THE TIMES 2019 VOLLEYBALL ALL-AREA TEAM

With a repeat state champion in the area and five players back from our seven-player 2018 First Team, there are plenty of familiar faces to be found this time around.

Here, without further adieu, is The Times 2019 All-Area Volleyball Team, as voted upon by The Times Sports staff:

FIRST TEAM

Madi Malone, Newark, Jr.

A unanimous selection to our First Team, the three-peat Times Player of the Year was quite simply one of if not the most dominant player in the state again this year. The outside hitter slammed home a school-record 506 kills, served up 43 aces, put down 28 stuff blocks and tallied 253 digs on her way to Little Ten All-Conference honors and a second straight Class 1A state championship.

This is Malone's third consecutive season on our First Team.

Mattie Chapman, Newark, Sr.

A unanimous selection to our First Team, Chapman held down the middle for the 1A state champion Lady Norsemen, setting school records for stuff blocks both in a single season and career. She tallied 66 blocks and added 220 kills to a resume which earned her Little Ten All-Conference honors for the fourth straight year.

Chapman has been a member of The Times First Team the past three seasons and was on our 2016 Second Team.

Kayla Van Weelden, Flanagan-Cornell, Sr.

A unanimous selection to our First Team, the Lady Falcons' dynamic cornerstone was again all over the court for Flanagan-Cornell. She racked up 334 kills to go with 288 digs, 26 aces and 20 stuff blocks against F-C's demanding schedule, earning All-Heart of Illinois First Team honors for the second straight year.

Van Weelden was also a member of our 2018 First Team and All-Area Honorable Mention in 2017.

Maddie Bromberek, Seneca, Jr.

A unanimous selection to our First Team, Bromberek had a monster season at the net for the regional champion Lady Irish. The Seneca middle hitter posted 346 kills and 48 blocks on her way to no-doubt-about-it Tri-County Conference First Team honors.

This is Bromberek's first appearance on our All-Area Team.

Meggie Scott, Newark, Sr.

The libero for the Class 1A state champion Lady Norsemen, Scott earned All-Little Ten honors for the fourth straight season after another season of jaw-dropping saves and on-target passing setting up Newark's overpowering offense. In her senior season, Scott tallied 447 digs to finish her career with 1,634 and served up 34 aces.

Scott returns from our 2018 All-Area First Team and was a Second Team honoree in both 2017 and 2016.

Emma Thomas, Marquette, Sr.

A plus setter can transform a good team into a great one, and that's what the quick-thinking and accurate Thomas did in "setting" the Marquette school record for single-season assists with a whopping 835 this fall. She also added 48 aces, 35 kills, 49 digs and an uncharacteristic-for-a-setter 20 stuff blocks on her way to First Team Tri-County honors.

Thomas earned All-Area Honorable Mention a year ago.

Kaitlyn Walter, Woodland, Sr.

Woodland's one-girl back-row defensive show, Walter had another standout season powering the scrappy Warriors to long rally after long rally, often frustrating and wearing out opposing hitters. Woodland's libero earned Tri-County All-Conference honors after posting 34 ace serves, 16 kills and 423 digs — putting her at 1,378 for her career.

Walter was a member of our 2018 All-Area Second Team and 2017 Third Team.

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SECOND TEAM

Aubrey McCallum, Marquette, Sr.

An outside hitter for a 30-win Lady Crusaders squad, McCallum racked up 289 kills, 120 digs, 40 blocks and 33 aces this past season on her way to the Tri-County Conference First Team. She was also a member of last year's All-Area Second Team.

Gracie Schultz, Fieldcrest, Jr.

A First Team All-Conference pick in the powerhouse Heart of Illinois, the dynamic Schultz led the Knights in kills with 271, blocks with 59 and aces with 23. This is her first appearance on our All-Area Team.

Kylie Koontz, Earlville, Sr.

A true do-it-all player, Koontz earned Little Ten All-Conference honors with a well-rounded game that led to 217 kills, 36 blocks, 33 ace serves, 200 digs and 20 assists to boot. She was a member of our All-Area First Team in 2018 and our Third Team in 2017.

Grace Jeanblanc, Marquette, Sr.

A perfect complement to fellow OH McCallum and Ellie Eager in the middle, Jeanblanc finished the season with 244 kills, 60 digs, 30 stuff blocks and 14 ace serves. This is her first appearance on The Times All-Area Team.

Addie McConnaughhay, Marquette, Jr.

Marquette's primary passer was Second Team All-Tri-County Conference after tallying 457 digs (a school record), 23 kills and 57 aces. McConnaughhay received Honorable Mention to our All-Area Team in 2018.

Audrey Rome, Sandwich, So.

The 10th-grade middle hitter for the Lady Indians made quite the impression in 2019, slamming home 208 kills and putting down an area-best 102 blocks. This is Rome's first appearance on The Times All-Area Team.

Lily Miller, Ottawa, Jr.

An All-Interstate Eight Conference selection, the Lady Pirates setter "turned nothing into something a lot" for Ottawa, according to head coach Jenn Crum, finishing with 320 assists, 28 kills, 28 ace serves and 115 digs. This is Miller's first All-Area appearance.

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THIRD TEAM

Taylor Christian, Newark, Jr.

The 1A state champions' setter accumulated a school-record 953 assists and added 151 digs and 32 aces. This her first Times All-Area honor.

Brooklyn Giertz, Seneca, Jr.

Giertz rang up 426 assists out of Seneca's two-setter offense and boasted a 95% pass-receive rating, earning Tri-County Second Team honors. This is her first appearance on our All-Area Team.

Megan Williams, Newark, So.

A second-time All-Little Ten Conference unanimous pick, Newark's outside hitter totalled 223 kills, 26 blocks and 20 aces. She was on our 2018 Second Team.

Paige Sexton, Serena, Fr.

Also a unanimous All-Little Ten pick, Sexton had a heck of a debut season with 190 kills, 47 aces and 44 digs in LTC competition. This is, obviously, the ninth-grader's first Times All-Area appearance.

Natali Haynes, Streator, Jr.

A force in the middle for the Bulldog Spikers, Haynes finished 2019 with 137 kills and 33 stuff blocks. This is her first appearance on our All-Area Volleyball Team.

Piper Nanouski, Ottawa, Jr.

The Lady Pirates' dig leader with 140 also added 93 kills, 23 aces and 14 assists during a well-rounded campaign. This is her first All-Area appearance.

Alyx Carls, Fieldcrest, Sr.

A weapon for the Knights no matter where she lined up, Carls closed out 2019 with 159 kills, 296 digs and 19 ace serves. This is her first Times All-Area honor.

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HONORABLE MENTION

Ellie Eager, Marquette, Sr.

Jadyn Pickert, Earlville, Sr.

Skyler Bedeker, Streator, Sr.

Ella Sibert, Woodland, So.

Regan Reed, Flanagan-Cornell, Sr.

Naomi Sweeney, Newark, Sr.

Ava Knepper, Sandwich, Sr.

Olivia Denny, Ottawa, So.