JOHNSTON — It was their last day together spent in Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont volleyball uniforms. Ironically, Molly and Kate Shafer spent the day playing on separate teams for the first time. The senior sisters represented the Rockets proudly on Saturday at the Iowa Girls Coaches' Association Senior All-State Volleyball Classic.
Both were also honored by the IGCA as Class 2A first-team all-state selections, as announced on Monday. Molly Shafer was named the 2A volleyball player of the year, joining her sister as an elite all-state honoree. Both Shafers showcased those skills on Saturday at Johnston Middle School Gymnasium, doing what they do best with Molly Shafer hammering home kills and collecting digs while Kate Shafer delivered solid passes from the setter position.
The duo, however, did so playing on different teams. Molly Shafer joined Ankeny Centennial senior Delaney Miller as the two outside hitters on the Cyclones while Kate Shafer served as the starting setter for the Bulldogs. "I had a club teammate on my team, so there was at least one familiar face.
For the most part, I was setting the ball to several new people. It was kind of exciting to see how my setting and their hitting connected," Kate Shafer said. "We got two hours of practice before we went out there to play.
There wasn't a lot of time to sit there and build that super-strong setter-hitter connection. We just kind of went with the flow and trusted each other's abilities. All of us are well-trained v.