Newton’s Kate Callaghan earns all-district honors

Every time the Newton Cardinal volleyball team needed a big serve, senior Kate Callaghan always seemed to deliver.

Callaghan was tied in Class 4A for the most aces with 61 and that helped her earn a spot on the 4A Southeast District team.

She was one of 15 players the SE all-district team.

Callaghan led the Cardinals with 477 assists, 143 kills, 181 digs and the 61 aces as the team’s starting setter.

Her 27 blocks ranked second for the Cardinals and she was 301-of-333 in serves for 90 percent.

The 477 assists ranked 13th in 4A.

Callaghan averaged six assists per set, while putting down nearly two kills per set and securing 2.3 digs per set. She nearly served up one ace per set, too.

Joining Callaghan on the Southeast District team were Pella’s Bailey Van Voorst, Anna Vander Waal and Jasmine Namminga, Bondurant-Farrar’s Kendall Anderson, Tori Carroll and Skylar Mullen, Oskaloosa’s Faith DeRonde, Dallas Center-Grimes’ Grace Mikota and Haylee Hidlebaugh, Clear Creek-Amana’s Calia Chubb and Hailey Pollock, Norwalk’s Grace Sutcliffe, North Polk’s Hailey Steffan and Clinton’s Makayla Howard.

The Southeast District’s Coach of the Year was Cheryl Voelker of Dallas Center-Grimes.