Washburn Rural junior Brooklyn DeLeye has been named the TSN All-Shawnee County volleyball player of the year for the 2021 season. [File photo/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Player of the year Brooklyn DeLeye, a Washburn Rural junior, headlines the inaugural TopSports.news All-Shawnee County volleyball team while state placers Rural and Seaman combined to earn seven of 12 first-team berths.
DeLeye, who has orally committed to Kentucky, is joined on the all-county team by teammates Katelynn Brogan, a senior, junior Taylor Russell and sophomore Jada Ingram after the Junior Blues posted a 41-2 record and a fourth-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament.
Veteran Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick was named the county coach of the year after leading Rural to 41 straight wins to start the season and Centennial League and sub-state championships.
Seaman which finished fourth in 5A with a 27-13 record on the year, is represented on the All-County team by senior Drew Baxter, junior Laynee Brown and sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer while Viking freshman Maegan Mills was named the county newcomer of the year.
Shawnee Heights put senior Kali Henry and junior Emily Loy on the All-County team while Topeka West is represented by junior Makinsey Jones, Silver Lake by senior Camilla Ossola and Rossville by sophomore Kinsey Perine.
All-County first team capsules:
Drew Baxter
DREW BAXTER, Seaman -- Baxter, a senior, was a first-team All-Centennial League pick for the second straight season and earned All-Class 5A State Tournament honors after helping lead Seaman to a fourth-place finish in the Class 5A state tournament and a 27-13 record on the year.
Baxter registered 284 kills on the season to go with 20 blocks, 393 assists and 170 digs. Baxter served 93.6 percent with 39 aces.
“Drew was a great leader for us this year,'' Seaman coach Tatiana Dowling said. "Not only did she lead in most stat categories, she also led be example and vocally. She is a strong hitter and is willing to outwork anyone on the floor. I love her competitive spirit and will definitely miss that in years to come.”
Katelynn Brogan
KATELYNN BROGAN, Washburn Rural -- A senior, Brogan was named to the All-Centennial League first team and earned All-6A State Tournament recognition after helping Washburn Rural post a 41-2 record and a fourth-place finish in the 6A state tournament.
Brogan compiled 481 assists with a 47.4 assist percentage while also contributing 70 kills (.256 kill efficiency), 20 block kills and 149 digs. Brogan served 96.1 percent with 30 aces.
"She really improved with her defense, court awareness, and delivering the ball to hitters in a good place for them to hit it,'' Bordewick said of Brogan. "She has only set for 2.5 seasons so she has a high ceiling yet, and she can definitely play at the college level.''
Laynee Brown
LAYNEE BROWN, Seaman -- A junior, Brown was an All-Centennial League first-team selection for the second straight season after the Vikings posted a 27-13 record and finished fourth in the 5A state tournament.
Brown finished with 338 digs on the season to go with 109 assists. She also served 95 percent with 27 aces.
“Laynee is a steady libero for us,'' Dowling said. "It is rare for Laynee to have an off day and she stepped up this year as a vocal leader as well. She’s scrappy and covers a lot of floor, which allows other players on our team to be successful in their own categories. She’s a huge asset for us and we’re excited for her senior year.”
Brooklyn DeLeye
BROOKLYN DeLEYE, Washburn Rural -- DeLeye, a junior, was named the Shawnee County and Centennial League player of the year. A three-time all-league and All-Class 6A State Tournament selection, DeLeye helped lead the Junior Blues to a 41-2 record and a fourth-place finish in the 6A state tournament.
DeLeye finished the season with 586 kills on .438 kill efficiency, while also contributing 26 block kills, 259 digs and a 2.56 serve receive grade. DeLeye, who has committed to Kentucky, had 133 serving aces.
"She made tremendous strides from last year, and she was really good last year,'' Bordewick said. "Her top spin jump serve was a lethal weapon, she improved in her serve receive and hitting, and was an exceptional leader for us. She also understands the game and would make scouting reports on major opponents.''
Kali Henry
KALI HENRY, Shawnee Heights -- Henry, a senior, was named to the All-United Kansas Conference second team for the third time after helping Shawnee Heights post a 17-15 record this season. Henry has signed a letter of intent with Washburn University.
Henry registered 179 kills and 10 blocks on the season while also compiling 217 digs. Henry served 94.5 percent with 35 aces.
"Kali is fast and dynamic.'' Washburn volleyball coach Chris Herron said of Henry on signing day. "She is another competitive player who fits what we are looking for in our program."
Jada Ingram
JADA INGRAM, Washburn Rural -- Ingram, a sophomore, was an All-Centennial League first-team pick after helping the Junior Blues go 41-2 on the season with a fourth-place 6A state finish.
Ingram finished the season with 198 kills on .320 kill efficiency while also contributing 54 block kills. Ingram served 93.3 percent with 52 aces.
"Jada made huge strides since last year, and developed a great slide for offense, became a tremendous force at the net with her blocking, and was a very efficient server,'' Bordewick said. "She has tremendous athleticism, and she will really grow in this sport.''
Makinsey Jones
MAKINSEY JONES, Topeka West -- A junior, Jones earned first-team All-Centennial League recognition after helping lead the Chargers to a breakthrough 27-10 season.
Jones had 246 kills on the season for Topeka West while also finishing with 51 solo blocks as the Chargers put together one of the best seasons in school history.
Emily Loy
EMILY LOY, Shawnee Heights -- A junior, Loy earned first-team All-United Kansas Conference honors after helping Shawnee Heights post a 17-15 record on the season.
Loys registered 307 kills on 741 attempts with a .274 hitting percentage. Loy also contributed 92 digs and had a serve receive rating of 1.93.
"Emily is a dominating player with a great arm,'' Shawnee Heights coach Sami McHenry said. "She can step up into a game and completely change the momentum for us. We are looking forward to her leadership next year.
Camilla Ossola
CAMILLA OSSOLA, Silver Lake -- Ossola, a senior, was a unanimous first-team All-Mid-East League selection after helping lead the Eagles to a 28-9 record this fall.
Ossola finished the season with 223 kills and a 42.8 hitting percentage whie also contributing 62 total blocks. Ossola served 87.7 percent with 31 aces.
“Camilla came in and made an immediate impact for our team this year,'' Silver Lake coach Sarah Johnson said. "We were able to move her across the front line to get her wherever we needed to make the biggest impact. She was a smooth hitter with a fast arm swing that made her difficult to defend.”
Kinsey Perine
KINSEY PERINE, Rossville -- A sophomore, Perine was a unanimous All-Mid-East League first-team selection after helping lead the Bulldawgs to a 30-9 record this season.
Perine finished the season with 437 kills, 29 total blocks and 277 diggs. Perine served 87.9 percent with 27 aces.
'Kinsey is an outstanding all-around volleyball player and has been a unanimous All-MEL selection for the past two years,'' Rossville coach Thomas Colwell III said. "Only a sophomore, she took more of a leadership role this season as a communicator and is always leading by example, giving 100-percent effort in every aspect of practice and games. Her tremendous athletic ability obviously stands out, but what I've been most impressed with is her knowledge and keen awareness of the game.'
Taylor Russell
TAYLOR RUSSELL, Washburn Rural -- A junior, Russell was an All-Centennial League first-team selection after helping lead Washburn Rural to a 41-2 record and a fourth-place finish in the 6A state tournament.
Russell had 242 kills with .282 kill efficiency on the season and also contributed 14 block kills and 224 digs. Russell served 93.4 percent with 54 aces.
"Taylor improved a lot since last season, improving in her serve receive passing, her hitting efficiency, and hit placement,'' Bordewick said. "She is a tough kid, as she battled various injuries and continued playing at a high level for us this year.''
Taylin Stallbaumer
TAYLIN STALLBAUMER, Seaman -- Stallbaumer, a sophomore, was an All-Centennial League first-team pick after helping the Vikings post a 27-13 record and a fourth-place finish in the 5A state tournament.
Stallbaumer finished the season with 209 kills, 23 blocks, 305 assists and 209 diggs. She served 96.5 percent with 37 aces.
“Taylin is a great player because she’s all over the floor,'' Dowling said. "She can dig a ball and get up and swing in the same point. She’s quick and agile which allows for us to use her as a weapon in many different areas including defense, setting, and swinging. On top of that, she has an aggressive serve with a lot of movement. We’re excited for her future at Seaman!”
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY VOLLEYBALL
First team
Name, school Class
Drew Baxter, Seaman Sr.
Katelynn Brogan, Washburn Rural Sr.
Laynee Brown, Seaman Jr.
Brooklyn DeLeye, Washburn Rural Jr.
Kali Henry, Shawnee Heights Sr.
Jada Ingram, Washburn Rural So.
Makinsey Jones, Topeka West Jr.
Emily Loy, Shawnee Heights Jr.
Camilla Ossola, Silver Lake Sr.
Kinsey Perine, Rossville So.
Taylor Russell, Washburn Rural Jr.
Taylin Stallbaumer, Seaman So.
Second team
Lexis Berndt, Silver Lake Jr.
Taryn Burkhardt, Silver Lake Sr.
Katie Borough, Washburn Rural Jr.
Zoe Canfield, Washburn Rural So.
Leah Cook, Silver Lake Jr.
Taryn Dial, Shawnee Heights Sr.
Brinley Dyche, Rossville Jr.
Briar Gillum, Rossville Sr.
Brooklyn Gormley, Seaman So.
Jaya Miller, Topeka West So.
Maegan Mills, Seaman Fr.
Mayah Pridgett, Cair Paravel So.
Honorable mention
Hayden: Anna Brown, sr.; Jenessa Broxterman, jr.; Abby Dodd, sr.; CC Hammes, sr.; Reagan Huscher, so. Highland Park: Victoria Reed, so.; Karlin White, so. Rossville: Caylee Douglas, sr.; Kinley Porter, so. Seaman: Reagan McGivern, fr.; Lindsey Smith, jr. Shawnee Heights: Ellie Curry, jr.; Taylor Rottinghaus, jr. Silver Lake: Taylor Ross, jr. Topeka High: Jo'Mhara Benning, fr.; Cierra Carranza, jr.; Quincy Smith, jr. Topeka West: Addison Brooks, so.; Malayah Henderson, jr.; Siana Sanchez, so. Washburn Rural: Chloe Carlgren, jr.
Player of the year -- Brooklyn DeLeye, jr., Washburn Rural.
Newcomer of the year -- Maegan Mills, fr., Seaman.
Coach of the year -- Kevin Bordewick, Washburn Rural.
