Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette Cambridge High School senior standout Shelby Schultz is the McCook Daily Gazette's 2007 Volleyball Player of the Year. [Click to enlarge]

McCook players, state tourney qualifiers Cambridge, Eustis-Farnam, Perkins County, Rawlins County top first team

Cambridge High School senior standout Shelby Schultz and Trojans' head coach Judy Mousel headline the McCook Daily Gazette's 2007 All-Area Volleyball team.

Schultz and Mousel, along with First-Team performers junior Traci Keyser, sophomore Frankie Petersen and junior Kellie Ballou, helped the Cambridge Trojans post a 25-4 record and place second at the Nebraska Class C-2 state tournament in Lincoln.

The Trojans lost to Grand Island Central Catholic in the championship match.

The Gazetteland First Team also features players from state qualifiers Eustis-Farnam, Perkins County and Rawlins County-Atwood. A McCook team that posted a winning season under coach Krystal Weber, Southwest, Arapahoe, Maywood and Decatur Community-Oberlin also have First-Team members.

Eustis-Farnam, which lost in the first round of the Nebraska Class D-1 state tournament, features middle hitters Jacey Schultheiss and Lindsey Ferrell.

Perkins County, which lost to Cambridge in the first round of the Class C-2 state tournament, features middle hitter Carlie Sis and outside hitter Debra Johnson.

Rawlins County-Atwood, which posted a 1-2 record at the Kansas Class 2A state tournament, is represented on the first team by seniors Sydney Carlson and Sara Miller.

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McCook placed three players on the first team -- seniors Lindsey Hazlitt and Erica Clapp and junior Tara Powell.

Southwest placed two players on the first team -- senior middle hitter Lisa Lord and senior setter Morgan Potthoff.

Maywood placed three players -- Staci Koester, Brooke Koester and Susan Koester.

Rounding out the first team are Oberlin's LeAnna Sheaffer, Chase County's Nichole Dickey and Arapahoe's Cheryl Braithwait.

Schultz, a 6-foot-1 senior middle hitter/blocker, was a four-year starter for the Cambridge Trojans. She has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Wayne State College next season.

"I will really miss her leadership and work ethic she displayed day after day at practice," Mousel said. "I do not ever remember a practice that Shelby did not give 100 percent. She was always the vocal one on the floor.

"At one time I talked about implementing a drill where she had to be silent so that her teammates would understand how important communication between players on the volleyball court is.

"She deserves so much credit for the success we have experienced over the past four years.

"I have coached girls in previous years that have had as much athletic talent or more than Shelby.

"But what Shelby has going for her is her willingness to go beyond expectations, her desire to compete and her commitment to her teammates on the floor.

"Shelby has been a joy to coach for the past four years and I will miss her personally as well as what she has contributed to the Cambridge volleyball program."

McCOOK DAILY GAZETTE

2007 ALL-AREA

VOLLEYBALL TEAM

Coach of the Year: Judy Mousel, Cambridge.

Player of the Year: Shelby Schultz, Cambridge.

FIRST TEAM

ARAPAHOE

Cheryl Braithwait, 5-7 senior hitter

CAMBRIDGE

Shelby Schultz, 6-1 sr. middle hitter/blocker

Traci Keyser, 5-10 jr. middle hitter/blocker

Frankie Petersen, 5-10 so. setter

Kellie Ballou, 5-10 jr. right side hitter/off setter

CHASE COUNTY

Nicole Dickey

RyAnn Spady

EUSTIS-FARNAM

Jacey Schultheiss, 5-10 jr. middle hitter

Lindsey Ferrell, 5-11 sr. middle hitter

MAYWOOD

Staci Koester, 5-6 sr. outside hitter

Brooke Koester, 5-7 junior outside hitter/setter

Susan Koester, 5-8 junior middle blocker

McCOOK

Erica Clapp, 5-6 sr. setter/right side hitter

Lindsey Hazlitt, 5-8 sr. setter/right side hitter

Tara Powell, 5-6 jr. outside hitter

OBERLIN

LeAnna Sheaffer, 5-10 sr. middle hitter

PERKINS COUNTY

Carlie Sis, 5-10 sr. middle hitter

Debra Johnson, 5-5 sr. outside hitter

RAWLINS COUNTY-ATWOOD

Sydney Carlson, 5-6 sr. hitter

Sara Miller, 5-9 sr. hitter

SOUTHWEST

Lisa Lord, 5-11 sr. middle blocker/hitter

Morgan Potthoff, 5-9 sr. setter

HONORABLE MENTION

Arapahoe: Morgan Breinig, Brittany Fanning.

Cambridge: Whitney Rice, Cody Long.

Chase County: Loretta McGrath, Morgan Strand.

Dundy County-Stratton: Paige Stute, Hilary Wilson, Brooke Hansen.

Eustis-Farnam: Jordan Rieker, Katie Fagot.

Maywood: Kadee Arensdorf.

McCook: Joanna Bryant, Ashley Palic, Hanah Swanhorst, Corinne Burgert.

Oberlin: Jordan Dreher.

Perkins County: Mackenzie Hite.

Rawlins County: Macy Migchelbrink, Laura Wolters, Melissa Rall.

St. Francis: Holly Keller, Dara Loyd.

Southern Valley: Cassie Brooks, Jessica Murdoch.

Southwest: Kelsey Coolidge, Ashley Weaver.

Wallace: Katie West, Jena Aylward, Amber Maline, Katelynn Hild.

Wauneta-Palisade: Blair Dixon, Kaleia Alberts.