Maitlen, Mostek earn all-conference honors
Senior outside hitter Brianna Maitlen and sophomore middle hitter Natalie Mostek represented the Creston Panther volleyball team on the Hawkeye 10 All-conference teams released on Monday.
Both Panther players were selected to the honorable mention team.
Mostek led the Panthers in kills (175), aces (23), digs (125) and blocks (44) this season.
“Natalie is a good all-around player,” Creston head coach Polly Luther said. “She plays the front row tremendously. She gets to the ball, she reads things easily. She’s very versatile. She can hit outside, in the middle, she’s a great blocker. Anything I asked of Natalie, she could do.”
Maitlen, meanwhile, finished second on the team in kills (155), aces (20) and digs (123), while finishing fourth in blocks with 15.
“Obviously, it’s a position she earned,” Luther said. “She’s a great role model to boot. She’s a great athlete. Anything as a coach I’d tell her to do, she’d do. She always worked hard in practice and in games. I feel like as the year progressed, she continued to improve.”
Luther said it will be sad to see Maitlen and the other seniors on the team go, but notes that the future is promising with Mostek and a host of other young players coming back.
“Especially Mostek, being a sophomore, that’s kind of exciting that we have a sophomore on the all-conference team,” Luther said. “Maitlen, she was such a leader. Losing her is going to hurt us. We have a lot returning, but we had some really great seniors. Seeing them walk away is sad. They’re great kids. As a coach, they’re nice kids to have around.”
Hawkeye 10 All-conference
(* — unanimous)
First team — *Jess Schaben, Harlan, So., M/OH; *Asia Kloewer, Harlan, So., L; *Amber Huttmann, Lewis Central, Sr., S; *Brandi Bueltel, Kuemper, Sr., OH; *Darcy Sunderman, Clarinda, Jr., MB; Morgan Naberhaus, Kuemper, Jr. S; Abby Bergsten, Lewis Central, So., OH; Kate Walker, Red Oak, So., OH; Jenny Bair, Clarinda, Jr., OH; Karla Knobbe, Kuemper, Jr., L.
Second team — Josie Esser, Harlan, Sr., MB; Morgan Means, Lewis Central, Sr., L; Grace Blomstedt, Red Oak, So., MB; Lauren Larsen, Harlan, Sr., OH; Hannah Dentlinger, Kuemper, Jr., MH; Grace Newman, Glenwood, Sr., OH; McKenna Henze, Glenwood, Sr., S; Heidi Fichter, Shenandoah, So., S; Serena Parker, Shenandoah, So., MB; Ellie Shane, Clarinda, Sr., L.
Honorable mention — Taylor Boldt, Kuemper, Jr., DS; Reghan Coyle, Lewis Central, So., RS; Maddie Holmgren, Red Oak, Sr., S/RS; Kenzie Swanson, Harlan, So., S; Brianna Maitlen, Creston, Sr., OH; Shelby Pieper, Dension-Schleswig, Sr., S; Angela Mahoney, Red Oak, Fr., OH; Emily Blum, Glenwood, Sr., MH; Natalie Mostek, Creston, So., MH; Shelby Worth, Atlantic, Sr., S; Mackenzie Holmes, Atlantic, Sr., L.
