Meet the 2026 Strib Varsity All-Minnesota girls volleyball team

Meet the 2026 Strib Varsity All-Minnesota girls volleyball team Strib Varsity’s selection of the state’s top 25 players across all classifications is based on statistics, input from coaches and impact on teams. Comment Gift Share By Marcus Fuller The Minnesota Star Tribune November 10, 2026 at 5:00 AM The girls volleyball state tournament season is here, with top players from all over the state arriving at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul with dreams of leading their team to championship glory. Many of those players were selected by Strib Varsity for the 25-player All-Minnesota volleyball team. We polled coaches from across Minnesota, considered team and individual success and observed games to put together the honorees this year (in alphabetical order): Josie Anderson Sauk Rapids-Rice • senior • outside hitter The 5-10 Anderson led her team with 347 kills and a .400 hitting percentage during the regular season. She added 278 digs and 38 aces. College: College of St. Benedict Avery Beckering Southwest Christian • senior • outside hitter The 6-foot Beckering had a breakout 2025 state tournament and carried that over to a team-best 343 kills in the regular season this year, including a 27-kill, 20-dig match vs. Delano and 33 kills vs. Jordan. College: Stephen F. Austin Cora Bicknese Chatfield • junior • defensive specialist/right side One opposing coach called Bicknese the top libero in the state, but she does it all for Chatfield, including ranking top 10 in the state in kills and digs. Her match highs: 27 kills and 41 digs. College: Michigan State ADVERTISEMENT advertisement Leah Biyadglign Roseville • senior • setter/right side A Division I recruit as a setter, Biyadglign’s role was also to be a leading hitter, defender and passer for the Raiders. She surpassed career milestones of 1,000 digs and 1,000 assists this year. College: St. Thomas Related Coverage Girls volleyball state tournament brackets are set: See every matchup Girls Volleyball Kaelyn Bjorklund Lakeville South • senior • setter Like a 6-1 point guard, she orchestrated the offense for back-to-back Class 4A title teams. Bjorklund broke the Cougars’ all-time assist record this year. She was a 2026 Miss Volleyball finalist. College: Clemson Lauren Bunge East Ridge • senior • middle hitter One of the most feared blockers in Minnesota, the 6-1 Bunge returned from injury to lead the Raptors to state last year. The Miss Volleyball finalist was also one of East Ridge’s most reliable hitters in the clutch this season. College: Texas Tech advertisement Clara Christ Chaska • senior • libero/defensive specialist An all-state performer, Christ excels defensively and in the serve/receive game. She posted a few 20-plus-dig matches, including a season-high 30 digs vs. Lakeville North. College: Minnesota State Mankato Ryah Cotton Prior Lake • senior • setter/right side A major contributor on the Lakers’ Class 4A runner-up team last year, Cotton established herself again as one of the state’s toughest servers and top passers, putting up six matches with 40-plus assists. College: Bowling Green Sophia Cowan Apple Valley • junior • defensive specialist/right side Cowan will finish her career as Apple Valley’s all-time leader with more than 1,300 kills and 1,000 digs. She carried the Eagles last year to a third-place 4A finish. College: Minnesota Duluth advertisement advertisement Ellery DeBoer Willmar • senior • setter Opposing coaches claim there is no better leader in Minnesota than DeBoer, who is known for making her teammates better. The Miss Volleyball finalist surpassed 3,500 career assists this year. College: Michigan State Payton Gravelle Wadena-Deer Creek • senior • middle hitter An offensive force from the middle, the 6-foot Gravelle swung big this season, completing 10 matches with at least 20 kills, including 32 kills in her final match in a section quarterfinal loss vs. East Grand Forks. College: Sioux Falls Sydney Friedly Benilde-St. Margaret’s • senior • setter A two-sport standout with D-I offers in multiple sports, Friedly picked volleyball over basketball. The Miss Volleyball finalist runs one of the state’s top offenses and had 10 matches with at least 30 assists, including 66 vs. Chaska (fourth most in state history). College: Creighton advertisement advertisement Kaydence Fjerstad Byron • senior • outside hitter The big-swinging, 6-1 Fjerstad overpowered opposing defenses with more than 400 kills in the regular season. She had seven matches with at least 24 kills, which included 30-plus-kill performances vs. Red Wing and Chatfield. College: South Dakota Mesa Jameson Eagan • junior • right side Minnesota volleyball is rich in talent, but five-star prospects like Jameson don’t come around very often. The powerful 6-3 phenom is a member of the U.S. Under-17 team and recorded 450 kills in the regular season, including 39 kills in an upset vs. No. 1 Lakeville South. College: Pittsburgh Avery Minor Benilde-St. Margaret’s • junior • right side An offensive powerhouse for the Red Knights, Minor can be a six-rotation player and also a menace defensively against the opponent’s best hitters. The match that showcased her all-around impact most was her 30-kill, 19-dig performance in a win vs. Chaska. College: Michigan advertisement advertisement Taylor Peterson Lakeville North • senior • libero/setter Among the best at her position in the state, Peterson’s ability to lead her team defensively from the back row is up there with the best in Minnesota. She reached the 1,000-dig career mark this year. College: South Dakota Kezlyn Pinckney Marshall • senior • libero/defensive specialist Pinckney is the only returning all-tournament player from Marshall’s Class 3A title team last year. Excellent at reading opposing hitters, she led the Tigers with more than 400 digs in the regular season. College: Wayne State (Mich.) Ellie Osowski Wayzata • senior • outside hitter The Trojans showed major improvement this season with the 6-foot Osowski bringing her versatility as a six-rotation outside hitter. She had more than 300 kills and 200 digs for the second straight year. College: Winthrop advertisement advertisement Melia Sathoff Cleveland • senior • outside hitter After helping Cleveland reach its first state tournament last year, Sathoff raised her game even higher and ranks among the top five kill leaders in the state this season. She reached double-digit kills in 12 of her past 13 regular season matches. College: undecided Ryleigh Schelhaas New Life Academy • senior • outside hitter Watch your head when Schelhaas is swinging away. She put up a 300-plus-kill season after leading the Eagles to third place in Class 2A last year. College: Sioux Falls Isabell Scheuch Howard-Lake-Waverly-Winsted • senior • middle hitter At 6-3, Scheuch is an intimidating presence at the net defensively, but she also delivers as the team’s leading hitter. She owns the Lakers’ single-season (88) and career blocks (nearly 300) records. College: Arizona State advertisement advertisement Kacie Schulte Maple Grove • senior • outside hitter/opposite Schulte is capable of taking over any match, as was evident when she broke her own program single-match record with 31 kills this season vs. Roseville. The Miss Volleyball finalist led the Crimson with 384 kills, 211 digs and 46 aces in the regular season. College: Arizona State Abigail Telander Rush City • senior • outside hitter The 6-foot Telander was a preseason Miss Volleyball candidate and reached the 1,000-kill mark for her career this year for the Tigers, who earned their fourth state tournament trip in five years. College: Bemidji State Elleora Utecht Lakeville South • senior • outside hitter One of the most clutch hitters in the state, Utecht was an all-tournament selection in Class 4A title runs in 2024 and 2025. She led the Cougars with nearly 300 kills in the regular season. Colleg