Volleyball lands three on all-conference squad

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference announced its 2023 All-Conference Volleyball Team on Tuesday, with Emily Williams garnering first team honors and Peyton Mitchell and Iman Ghalibaf earning honorable mention recognition.

The Storm finished the season with a 10-21 overall record, going 4-4 against A-R-C opponents. Simpson earned the No. 4 seed in the league tournament and advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2010 with a 3-1 home victory over Central. The Storm fell to top-seeded Dubuque to end their year.

Emily Williams, First Team

• Freshman outside hitter from Malvern, Iowa
• Ranked fourth in the conference with 3.03 kills per set in 10 league games
• Came in fifth overall with 2.78 kills per set this season
• Named to three all-tournament teams in inaugural season
• Finished the year with 289 kills, 156 digs, 48 blocks, 17 aces and 10 assists
• Recorded six double-doubles and 14 games with 10 or more kills

Peyton Mitchell, Honorable Mention

• Sophomore middle hitter from Ankeny, Iowa
• Led the Storm with a .218 hitting percentage overall and .222 efficiency in conference season
• Recorded 72 total blocks to tie for first on the team and third in the A-R-C
• Ranked first on the team with 42 overall aces, with 14 coming in league play (8th in A-R-C)
• Also compiled 146 kills, 47 digs and 22 assists in her second season

Iman Ghalibaf, Honorable Mention

• Senior libero from Irving, Texas
• Earns her third straight honorable mention recognition
• Ranked seventh in the league with 3.83 digs per set against A-R-C foes
• Finished the season third in the conference in overall digs per set (4.16)
• Had double-digit digs in 27 of 30 matches, including 12 straight to start the year
• Recorded a career-best 445 digs, finishing her time at Simpson with 1,235 digs