ONW’s Taylor Kuper, St. James’ Allison Coens rewarded for personal, team success
Olathe Northwest senior outside hitter Taylor Kuper powered the Ravens to a Class 6A state championship repeat.
St. James Academy senior outside Allison Coens helped the Thunder reassert dominance in Class 5A.
For their outstanding seasons, each was chosen as the player of the year in the Sunflower and East Kansas leagues, respectively.
Kuper, who signed with Illinois last month, and Northwest finished 40-4 this season after outlasting Blue Valley West 25-18, 25-18 in the state final.
She led the Ravens with a whopping 472 kills, including 27 matches with double-figure kills, and a .318 hitting percentage.
excited to announce that I've committed to play volleyball at the University of Illinois #gofightingillini pic.twitter.com/X2kul03w74
— Taylor Kuper (@taykupe) April 15, 2017
Coens, who signed last month to play beach volleyball at LSU, and St. James won an all-EKL showdown with St. Thomas Aquinas in the 5A final 25-18, 25-17 for the eighth state title in program history.
She topped with Thunder with 452 kills and finished with a .246 hitting percentage.
So excited to announce that I will continue my academics and beach volleyball career at LSU! Thank you to everyone who has supported me! pic.twitter.com/20peG9PXbe
— Allison Coens (@AllisonCoens) December 19, 2016
Tod Palmer: 816-234-4389, @todpalmer
2017 All-East Kansas League volleyball team
Player of the Year: Allison Coens, senior, St. James Academy
Defensive Specialist of the Year: Anna Chalupa, senior, BV Northwest
FIRST TEAM
Abby Archibong, senior, Mill Valley; Caroline Bien, freshman, St. Thomas Aquinas; Ellie Bolton, sophomore, St. James Academy; Kayley Cassaday, junior, BV North; Hannah Engelken, senior, BV West; Kennedy Feurborn, junior, BV North; Morgan Miller, junior, St. James Academy; Megan Neil, senior, BV West; Jana Owens, senior, BV West; Samantha Schnitta, sophomore; BV Southwest; Serena Sparks, junior, Bishop Miege; Caroline Zabroske, sophomore, St. Thomas Aquinas.
SECOND TEAM
Evelyn Diedrich, sophomore, Blue Valley; Katelyn Elstun, junior, BV Northwest; Lindsey Fletcher, senior, BV West; London Gartner, junior, BV North; Audrey Klemp, junior, St. James Academy; Katie Lacy, senior, St. Thomas Aquinas; Lindsay Lahr, sophomore, Blue Valley; Sydney Lierz, junior, BV Southwest; Kersti Nix, junior, BV North; Emma Van Pelt, junior, St. Thomas Aquinas; Sydney Pullen, junior, Mill Valley; D’Ovion Williams, senior, BV North.
HONORABLE MENTION
Blue Valley — Taylor Dauernheim, sophomore; Katie Upton, senior.
BV North — Kate Gurley, senior; Grace Reininga, sophomore.
BV Northwest — Allie Honn, senior; Cassie Pascarealla, senior.
BV Southwest — Alynn Bratkiv, junior; Cassie Leighty, junior.
BV West — Kate Neil, sophomore; Ramsey Witterstaetter, sophomore.
Bishop Miege — Mallory White, junior; Laney Ward, senior.
Mill Valley — Allie Harvey, senior; Ava Taton, senior.
St. James Academy — Jackie Storm, junior; Addison Weybrew, junior.
St. Thomas Aquinas — Jakaila Morgan, junior; Katherine Pyle, senior.
2017 All-Sunflower League volleyball team
Co-Player of the Year: Taylor Kuper, Olathe Northwest, and Haylei Bell, Gardner Edgerton (posthumously)
Coach of the Year: Barry Lenth, Olathe Northwest
FIRST TEAM
Dana Baker, Olathe North; Ayden Bartlett, Leavenworth; Hannah Black, SM Northwest; Maren Burkhart, SM West; Kailea Carrier, Olathe East; Jaiden Chase, Olathe Northwest; Rachel Hickman, Free State; Marissa Hines, Olathe North; Taylor Kuper, Olathe Northwest; Lauren Maceli, Lawrence; Georgia Mullins, Olathe Northwest; Karoline Shelton, SM South; Cameryn Thomas, Free State; Kendra Wait, Gardner Edgerton.
SECOND TEAM
Laurel Bird, Lawrence; Shianne Cook, Olathe North; Abby Copeland, Olathe Northwest; Mya Gleason, Free State; Ava Graves, SM Northwest; Kaitlyn Hamilton, Free State; Lindsey Heller, Olathe Northwest; Ally Huffman, SM East; Lilly Johnson, Olathe East; Kaiti Parks, Olathe Northwest.
HONORABLE MENTION
Free State — Erin Cushing.
Gardner Edgerton — Morgan McIntire, Kyla Shappell.
Lawrence — Hannah Stewart, Baylee Unruh, Sammy Williams.
Leavenworth — Randi Raymos, Jessie Sachen, Hannah Wagner.
Olathe North — Alycia Bradley, Sydney Rettig.
Olathe Northwest — Courtney Jackson.
Olathe South — Jordan Burton.
Olathe West — Bethany Allison.
SM East — Sydney Ashner, Sarah Bingham, Victoria Yedo.
SM North — Kim Hodnett.
SM Northwest — Morgan Berry, Sabrina Creason.
SM South — Mackenzie Anderson, Samantha Shelton.
SM West — Riley Barnum, Lauren Hattaway.
This story was originally published December 22, 2017 at 12:24 PM with the headline "ONW’s Taylor Kuper, St. James’ Allison Coens rewarded for personal, team success."