Independent All-Area volleyball first team selections 2025

MARSHALL — Three Marshall Tigers made the Independent’s 2025 All-Area volleyball team, announced on Thursday, after the team claimed its 10th state championship over the weekend. Reese Drake, Avery Fahl and Brooke Gillingham each added Independent first-team honors to their extensive trophy cases after also being named All-State and All-State tournament, while Canby’s Emily Nelson, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Ava Karbo and Westbrook-Walnut Grove’s Carlie Ross joined them as the headliners of the area’s top players this year.

The Independent collects individual statistics at the end of the regular season to minimize the bias of team success in our evaluation process for this individual accolade.

Marshall had a total of four All-Area selections, with libero Kezlyn Pinckney being selected to the third team. Sophomore outside hitter Julia Fahl was also named an honorable mention.

Drake and Fahl are both two-time first-team selections, with Drake also earning third-team honors as a sophomore in 2022. Gillingham was selected to the Independent’s second team each of the last two seasons.

Drake had over 50 more kills than any other player in the area at 351, as well as 257 digs, while Fahl brought a unique two-way skillset with 293 kills and 416 set assists on the offensive end and 162 digs and 39 ace blocks on the defensive end. Gillingham’s 517 set assists ranked third among all area players.

Nelson was also a player who did a little bit of everything for the Canby Lancers. Her 73 service aces were far and away the most among the Independent’s area schools, and her 532 set assists trailed only All-Area third-teamer Hadley Jenniges of Westbrook-Walnut Grove. Nelson also contributed 218 kills and 250 digs.

Canby also had seniors Brynn Kockelman, Karlie Wollum and Jaryn Houseman selected to the All-Area team. Kockelman was a second-teamer after finishing the year with 222 kills, 434 set assists and 224 digs. Wollum, meanwhile, overcame a preseason injury to finish the year with 210 kills and 248 digs, while Houseman tallied 382 digs to join Wollum on the third team.

Nelson and Wollum were both first-teamers last season, and Wollum was a second-teamer in 2024 while Nelson earned third-team honors. This is Houseman’s first All-Area selection.

In something of a breakout campaign, Karbo finished her senior season with RTR with 234 kills on an ultra-efficient .325 hitting percentage. She also had 42 blocks, earning herself All-State honors in addition to an Independent first-team selection.

The Knights’ deep lineup helped them return to the state tournament this season and finish as Class A runners-up. Laken Baartman led the area in digs with 435, while Sara and Paisley Thooft finished with 265 and 237 kills, respectively. Thooft also contributed 218 digs while Thooft finished with 27 blocks, resulting in each of the RTR trio earning second-team honors.

Carlie Ross also stepped up her game in her senior season for WWG, finishing with 330 digs and 286 kills to establish herself as one of the area’s most well-rounded performers. The play of Ross and Jenniges helped the Chargers reach the subsection semifinals for the second consecutive season this year.

Minneota spent most of the season ranked as the top team in Class A and had the talent to back it up. Senior libero Abby Rolbiecki and sophomore outside hitter Eden Meagher each earned a second-team selection, with Rolbiecki finishing with 277 digs and Meagher contributing 233 kills with 126 digs. Gruenes tallied 170 kills and 36 blocks. The Vikings also had Jaylyn and Leah Coequyt selected as honorable mentions.

Meagher was a first-teamer as a freshman last year, while Rolbiecki was a third-teamer.

Wabasso’s Audrey Johnson was a third-team selection, finishing the year with 373 digs and an all-state selection.

The Independent will announce its Volleyball Player of the Year and Coach of the Year in the Weekender on Nov. 15.

BY THE NUMBERS

First team

Listed alphabetically; regular-season only

Reese Drake, Marshall, OH, Sr.

351 kills, 257 digs, 46 service aces, 15 ace blocks

Avery Fahl, Marshall, MB/S, Sr.

293 kills, 416 set assists, 162 digs, 39 ace blocks, 27 service aces

Brooke Gillingham, Marshall, S, Sr.

517 set assists, 131 digs, 33 service aces

Ava Karbo, RTR, MB, Sr.

234 kills, .325 hitting %, 42 blocks

Emily Nelson, Canby, S/RS, Sr.

218 kills, 73 service aces, 250 digs, 532 set assists

Carlie Ross, WWG, OH, Sr.

286 kills, 330 digs, 32 service aces

SECOND TEAM

Laken Baartman, RTR, L, Jr.

435 digs, 26 service aces, 32 set assists

Brynn Kockelman, Canby, S/RS, Sr.

222 kills, 434 set assists, 224 digs, 35 service aces, 8 ace blocks

Eden Meagher, Minneota, OH, So.

233 kills, 126 digs, 17 blocks, 31 service aces

Abby Rolbiecki, Minneota, L, Sr.

277 digs, 16 service aces

Paisley Thooft, RTR, OH, Jr.

237 kills, 75 digs, 27 blocks

Sara Thooft, RTR, OH, Jr.

265 kills, 218 digs, 20 blocks, 37 service aces

THIRD TEAM

Sarah Gruenes, Minneota, MB, Sr.

170 kills, 13 service aces, 36 blocks

Jaryn Houseman, Canby, L, Sr.

382 digs, 14 service aces, 43 set assists

Hadley Jenniges, WWG, S, Jr.

657 set assists, 247 digs, 124 kills, 45 service aces, 8 ace blocks

Audrey Johnson, Wabasso, L, Sr.

373 digs, 38 service aces, 30 set assists

Kezlyn Pinckney, Marshall, L, Jr.

271 digs, 27 service aces, 58 set assists

Karlie Wollum, Canby, OH, Sr.

210 kills, 248 digs, 15 service aces

HONORABLE MENTION

Alana Almich, YME, Sr., MB; Brezlyn Buchert, RTR, Sr., S; Sara Carlson, Wabasso, Sr., S; Leah Carter, WWG, Sr., MB; Jaylyn Coequyt, Minneota, Jr., RH; Leah Coequyt, Minneota, Jr., MB; Natasha Erickson, RRC, Jr., S; Julia Fahl, Marshall, So., OH; Kiara Hinz, Lakeview, Sr., OH; Taylor Hinz, Lakeview, Jr., OH; Braelynn Kirk, TMB, Jr., OH; Kadyn Perkins, DB, Jr., OH; Suttyn Schryvers, MCC, So., OH