Platte County senior Kate Brown became a two-time selection to the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association all-state team, joining former teammate Bryn McGehe and Morgan Johnson as the only two in program history to earn that distinction.
Brown finished an accomplished four-year career as Platte County’s all-time leader in kills with 949, including a career-high 336 this season. This included a team best 27.6 hit percentage to go with 60 service aces, 255 digs and 20 blocks.
The career total passed the previous mark Aly Anderson set from 2017-2020.
Platte County finished 24-10 this season and won 28 matches in each of the previous three years. In 2020, the Pirates reached the Class 4 state semifinals in the deepest playoff run in program history, eventually finishing in third place after losing a heartbreaking semifinal but coming back to win the final match.
In the reclassification cycle, Platte County received a more difficult assignment when moved up to Class 5 in just the second year of the five-class setup for the sport. The Pirates excelled again despite taking a higher-than-normal number of losses playing in two difficult out-of-state tournaments. They earned the No. 1 seed in Class 5 District 16 and lost a five-set thriller in the championship match to Park Hill.
This means Brown became the first in program history to earn all-state honors in Class 5 and to earn the distinction in two different classes. She led an accomplished senior class that also includes setter Emerson Walter, who owns the top two service ace seasons in program history, Mary Grace Hunter and libero Morgan Cox.
Platte County’s season also included a third straight unbeaten Suburban Conference Blue Division title, and the Pirates take a 39-match unbeaten streak in league play into next season.
POSTSEASON HONORS
MISSOURI HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION ALL-STATE
CLASS 5
Kate Brown, Sr.
ALL-CLASS 5 DISTRICT 16
First team
Kate Brown, Sr.; Emerson Walter, Sr.
Second Team
Mary Grace Hunter, Sr.; Karsyn Stehlik, Jr.
Honorable Mention
Kendall Johnson, So.
ALL-SUBURBAN CONFERENCE BLUE DIVISION
First Team
Kate Brown, Sr.; Emerson Walter, Sr.; Karsyn Stehlik, Jr.
Second Team
Mary Grace Hunter, Sr.; Kendall Johnson, So.
Honorable Mention
Morgan Cox, Sr.
