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Who is the best girls volleyball player from Iowa?
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
During this process, we will examine athletes in their respective sports. We started with football, wrestling, and track and field, now we'll move on to volleyball. These are our selections for the volleyball stars who defined Iowa. Many of the 10 athletes were standouts in their youth before reaching even greater heights at the collegiate and international levels.
Vote below on the best of these 10, or even write in a candidate that we overlooked or you feel strongly about.
Players listed in alphabetical order by last name.
During her time at Wahlert Catholic, Banwarth collected more than 1,000 career kills and three state championships. She turned a walk-on opportunity at Nebraska into a starting spot, and she ended her career as the Huskers’ career leader in digs. Banwarth earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic volleyball team and won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Games.
She won state titles in three sports – basketball, track and field, volleyball – but she stood out most on the court. She led the Dutch to back-to-back titles in her junior and senior seasons, and was a Des Moines Register Elite Team selection twice – in addition to being a four-time All-State selection. Conaway won Miss Iowa Basketball in 2014, and she won four state championships and three Drake Relays titles in the high jump.
She put together a prolific high school career at Waterloo East, during which she earned All-State honors all four years, led the state in kills for three consecutive years, and was named an ESPN All-American in 2010. Eckerman continued her success at Texas, where she won a national championship and was named the Volleyball Magazine Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
She led her high school to its first state title in any sport, and Foecke was named Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year twice. She went to Nebraska to play college volleyball and helped the Huskers to titles in 2015 and 2017, and a runner-up finish in 2018. She earned first-team, All-American honors as a senior.
She was another standout from Wahlert Catholic, so much so that she was tabbed to the high school All-American team in 1988 and named to Volleyball Monthly Magazine’s “Fabulous 50.” She continued her career at Texas, where she helped the team to an NCAA championship in 1988. She ended her career as the program’s lead in digs, second in total attacks, third in kills and sixth in service aces.
She propelled Western Christian to two state titles in volleyball, and Metcalf earned all-state honors three times during her high school career. By the time she left the Wolfpack, Metcalf was the program’s career leader in total kills, kills per game and blocks. She went on to Nebraska, where she completed her career ranked third in career kills and attacks. Representing the United States, she helped the U.S. Olympic volleyball team to a fifth-place finish at the 2004 Summer Games.
In high school, Noth led the Bulldogs to a runner-up finish at the state tournament. She led Nebraska to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 1982, and the Huskers have been a force in the postseason ever since. Noth was the first player in program history to hit 1,000 kills and Nebraska’s first All-American. She was a member of the United States National Team from 1985-88, and she served as an alternate for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul – before returning to coach her alma mater to a national championship in 1995.
Part of an extensive history of success in Dike, she led the program to its first state championship in 1985 – her senior year – after finishing as runner-up in 1983 and 1984. She continued her career at Northern Iowa, where she was a three-time, first-team, all-conference selection. Over three decades later, her name is still all over UNI’s record book, and Petersen has been the head coach at her alma mater since 2001.
There is only one mother-daughter duo on this list, but they both earned their spot. Payton led her team to three state titles (2020, 2021, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In her senior season, the Wolverines went undefeated (41-0) on their way to claiming the championship. She earned Elite Team honors from the Register in three consecutive seasons, and she was named the Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. She currently plays for Louisville.
After starring in both basketball and volleyball – and leading the Wolfpack to a state volleyball championship in 1993 – she was named the Register’s high school girls athlete of the year. She continued that success at Nebraska, where she played an integral role in the Huskers’ first national championship in 1995. She earned All-American honors three times – including two first-team selections – and ended her college career with five school records.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Vote for Iowa's all-time greatest women's volleyball player
Continue reading...
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
During this process, we will examine athletes in their respective sports. We started with football, wrestling, and track and field, now we'll move on to volleyball. These are our selections for the volleyball stars who defined Iowa. Many of the 10 athletes were standouts in their youth before reaching even greater heights at the collegiate and international levels.
Vote below on the best of these 10, or even write in a candidate that we overlooked or you feel strongly about.
Players listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Kayla Banwarth, Wahlert Catholic
During her time at Wahlert Catholic, Banwarth collected more than 1,000 career kills and three state championships. She turned a walk-on opportunity at Nebraska into a starting spot, and she ended her career as the Huskers’ career leader in digs. Banwarth earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic volleyball team and won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Games.
Alexis Conaway, MOC-Floyd Valley
She won state titles in three sports – basketball, track and field, volleyball – but she stood out most on the court. She led the Dutch to back-to-back titles in her junior and senior seasons, and was a Des Moines Register Elite Team selection twice – in addition to being a four-time All-State selection. Conaway won Miss Iowa Basketball in 2014, and she won four state championships and three Drake Relays titles in the high jump.
Haley Eckerman, Waterloo East
She put together a prolific high school career at Waterloo East, during which she earned All-State honors all four years, led the state in kills for three consecutive years, and was named an ESPN All-American in 2010. Eckerman continued her success at Texas, where she won a national championship and was named the Volleyball Magazine Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
Mikaela Foecke, Holy Trinity Catholic
She led her high school to its first state title in any sport, and Foecke was named Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year twice. She went to Nebraska to play college volleyball and helped the Huskers to titles in 2015 and 2017, and a runner-up finish in 2018. She earned first-team, All-American honors as a senior.
Janine Smith (Gremmel), Wahlert Catholic
She was another standout from Wahlert Catholic, so much so that she was tabbed to the high school All-American team in 1988 and named to Volleyball Monthly Magazine’s “Fabulous 50.” She continued her career at Texas, where she helped the team to an NCAA championship in 1988. She ended her career as the program’s lead in digs, second in total attacks, third in kills and sixth in service aces.
Nancy Metcalf (Meendering), Western Christian
She propelled Western Christian to two state titles in volleyball, and Metcalf earned all-state honors three times during her high school career. By the time she left the Wolfpack, Metcalf was the program’s career leader in total kills, kills per game and blocks. She went on to Nebraska, where she completed her career ranked third in career kills and attacks. Representing the United States, she helped the U.S. Olympic volleyball team to a fifth-place finish at the 2004 Summer Games.
Cathy Noth, Bettendorf
In high school, Noth led the Bulldogs to a runner-up finish at the state tournament. She led Nebraska to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 1982, and the Huskers have been a force in the postseason ever since. Noth was the first player in program history to hit 1,000 kills and Nebraska’s first All-American. She was a member of the United States National Team from 1985-88, and she served as an alternate for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul – before returning to coach her alma mater to a national championship in 1995.
Bobbi Petersen (Becker), Dike
Part of an extensive history of success in Dike, she led the program to its first state championship in 1985 – her senior year – after finishing as runner-up in 1983 and 1984. She continued her career at Northern Iowa, where she was a three-time, first-team, all-conference selection. Over three decades later, her name is still all over UNI’s record book, and Petersen has been the head coach at her alma mater since 2001.
Payton Petersen, Dike-New Hartford
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There is only one mother-daughter duo on this list, but they both earned their spot. Payton led her team to three state titles (2020, 2021, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In her senior season, the Wolverines went undefeated (41-0) on their way to claiming the championship. She earned Elite Team honors from the Register in three consecutive seasons, and she was named the Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. She currently plays for Louisville.
Lisa Reitsma, Western Christian
After starring in both basketball and volleyball – and leading the Wolfpack to a state volleyball championship in 1993 – she was named the Register’s high school girls athlete of the year. She continued that success at Nebraska, where she played an integral role in the Huskers’ first national championship in 1995. She earned All-American honors three times – including two first-team selections – and ended her college career with five school records.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Vote for Iowa's all-time greatest women's volleyball player
Continue reading...
