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Former area high school standouts named to all-conference teams in college

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion
·3 min read

Sophie Tietz of Watertown is one of three former area high school standouts who have recently received all-conference honors in college sports.

Tietz earned first-team honors on the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's volleyball team.

Sydney Schell of Aberdeen (Dakota State University) also earned first-team honors on the All-North Star Athletic Association women's volleyball team and Megan Fastenau of Aberdeen (Northern State) received first-team honors on the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's soccer team.

Sophie Tietz (1), a 5-foot-11 senior right side hitter for Minnesota State Mankato, has received first-team honors on the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball team.
Sophie Tietz (1), a 5-foot-11 senior right side hitter for Minnesota State Mankato, has received first-team honors on the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball team.

Sophie Tietz, Minnesota State Mankato

The 5-foot-11 senior right-side hitter has played in 26 matches for a Mavericks' team that finished the season 14-12 overall and 9-9 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Tietz has produced 245 kills, 42 aces, 63 digs and 10 solo and 81 block assists.

Northern State had four players receive All-NSIC honors including sophomore libero Abby Meister of Sioux Falls, first team (579 digs). and sophomore middle blocker Abby Brooks (228 kills and 22 solo and 74 block assists), redshirt sophomore outside hitter Natalie Szybinksa of Poznan, Poland (288 kills and nine solo and 45 block asssits) and graduate senior setter Keri Walker of Grafton, Wisc. (1,039 assists, 278 digs and 12 solo and 60 block assists), each second team.

NSU is 19-8 overall (11-7 NSIC) heading into the league's postseason tourney.

All-NSIC Volleyball Team: https://northernsun.org/news/2023/11/8/womens-volleyball-2023-nsic-volleyball-all-conference-teams-announced.aspx

Dakota State 5-foot-8 junior outside hitter Sydney Schell has been named to the first team on the North Star Athletic Association's All-Conference volleyball team. Schell is from Aberdeen and played at Northwestern High School.
Dakota State 5-foot-8 junior outside hitter Sydney Schell has been named to the first team on the North Star Athletic Association's All-Conference volleyball team. Schell is from Aberdeen and played at Northwestern High School.

Sydney Schell, Dakota State

The 5-8 junior outside hitter played in 26 matches for a Dakota State team that finished 16-15 overall and 6-6 in the North Star Athletic Association.

Schell recorded 385 kills, 359 digs and nine solo and 44 block assists.

All-NSAA Volleyball Team: https://playnorthstar.com/news/2023/11/8/2023-nsaa-womens-volleyball-all-conference-teams-postseason-awards-announced.as

Schell's college teammate and former Northwestern High School teammate Madalyn Groft, a 5-7 senior setter from Mellette, received the team's NSAA Volleyball Champion of Character Award during the NSAA's postseason tournament that concluded Saturday in the Watertown Civic Arena.

Megan Fastenau of Aberdeen, a junior forward for Northern State University has earned first-team honors on the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's soccer team.
Megan Fastenau of Aberdeen, a junior forward for Northern State University has earned first-team honors on the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's soccer team.

Megan Fastenau, Northern State

The 5-10 junior forward played in all 18 matches this fall for a Wolves team that finished 9-4-5 overall and 8-1-5 in the NSIC.

She tallied seven goals and three asssits.

Teammates Kelsey Selden, a senior midfielder from Prairie du Sac, Wisc. (three goals) and Alexis Townsend, a junior goalkeeper from Omaha, Neb. (73 saves) also made the first team for the Wolves.

NSU Hannah Smith, a redshirt sophomore forward from Essex, Great Britain (three goals and three assists); Mia Zagurski, a senior midfielder from Lakeville, Minn. (four assists); Zoe Boughton, a junior defender from Inver Grove Heights, Minn.; and Calista Kocmick, a senior midfielder from Brandon (three goals) each made the second team.

All-NSIC Soccer Team: https://northernsun.org/news/2023/11/8/2023-nsic-womens-soccer-all-conference-teams-announced.aspx

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Three former area standouts named to college all-conference teams