Six area girls get 1st team selections

LEE COUNTY – Six area girls were named 1st team all-conference in their respective volleyball conferences.
Fort Madison’s Kylie Lumino was named 1st team All Conference in the Southeast Conference for 2026. The Bloodhounds finished in third place in the conference at 5-5  in the loop and 15-17 overall.
Burlington won the conference with a 10-0 conference mark and a 28-13 record overall. Washington was second in the SEC at 8-2.
Holy Trinity’s Adalyn Kruse, Olivia Bendlage, and freshman Kate Pieper were all 1st team All Southeast Iowa Super Conference South selections as hitters. Kruse was a unanimous pick. The Crusaders’ Elizabeth Griffin was a 1st-team setter, freshman Brynn Denning was a first team libero, and HTC Head Coach Melissa Freesmeier was picked as Coach of the Year.
West Burlington’s Kaylee Webb was the divisions player of the year.
Jordyn Grisham was the only Bloodhound honored with a 2nd team selection. Lyla Smith and Alaina Schwerin were selected honorable mention all-conference.
Schwerin, Adelyn Lampe, Elaina Steffensmeier, Tatum Menke, Smith, Grisham, and Kerrigan Bentley were named academic all-conference.
Kruse was 3rd in the conference in kills with 339. Pieper was 3rd in blocks with 43.
Lumino was second in the conference in digs with 351 behind Burlington’s Josie Newell. Lumino was third in serve aces with 47. Grisham was third in assists in the conference with 433. Brynn Denning had 421 digs in her first varsity stint for HTC, good enough for 2nd in the South Division. Griffin was tops in aces with 60 and Bendlage was 3rd with 53.
Freshman Kimber Jones, sophomore Makayla Simpson, and freshman Brooklyn Scheetz were all named to the 2nd team All SEISC South.
Bloodhound fall student-athletes set a high standard in the classroom this season, combining for an impressive overall Team GPA of 3.82 across all fall sports programs.
Leading the way was Girls' Cross Country with an outstanding 3.966 GPA, followed closely by Football Cheerleading at 3.956 and Boys' Cross Country at 3.88. The academic success spanned rosters both large and small, with more than 30 Volleyball team members posting a 3.71 GPA, Football’s 50-plus athletes combining for a solid 3.60, and Girls' Tennis rounding out the strong performances with a 3.55 GPA. Balancing practice, travel, and competition while staying focused on academics takes real dedication, and our Bloodhound coaches, families, and student-athletes deserve major congratulations for proving that excellence happens both on and off the field.