CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The 2022 All-American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Volleyball Team as voted by the league’s head coaches:

2022 All-American Rivers Conference Volleyball Team
Most Valuable Player Madi Parson, Sr., Coe
Defensive Player of the Year Kennady Klein, Sr., Nebraska Wesleyan
Coaching Staff of the Year Coe College Head Coach: DeAnn Akins Assistant: Joe Adams
All-Conference	School	Year	Position	Hometown/High School
Rachel Brockney	Buena Vista University	Jr.	MB/OH	Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale
Taylor Wedemeyer -h2	Buena Vista University	Sr.	S	Avoca, Iowa/Clarinda
Grace Lueken -h3 -h2	Coe College	Jr.	MH	Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic
Maddy Maahs	Coe College	Fr.	S	Epworth, Iowa/Western Dubuque
Madi Parson ! $ -h1	Coe College	Sr.	PIN	Clinton, Iowa/Camanche
Kate Tidman ! $ *	Coe College	Sr.	PIN	Bondurant, Iowa/Bondurant-Farrar
Darby Hawtrey ! $ -h1	University of Dubuque	Gr.	OPP	Clarence, Iowa/North Cedar
Emma Powell ! -h2	University of Dubuque	Jr.	OH	Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott
Kennady Klein	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Sr.	L/DS	Pella, Iowa/Pella Community
Addie Thomas -h3	Nebraska Wesleyan University	So.	OH	Elkhorn, Neb./Elkhorn
Jessica Jacobs !	Simpson College	Sr.	MH	Janesville, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock
Marissa Salber -h3	Simpson College	Sr.	S	Omaha, Neb./Millard North
Allison Feigenbaum	Wartburg College	So.	MH	Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar
Caroline Kluesner	Wartburg College	Sr.	DS	Dyersville, Iowa/Beckman Catholic
Emerson Kracht	Wartburg College	Jr.	RS/S	Grundy Center, Iowa/Grundy Center
Honorable Mention	School	Year	Position	Hometown/High School
Amanda Smith	Central College	Sr.	S/RS	Tipton, Iowa/Tipton
Rachael Kilpatrick	Coe College	Jr.	MH	Fairfax, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Prairie
Ella Koloc	Coe College	Fr.	L/DS	Dundee, Iowa/West Delaware
Sara Hoskins -h3	Loras College	Jr.	S	Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley
Sarina Stortz -h3	Luther College	Jr.	MB	Mabel, Minn./Mabel-Canton
Nyah Chambers -h2	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Sr.	MH	Lincoln, Neb./Norris
Erica Hopping	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Sr.	S	Sutherland, Neb./Sutherland
Iman Ghalibaf -h3	Simpson College	Jr.	DS	Irving, Texas/Ranchview
Previous Honors
! - 2021 All-Conference
-h3 - 2021 Honorable Mention
$ - 2020 All-Conference
-h2 - 2020 Honorable Mention
* - 2019 All-Conference
-h1 - 2019 Honorable Mention

 
The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced today that Coe College pin hitter Madi Parson (Clinton, Iowa/Camanche) has been selected as the league’s Most Valuable Player. Nebraska Wesleyan University senior libero/defensive specialist, Kennady Klein (Pella, Iowa/Pella Community) has been named Defensive Player of the Year. Coe College head coach, DeAnn Akins and assistant, Joe Adams, earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors. In addition to the major awards, the conference also announced the 15-member All-Conference team.
 
Parson in her senior season, becomes a three-time All-Conference honoree, in addition to being named an honorable mention performer in 2019. In three of her four seasons with the Kohawks, she has been named All-Conference and this year has been named Most Valuable Player in the league. Parson is just the second Kohawk in program history to be named Most Valuable Player with Elli Teeple earning the honor in the 2020 (Spring 2021) season. The senior helped guide the nationally ranked No. 21-Kohawks to their fourth conference title in program history with an undefeated 8-0 season. The Camanche prep posted a prolific season both on the offensive and defensive sides. Parson finished the conference season fifth in kills/set, recording 92 in 30 sets, and led the A-R-C in total aces with 20. In addition, Parson recorded 99 digs, posting a 3.30 digs/set. The Clinton native closes out her career being a two-time A-R-C volleyball player of the week, one offensive and one defensive.
 
This year, Klein was named to the All-Conference team for the first time while picking up the A-R-C Defensive Player of the Year honor. Klein is the first player from Nebraska Wesleyan to claim the title of Defensive Player of the Year. NWU had one major award winner prior with Taylor Crandall being named Freshman of the Year in 2016. The senior libero/defensive specialist helped lead the Prairie Wolves to a 4-4 record in league play, earning the No. 5-seed of this year’s tournament. The Pella native led the back-row defense, collecting 148 digs with just 10 reception errors to post 4.35 digs/set. In addition, Klein recorded 10 service aces and assisted on 18 kills. Klein picked up the A-R-C Defensive Player of the Week honor for the week ending October 10^th.
 
In her 17^th year at the helm of the Coe College volleyball program, Akins and assistant Adams led the No. 21 Kohawks to their fourth A-R-C title in program history with a conference record of 8-0. The Kohawks have reached their first 25-win season since 2014. In their 30 sets during league play, Coe topped the league in hitting percentage (.218), assists (12.00/set), kills (12.90/set), and service aces (2.63/set). Akins is earning her fourth Coaching Staff of the Year honor for the Kohawks.
 
Buena Vista’s Rachel Brockney (Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) and Taylor Wedemeyer (Avoca, Iowa/Clarinda) were recognized on this year’s All-Conference teams after leading the Beavers to a 5-3 league record to earn the No. 3-seed in this year’s tournament. Brockney led the team in hitting percentage (.220), kills (3.42/set), and points (143.5). In addition, the junior middle blocker/outside hitter recorded 15 service aces and 3.14 digs/set. Brockney finished the conference season in the top 15 of each of those categories, including top five finishes with kills/set and points. Wedemeyer is a senior setter for the Beavers, finishing the conference season with 9.53 assists/set, to sit third in the A-R-C. She also led the team with 16 service aces. Additionally, Wedemeyer recorded 33 kills and 75 digs. Wedemeyer is picking up her first All-Conference honor after earning honorable mention in 2020. Brockney is earning her first All-Conference accolade.
 
Along with Parson, Coe placed three players on this year’s All-Conference team, Grace Lueken (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic), Maddy Maahs (Epworth, Iowa/Western Dubuque), and Kate Tidman (Bondurant, Iowa/Bondurant-Farrar).
 
Lueken had the second-best hitting percentage for the Kohawks at .339. She was second on the team in kills (2.80/set), only behind this year’s MVP, Parson. The junior middle hitter led the team with 17 total blocks, in addition, Lueken recorded 19 service aces. Maahs, the freshman setter for Coe, was the backbone in the offense, recording 305 assists in 30 sets this season. The Epworth native led the conference with 10.17 assists/set. In addition, Maahs recorded 12 service aces and 87 digs. Rounding out the All-Conference performers for the Kohawks is senior pin hitter, Tidman, who was third on the team with 2.63 kills/set. The Bondurant native recorded 3.43 digs/set in 30 sets played.
 
Tidman is earning her fourth All-Conference honor of her career as a Kohawk. Lueken found her way to the All-Conference team this year after being an honorable mention performer the two previous years. Maahs is also earning her first All-Conference honor.
 
Darby Hawtrey (Clarence, Iowa/North Cedar) and Emma Powell (Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott) from the Dubuque Spartans are recognized on this year’s All-Conference team. Hawtrey is picking up her third honor after being named honorable mention in 2019. The graduate student was second on the team and eighth in the conference in kills with 2.76 per set. The Clarence native finished the conference season in ninth with total points (3.18 points/set). In addition, the opposite hitter recorded 76 digs and had a team leading 15 blocks. Powell is earning a spot on the All-Conference team for the second time in her career. The junior outside hitter led the Spartans and sat in second in the league in kills (4.26/set) and points (4.79/set). The Eldridge native also sat in the top ten in the league with digs (4.65/set) and hitting percentage (.266). Additionally, Powell recorded 11 service aces and nine blocks.
 
Joining Klein on the 2022 All-Conference team from Nebraska Wesleyan is sophomore outside hitter, Addie Thomas (Elkhorn, Neb./Elkhorn). Thomas led the Prairie Wolves in kills and points, averaging 4.15 kills/set and 4.46 points/set. With those number, Thomas finished the conference season in third in both of those categories. The Elkhorn, Nebraska native also averaged 2.97 digs/set in the 34 sets played this season. Thomas is picking up her first All-Conference honor after being named an honorable mention performer a year ago.
 
Jessica Jacobs (Janesville, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) and Marissa Salber (Omaha, Neb./Millard North) bring in All-Conference recognition for the Simpson Storm. Jacobs, a senior middle hitter, led the league this year in kills with 4.65 per set and points per set (5.26). The Janesville native finished the year with 16 service aces to tie for fifth in the league and compiled a hitting percentage of .246, putting her in the top 10 in the conference. Salber, a senior setter, finished second in the league in assists per set with 9.71. In addition, the Omaha, Nebraska native accounted for 12 service aces, 80 digs, and eight blocks for the Storm. Jacobs is picking up her second-straight All-Conference accolade and Salber is making the team for the first time after earning honorable mention honors a season ago.
 
Rounding out the All-Conference team, the Wartburg Knights have three players recognized on this year’s All-Conference team, Allison Feigenbaum (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar), Caroline Kluesner (Dyersville, Iowa/Beckman Catholic), and Emerson Kracht (Grundy Center, Iowa/Grundy Center). Feigenbaum led the A-R-C in hitting percentage (.373) and blocks (26). The sophomore middle hitter had 21 solos blocks, adding to the five block assists, while only recording one blocking error. Kluesner is a senior defensive specialist/libero for the Knights. She led the league in digs per set, with 5.50. Additionally, the Dyersville native finished tied for ninth in the league with 14 service aces. Kracht was both a setter and right-side hitter this year for Wartburg. The junior sat in the league’s top 10 in kills (2.93/set) and service aces (14). Playing all around, the Grundy Center prep recorded 124 assists, 86 digs, and 11 blocks to help the Knights to a second-place finish in the league with a 7-1 record. All three individuals are earning All-Conference honors for the first time in their careers.