2021 Daily Chronicle Girls Volleyball All-Area Team

Player of the Year

Madison Buckley, Kaneland, sr., OH

First team

Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com Sycamore's Caylee Sharkey, right, hits past Fenton's Gracen Haska (18) during Tuesday's Class 3A Glenbard South girls volleyball regional semifinals in Glen Ellyn. (Paul Valade)

Caylee Sharkey, Sycamore, sr., OH – Sharkey amassed 275 kills and attacked at a .323 clip for the Spartans. She was one of three MVPs in the Interstate 8 and will play her college ball at Mississippi State.

Genoa-Kingston's Alayna Pierce directs a spike past Rock Falls' Emily Lego at the Oregon Sectional. (Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media)

Alayna Pierce, Genoa-Kingston, so., OH – Pierce had 355 kills this season and 225 digs in earning all-Big Northern Conference first-team honors. She was the MVP of the Plano tournament and helped the Cogs to one of their most successful season’s in school history.

DeKalb outside hitter Julia O'Brien spikes the ball during their match against Indian Creek Tuesday, Sep. 7, 2021 at DeKalb High School. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Julia O’Brien, DeKalb, sr., OH – O’Brien was a force up front for the Barbs, averaging 6.2 kills a game and 4.6 digs. She was a four-year varsity starter and was an all-conference selection in the DuPage Valley three times.

Kaneland v Sycamore girls volleyball Sycamore's Hannah Ekstrom (9) blocks a shot by Kaneland during the first set of a match in Sycamore on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (Mark Black for Shaw Local)

Hannah Ekstrom, Sycamore, sr., MB – Ekstrom had 155 kills and attacked at a .389 pace. She also averaged 3.75 blocks a game and earn all-I8 first-team honors.

Kaneland's Meghan O'Sullivan (left) and Olivia Sheehan try to block the spike of Belvidere North's Kaitlin Leider Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021, during their Class 3A Sectional championship match at Sycamore High school. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Meghan O’Sullivan, Kaneland, sr., S – Along with Buckley and Sharkey, one of three MVPs in the I-8, she will play her college ball at Grand Valley State after 50 aces and 456 assists this season to go with a 91% serving percentage and 149 digs.

Genoa-Kingston defensive specialist Hannah Langton receives a serve Monday, Aug. 30, 2021 during their match at Sycamore High School. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Hannah Langton, Genoa-Kingston, soph., L – Langton had 306 digs on the season to go with 67 assists while also serving at an 87.1% clip. She’s already had a workout with Texas Tech and has been named the best libero in the conference twice.

Kaneland's Mackenzie Ewen bumps the ball Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021, during their Class 3A Sectional championship match against Belvedere North at Sycamore High school. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Mackenzie Ewen, Kaneland, sr., L – Ewan had 60 aces on the year and 366 digs in anchoring the defense for the Knights. She also had a 2.3 serve-receive rating.

Second team

Alivia Keegan, Genoa-Kingston, soph., S/OH

Lily Mueller, Genoa-Kingston, jr., OH

Bella Rio, Kaneland, sr., OH

Kailey Porter, DeKalb, jr., MB

ILY Hunt, Hinckley-Big Rock, soph., MB

Faith Feuerbach, Sycamore, sr., S

Tia Durst, Sycamore, jr., L

Honorable mention

Ashleigh Wackerlin, Hinckley-Big Rock, sr., MH; Kaitlyn Frazier, Indian Creek, sr., L; Ella Swanson, DeKalb, jr., OH; Laci Neece, Sycamore, soph, OH; Morgan King, Hinckley-Big Rock, sr., OH; Madaline Hogan, Hinckley-Big Rock, soph., S; Audrey Witte, Indian Creek, jr., OH