Girls volleyball: 5 storylines to watch in McHenry County in 2025

The Northwest Herald girls volleyball preview will appear in print Aug. 27 with info on every local team. Until then, here are five storylines to watch in McHenry County for the 2025 season.

Will McHenry County be represented at state again?

Fox Valley Conference powers Huntley and Prairie Ridge put together memorable seasons and advanced to the state tournament a year ago, breaking a six-year drought of Northwest Herald area teams to make an appearance at state host Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena in Normal.

Before last fall, Prairie Ridge was the last local team to qualify for state when it took fourth in Class 4A in 2018. The Wolves finished third last year in 3A, beating DePaul Prep 25-22, 25-23 behind a huge performance from high-flying Maizy Agnello with 20 kills.

Huntley advanced to the 4A state tournament and took fourth with a 25-12, 25-21 loss to Lockport in the third-place match. Huntley, led by 6-foot-3 outside hitter Georgia Watson [now at Kentucky], brought home its first state trophy since 1997.

Will any local teams follow similar paths in 2025?

Can anybody take down Huntley in the Fox Valley Conference?

The Red Raiders enter 2025 as the three-time defending champions in the FVC despite tough competition. A 25-21, 19-25, 25-14 victory over Prairie Ridge late in the season helped Huntley take the conference crown, with the Raiders winning their final seven FVC matches.

Huntley placed first in the 10-team conference with a 16-2 record, followed by Prairie Ridge (14-4), Burlington Central (13-5), Hampshire (12-6) and Crystal Lake Central (12-6). McHenry also made a late-season surge and finished 9-9 while handing Huntley one of its two FVC losses.

The Raiders will look to add a fourth consecutive FVC title and build on their 51-3 conference record since 2022, although they’ll have a new look with eight players graduated.

Since 2016, when the FVC realigned and got rid of the Fox/Valley divisions, Huntley has won five conference championships. Crystal Lake Central has won two, including the COVID-19-shortened season in 2021, while Prairie Ridge and Crystal Lake South have emerged as FVC champions once each.

Is Richmond-Burton still the favorite to win the Kishwaukee River Conference?

What the Rockets were able to accomplish in 2024 is nothing to sneeze at. R-B won its second straight KRC championship, going 14-0, and will enter the season with victories in its past 28 matches in conference play.

R-B, led by setter Alex Hopp [Wisconsin-Oshkosh] and outside hitter Elissa Furlan [Wright State], now graduated, finished a spectacular 36-2 and lost only five sets all season. In the KRC, they won all 28 sets.

The Rockets’ season came to a heartbreaking end in the Class 2A sectional semifinals, despite a late-match takeover from Furlan with 21 kills. Still, it was a season to remember for R-B, which claimed its first regional crown since 2015.

Woodstock North was 11-3 in the KRC last year as the closest contender to R-B, and Woodstock went 12-2 in 2023. Among the biggest jumps in the conference last fall was Johnsburg, which went from 7-7 in 2023 to 9-5 in 2024.

Before R-B’s two straight KRC titles, Woodstock North won three in a row. Woodstock finished first in 2019, and Johnsburg placed first in 2018.

Who are some top players to watch?

McHenry County always provides thrilling moments on the volleyball court, and 2025 should be no different, with a large number of big-time players returning.

Prairie Ridge junior Maizy Agnello [Missouri commit], who was runner-up for 2024 Northwest Herald Girls Volleyball Player of the Year, led area players last season with a program-record 483 kills, tallying 65 blocks and 38 aces, and earned All-State Tournament recognition.

Hampshire senior Elizabeth King had 270 kills and led FVC players with 78 aces, and Crystal Lake South junior Bobbi Wire showed off her all-around skills with 267 kills, 234 digs and 38 aces.

Richmond-Burton’s Dani Hopp, who recently committed to Coastal Carolina, will be counted on as the Rockets’ big attacker after tallying 279 kills as a sophomore, while Woodstock North senior Gabby Schefke was among the area’s leaders in assists (643) and aces (84).

Crystal Lake Central senior Alexis Hadeler is coming off a season with 164 kills and 299 digs. Burlington Central senior Peyton Strout [Minnesota State University commit] recorded 69 blocks, and Dundee-Crown‘s Maura Minogue set a school record with 357 digs as a junior.

That’s only a handful of the talented players expected to shine this season.

Who will make the longest postseason run?

While Prairie Ridge and Huntley had the most playoff success with state tournament appearances, there were plenty of other teams showing up in big matches and moments.

Burlington Central, Crystal Lake South, Hampshire, Huntley, Richmond-Burton, Prairie Ridge and Woodstock North were all crowned regional champs a year ago. Crystal Lake South advanced to a Class 3A sectional final, where it lost to crosstown rival Prairie Ridge 25-15, 25-21.

Among the area’s winningest teams were R-B (36-2), Huntley (32-10), Hampshire (29-8), Burlington Central (28-9), Prairie Ridge (28-14), Crystal Lake Central (27-9), Woodstock North (22-15), McHenry (19-17) and Marian Central (19-18).