Tigers Make Move To 3A, Aim For Top Spot In South

By Ryan Stonebraker

Sports Editor

TIPTON — The Tipton volleyball team had a season like no other last year, reaching the state tournament for the first time in program history. The Tigers won 32 of the 39 matches they played and won their second straight RVC South Division title, this year outright after sharing the crown in 2017. Head coach Amy Calonder was had some postseason honors being named a 3A district coach of the year and was the RVC South coach of the year. Tipton did not lose back-to-back matches all year and have win streaks of 13, 6 and 5 matches. The Tigers were 3-0 in the 3A regional tournament winning at home over Williamsburg and Central Lee before beating Davis County in a Regional Final game at Williamsburg. The Tigers did not drop a set in three Regional matches. The Tigers fell in the 3A quarterfinals to Osage in Cedar Rapids.

With the success from last year and the amount of returning players, Tipton is garnering early preseason recognition. The Tigers are a team to watch in the Cedar Rapids Gazette and appear in their volleyball rankings. The Tigers also are the preseason number-2 ranked team in Class 3A by the IGHSAU in their preseason poll.

Tipton had six all-conference selections last year and all return this season. The Tigers had a pair of River Valley Conference All-Elite Team selections in Sommer Daniel and Amanda Smith.

Daniel earned All-District honors and a second-team All-State selection in class 3A. Daniel led five Tipton players with 100 or more kills with 424. She served 341-for-385 with 58 aces. She was second on the team with 444 assists, 268 digs and she added 26 blocks. Smith was also an All-District selection. She led Tipton in assists with 547 to go with 258 digs, 23 blocks, and 121 kills. She had the most serves for the Tigers, going 412-for-452 with 53 ace serves.

Also earning all-conference honors are junior returners Blake Ehler, Jamie Kofron, and Kamryn Chapman. Ehler, Kofron, and Chapman were RVC South Division selections. Hermsen was an honorable mention pick.

Ehler was second on the team with 233 kills and third, in ace serves with 34. She served at an 86-percent clip (309-for-359). Chapman was third on the team in kills with 172 and served 166-for-181 for a 91-percent clip and 18 ace serves. She had a team-high 64 blocks to go with 40 digs and 6 assists. Kofron had 152 kills and served 404-for-426 with 34 aces. She had 148 digs and was second on the team with 43 blocks.

Hermsen was an honorable mention selection and had 98 kills and served 259-for-301 with 29 aces. She had 165 digs, 29 assists, and 21 blocks.

Also back are Bailey Schmidt (16 kills), Laken Hermiston (249 digs, 29 assists serving 144-for-149), Karlee Kamberling (21 digs, 25 assists), Madison O’Leary (7 assists, 3-for-3 serving) and Grace Nichols (2 attack attempts).

Graduated seniors from last season were Allie Ryan and Hannah Sweeney. Ryan played in nine sets after she came back from a serious knee injury in the 2016-17 basketball season. She served 14-for-16 with 2 aces. She had one assist and seven digs. Sweeney played in four sets. She had one block and had four kill attempts.

The Tigers will have four home RVC matches this season. The first is Thursday, August 30 when Iowa City Regina comes to town to open RVC match play. Tipton will host Mid-Prairie on September 11, Wilton on September 18 and Camanche on October 4. The Tigers will play in four tournaments starting with the Lisbon Tournament on August 20. Other tournaments are Mt. Vernon, Williamsburg and Western Dubuque.

All-Conference Picks in 2017: Sommer Daniel - RVC Elite Team; Amanda Smith - RVC Elite Team; Blake Ehler - RVC South Division Team; Jamie Kofron - RVC South Divisional Team; Kamryn Chapman - RVC South Divisional Team; Emily Hermsen - honorable mention team.

Graduated from 201: Allie Ryan, Hannah Sweeney.

Back From 2017 (11): Karlee Kamberling, Sommer Daniel, Bailey Schmidt, Amanda Smith, Madison O’Leary, Jamie Kofron, Emily Hermsen, Grace Nichols, Laken Hermiston, Blake Ehler, Kamryn Chapman.