was unmatched.
Lily VanSeveren, the 2023 Freshman of the Year, joined Johnson on the 2024 First Team list. The sophomore libero was a defensive staple for Kirkwood all season. VanSeveren is third in the ICCAC and No. 14 in the country with 658 digs on the season, averaging 4.57 digs per set.
Closing out Kirkwood's first team selections was right-side Emma Meester. Meester followed Johnson in kills for the Eagles with 340 -- and a hitting percentage of .259. She was top 10 in the conference in points with 38 while also totaling 90 blocks.
Because of Kirkwood's success, Dave Brown was named the 2024 ICCAC Division II Coach of the Year. The Eagles posted a record of 34-6 and held a top 10 spot in the NJCAA polls all season long. As mentioned, Kirkwood won the regular season and regional tournament titles and received a No. 3 seed at the NJCAA National Tournament. The Eagles are 66-16 under Brown through (nearly) two seasons, with two national tournament appearances.
Two DMACC Bears join the 2024 First Team All-Region selections. Sophomore middle blocker Abbi Brenizer led the conference in kills (424), hitting at .341. Brenizer was sixth in the nation in total blocks (142).
DMACC's libero Emma Jones represented the Bears defensively this season. Jones had 740 digs, averaging 5.14 per set, ranked eighth in the nation. She helped the Bears to a top 25 NJCAA ranking to end the season.
Picking up the last five spots on the First Team were two middle hitters, two setters and one outside hitter.
The two middles were Araya Garrison and Olivia Sturgis, both of Iowa Central. Each helped lead the Tritons to a 9-2 conference and a 29-7 overall record -- and a national tournament at-large berth.
Garrison averaged 1.91 kills per set and had 137 blocks, putting her fifth in the conference. Sturgis totaled 264 kills, hitting .349, placing her No. 11 in the conference. She also is second in the conference in blocks (158).
From Northeast, freshman Mya Hedstrom was the conference leader in kills as the Hawks relied on her heavy hand all season. She racked up 408 kills, 2.87 per set. She also was one of the best defenders for Northeast, with 451 digs, 3.18 per set. The do-it-all player was top ten in the conference in kills, kills per set, total attacks, receptions and points.
Joining Hedstrom on the First Team was her teammate,setter Shaylyn Safranek. The sophomore led the Hawks in assists per set at 7.56, with 952 total assists. She had 20 or more assists in 30 of 35 matches this season.
Elitsa Peneva represented Ellsworth on this list, rounding out the ten players on the First Team. Peneva totaled 9.85 assists per set, the highest in the league, to notch 1103 assists with 66 service aces.
First Team All-Region:
| Player | School | Position | Year |
| Abbi Brenizer | DMACC | M | So. |
| Emma Jones | DMACC | L | So. |
| Elitsa Peneva | Ellsworth | S | So. |
| Araya Garrison | Iowa Central | MB | So. |
| Olivia Sturgis | Iowa Central | MB | So. |
| Emma Meester | Kirkwood | RS | So. |
| Lily VanSeveren | Kirkwood | L | So. |
| Kaci Johnson | Kirkwood | S | Fr. |
| Mya Hedstrom | Northeast | OS | Fr. |
| Shaylyn Safranek | Northeast | S | So. |
Second Team All-Region:
| Player | School | Position | Year |
| Halia Mahi | DMACC | S | So. |
| Ana Cuartero | Ellsworth | OH | So. |
| Nohea Mahi | Hawkeye | S | So. |
| Emily Goodner | Iowa Central | OH | So. |
| Talya Sampson | Iowa Central | OH | Fr. |
| Ava Harris-Shepard | Kirkwood | M | So. |
| Ellie Hanna | NIACC | MB | So. |
| Alex Arenas | Northeast | OS | So. |
| Taryn Stephens | Southeastern | L | Fr. |
| Jagoda Szczepaniak | Western Iowa Tech | OH | So. |
Third Team All-Region:
| Player | School | Position | Year |
| Emma Liechti | DMACC | M | Fr. |
| Ludine Charron | Ellsworth | L | So. |
| Mallory Tisue | Hawkeye | M | So. |
| Olivia Benson | Iowa Central | L | So. |
| Lily Kunselman | Iowa Lakes | OS | Fr. |
| Sydney Matthias | Kirkwood | S | So. |
| Genesis Melanciano | Marshalltown | OH | So. |
| Avery Couch | Northeast | M | So. |
| Maddie Jones | Southeastern | S | Fr. |
| Kaira Willits | Western Iowa Tech | S | So. |
Honorable Mention All-Region:
| Player | School | Position | Year |
| Jaelynne Clarke | DMACC | OH | Fr. |
| Natalie See | Ellsworth | MH | So. |
| Lexie Gehrke | Hawkeye | L | So. |
| Dani Anela Kapu | Iowa Central | S | So. |
| Kenzie Lee | Iowa Lakes | OH | So. |
| Lorin Turkdogan | Iowa Lakes | L | Fr. |
| Marissa Cahoy | Kirkwood | S | Fr. |
| Kaylee LaPlant | Marshalltown | MH | Fr. |
| Kit Byars | NIACC | MB | So. |
| Kaidence Wilson | Northeast | MB/OH | So. |
| Taryn Havener | Southeastern | M | Fr. |
| Emily Strait | Southwestern | L | So. |
| Whitney Hollins | Southwestern | M | Fr. |
| Karen Arredondo Bedoya | Western Iowa Tech | L | So. |
Player of the Year: Kaci Johnson, Kirkwood
Freshman of the Year: Kaci Johnson, Kirkwood
Coach of the Year: Dave Brown, Kirkwood
