Lady Warriors celebrate 21-win season, honor top performers at banquet

Feature photo caption: The Lady Warriors were well-represented on the Little Illini All-Conference roster following their 21-win season. Pictured are (from left) Second Team selection Ava Goble, Honorable Mention Anna Karras, and First Team selections Madi Gelb and Haley Schackmann.

—photo by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

CASEY — The Casey-Westfield Lady Warrior volleyball program capped off a standout 2024 campaign with their annual awards banquet held at Richards Farm. Celebrating their most successful season in recent history, the team reflected on a 21-win year defined by cohesiveness and major individual milestones.

Head Coach Jess Daugherty addressed the gathering, highlighting the team’s impressive record and praising the strong chemistry that fueled their success on the court throughout the season.

The evening also served as a celebration of individual excellence, recognizing three players who reached significant career benchmarks during the year. Junior Haley Schackmann was honored for recording her 1,000th career assist, senior Madi Gelb celebrated her 500th career kill, and junior Anna Karras was recognized for tallying her 500th career dig.

The Lady Warriors were well-represented in the Little Illini Conference (LIC) postseason honors. Gelb and Schackmann both earned First Team All-Conference selections. Senior Ava Goble received Second Team honors, while Karras was named Honorable Mention. Additionally, Gelb was recognized for her success in the classroom as an LIC All-Academic selection.

Coach Daugherty also presented the internal team awards based on statistical leadership. Goble took home the Most Digs Award after recording 350 digs this season, while Gelb received the Top Kills Award for her 202 offensive strikes.

Schackmann swept the playmaking categories, earning the Assist Award with 450 assists and the Ace Award with 55 service aces. Lucy Moore was a double winner as well, receiving the Most Blocks Award for her 73 stops at the net, along with the coveted Warrior Award.

Season Summary

Little Illini Conference Awards

• First Team: Madi Gelb, Haley Schackmann

• Second Team: Ava Goble

• Honorable Mention: Anna Karras

• All-Academic: Madi Gelb

Team Awards & Statistics

• WARRIOR AWARD: Lucy Moore

• MOST DIGS: Ava Goble (350)

• TOP KILLS: Madi Gelb (202)

• ASSIST AWARD: Haley Schackmann (450)

• ACE AWARD: Haley Schackmann (55)

• MOST BLOCKS: Lucy Moore (73)

Career Milestones Achieved

• Haley Schackmann: 1,000 Career Assists

• Madi Gelb: 500 Career Kills

• Anna Karras: 500 Career Digs

Lucy Moore was a double winner at the season-ending banquet. She received the Most Blocks Award after tallying 73 stops at the net and was also presented with the prestigious Warrior Award.
—photo by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

Madi Gelb received the Top Kills Award after leading the Casey-Westfield attack with 202 kills this season. The senior also celebrated a major milestone earlier in the year by recording her 500th career kill.
—photo by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

Senior Ava Goble was honored with the Most Digs Award at the annual banquet. Goble anchored the Lady Warriors’ defense throughout the successful 2024 campaign, recording 350 digs.
—photo by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

Junior setter Haley Schackmann took home hardware for her playmaking abilities, sweeping the offensive setup categories. She received the Assist Award with 450 assists on the season and the Ace Award with a team-high 55 service aces.
—photo by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

Excellence on and off the court: Senior Madi Gelb was recognized as the Little Illini Conference All-Academic selection for the Lady Warriors. Gelb also earned First Team All-Conference honors for her performance this season.
—photo by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter