-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla LJ Maehl of Fort Dodge spike the ball against Waterloo east

LJ Maehl kicked off her senior season with another all-conference award, as the Fort Dodge senior was named to the first team for volleyball.

Maehl was one of six Dodgers honored by the Iowa Alliance Conference’s North division.

Along with Maehl, senior Maeleena Meyer and junior Ellie Doster were both named to the second team for the IAC.

Hope Alstott, Sydney Carver and Adyson Friesth each made the honorable mention list.

“LJ is a great leader both on and off the court,” FDSH head coach Beth Wilder said. “Her coachability, work ethic and commitment models what you want your program to be about.”

In league matches only, Maehl and Meyer each had 35 kills to lead Fort Dodge. Maehl also tallied 10 digs, eight blocks and two aces.

Meyer, meanwhile, added 28 digs, 11 blocks and four aces, serving at nearly 85 percent.

“Maeleena added a sense of fire to our roster,” Wilder said. “Her confidence and intengrity kept us going when things got tough. She was ready to play anywhere she needed to.”

Doster had a team-best 68 assists in IAC North matches, along with 34 digs. She also led the squad in service aces.

“Ellie could change the momentum to our side of the court with her hustle plays and strong serving,” Wilder said. “She led us on some runs throughout the season.”

Alstott, a junior, recorded a team-leading 58 digs with six assists, four aces and successfully served 55 of 57 attempts in league contests. Carver, a sophomore, had 24 kills, 26 digs and three aces, serving 87 percent.

Friesth, another sophomore, had 15 kills, 18 digs and three aces.

“Things could have looked differently on paper this year for us if we pulled through on some five-set losses,” Wilder said. “We learned a lot and we have a lot to be proud of.”

The Dodgers tied for fourth in the IAC North with a 2-3 mark. They were 8-21 overall.