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Val T.

5 days ago4 min read

All-RTC4 volleyball: Brynn for the win: Culver star is RTC4 Player of the Year

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

RTC4 Volleyball Player of the Year Brynn Berndt

Brynn Berndt was there for every big kill, every big block, every big dig and every big play.

And because of that, a dream that started in kindergarten came true when Culver won their first volleyball sectional title since 2011 and their first regional title ever in endings to matches that one only thought occurred in the movies.

And because of all she did, both in terms of quantity and timing, she is our RTC4 Volleyball Player of the Year.

This is the fifth year we have given postseason volleyball awards, and she is the first player not from Pioneer to win Player of the Year.

Still, along with Berndt, Pioneer is well represented on our All-RTC4 team after sharing the Hoosier North title.

We would like to thank area coaches for sending their results and statistics to us and for taking the time to share insights on their teams.

Having said that, this list is ours and ours alone, and we take full responsibility for it. Team success plays a factor, but we also appreciate versatility and efficiency in players.

Keirsten Nies Avery Wagoner Aubrey Wilson Audrey Bolinger

Ashley Pugh Mackaylie Costello Laylah Demond Tyra King

All-RTC4

Brynn Berndt (Culver) (Player of the Year) – Berndt, a senior and an IU Kokomo recruit, put up numbers that are almost impossible to believe – 462 kills, 57 aces, 33 blocks, 277 digs and 214 serves received. At key moments of a match, she would not just hope for the ball; she would demand it.
Keirsten Nies (Pioneer) – Nies, a senior, was an extremely instinctive player. For example, she would serve the ball into an opponent’s body a couple times, and then when the opponent would take a couple steps back, she would serve short and have them flail away. She was also amazing on the block. After playing on some prodigiously talented teams earlier in her career, she was a commanding presence as a senior.
Avery Wagoner (Tippecanoe Valley) – A high-level senior setter, Wagoner was there for pretty much every point for four years. She had 655 assists for the season and a school-record 2,226 for her career. She also had 257 kills and 249 aces. She had eyes in the back of her head and was hard for opponents to read where her sets were going. She’s right there with Hannah Engstrand and Karla Vogel when discussing Valley’s greatest setters.
Madyson Shaffer (Pioneer) – It might be easy to overlook Pioneer’s diminutive freshman libero but not after watching her play. In fact, she was the best libero in the area. She moves her feet so well and covers a lot of ground, and she also has a wicked serve.
Laylah Demond (Pioneer) – Demond was another of Pioneer’s super freshmen, leading the team in kills and coming up big in a match’s most stressful moments.
Ashley Pugh (Culver) – If Berndt’s job was to put balls away, then it was Pugh’s job to set her up. Pugh did that to the tune of 778 assists, and she was also a smart server.
Aubrey Wilson (Rochester) – A lot of setters are offensive-minded players, but we have not seen many setters who have the defensive skills that Wilson does: She had 266 digs to go along with her 644 assists. She is well on her way to 2,000 career assists.
Livi Overmyer (Culver) – Overmyer did everything her team needed at all times. Sometimes she was needed on defense, so she had 284 digs. Sometimes they needed her on the block, and she had 45 of those. And it was Overmyer who had the kill that clinched the win over Triton in the sectional final.
Audrey Bolinger (Rochester) – Bolinger, a senior middle hitter, had to carry the Rochester offense on her shoulders, and she finished with 272 kills. She had more kills than the second and third most productive hitters on the team combined. She could hit to all zones, and she was seemingly one step ahead of her opponents much of the time.
Mackaylie Costello (Tippecanoe Valley) – Costello had 326 kills on the season and 986 for her career, which was the result of a strong chemistry with Wagoner. She also had 392 serves received, showing off passing skills that she had never been asked to exhibit prior to this year. She had a powerful right arm out of the middle.
Brooke Rausch (Winamac) – Rausch, a junior, led Winamac in kills out of the middle. But she was also a string server and defensive player.
Tyra King (Culver) – King, another member of the Lady Cavs’ senior nucleus, had her best year yet. She had good touch on her tips but could also pound the ball to the deep right corner when needed.