Girls volleyball: 5 to watch across The Times area in 2025

With the Illinois high school girls volleyball season about to get underway, here are just five of the players we’re expecting big things from this fall.

Taylor Jeffers, S, Newark, jr.

The Norsemen setter has new weapons around her, but don’t expect that to be an issue for the Times All-Area honorable mention after tallying 668 assists for 25-win Newark last season.

Kesley Cuchra, MB, Marquette, jr.

Another Times All-Area honorable mention from 2024, Cuchra is back after a sophomore season that saw her finish second on the 24-win Crusaders in kills and first in stuff blocks.

Brooklyn Sheedy, OH, Seneca, so.

If we handed out a Times Rookie of the Year Award, Sheedy probably would have won it after slamming down 191 kills and 28 blocks for 32-win regional champion Seneca. Take two?

Aubrey Jacobs, S/OH, Streator, sr.

The lone nonsenior on last fall’s Times All-Area Girls Volleyball team, the Bulldogs’ second-team all-stater returns as an early Player of the Year front-runner if she can build on her 238-kill, 40-block statistics from a year ago.

Ottawa's libero Kendall Biba returns a serve from L-P during Volley for a Cure night on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 at AJ Sellett Gymnasium. — Ottawa's Kendall Biba returns a serve from L-P during Volley for a Cure night on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 at AJ Sellett Gymnasium. (Scott Anderson)

Kendall Biba, DS, Ottawa, jr.

The Pirates graduated a lot from last season’s 24-win squad, but not defensive specialist Biba, a back-row specialist key to Ottawa’s defensive prowess last fall.