Moss, Boettcher and Wambeke named all-conference for Lady Grizz volleyball

MacKelle Moss, Brittly Boettcher and Shelby Wambeke have received all-conference recognition for their play on the Rocky Mountain volleyball team this year.
It is the second consecutive year Moss and Boettcher have been named to the all-conference team.
Moss, a senior, led the team with 229 kills and 77 block assists for the year, was third in digs, recording 212,  and also the third highest on the team for passing percentage. Head coach Stephanie Ames said Moss expanded her game this year, playing with more aggression, determination and flexibility.
“Last season, I challenged her to find her fire. She was very skilled but a bit timid. This year she found it,” Ames said. “As our team captain, MacKelle took her leadership role very seriously. Last year, MacKelle didn’t play back row, and we changed that up this year and I was very pleased with her play there, as well. She took on that challenge eagerly and had great results.
Ames said MacKelle’s presence in front of the net and her presence on the team will be difficult to replace.
“We will definitely miss her dominance in the middle going forward,” Ames said. “It has been a pleasure to coach MacKelle, and I can’t wait to watch her on the basketball court this year.”
Boettcher, a junior, was recognized due to her defensive strength. Ames said Boettcher is a natural on the court.
“She has been our strongest defensive player the last two years,” Ames said. “Britt has a pretty good volleyball brain. She anticipates fairly well and reads the other team, which puts her in a good position to play the ball. She is a true defensive specialist.”
Boettcher led the team with 233 digs and also tied the team with an 86 percent passing grade.
Boettcher also scored with 153 kills on the year, making her one of the team’s more deadly offensive weapons, as well.
“Britt can put the ball down, too,” Ames said. “I look forward to seeing that get even better next year. Brittly is a solid six-rotation player and an important team anchor. We should continue to see great things out of her next season.”
Wambeke, also a junior, had a commendable season due to her willingness to do whatever was needed to help the team succeed.
“I can’t say enough about Shelby,” Ames said. “She was put in a pretty tough spot early in the season when our other setter, Kassidy (Brimhall), went out with an ACL injury. We originally ran a 6-2, but mid set had to switch to a 5-1. We hadn’t played or practiced this before, but Shelby pulled it off almost like she’d been doing it the whole time. We ran the 5-1 for several weeks while we tried to prepare another setter, and Shelby rocked it. A 5-1 can really run the setter ragged, but Shelby didn’t ever complain and just went for it.”
Midway through the season Ames said Wambeke had to adapt to a new scheme once again.
“A few weeks before the end of the season we brought in another setter and switched back to the 6-2, which was another adjustment for Shelb, but again, she did it well,” Ames said.  “With another setter on the floor, Shelby was able to go back to playing the right side hitting position and really pulled out some amazing hits.”
Wambeke finished the year with a strong 388 assists and tied Boettcher for the best passing grade with an 86 percent completion rate. In addition, she recorded the second highest number of aces served among the team with 43.
“She’s a little cherry bomb,” Ames said. “Her stature isn’t necessarily one of a hitter or blocker, but she can really get up there. She works very hard and is a solid athlete, which translates into a great volleyball player.”