Here are five girls volleyball players to watch in the Northwest Herald area this season.

Emma Konie, Huntley, sr., OH

Konie led the Fox Valley Conference and Class 4A sectional champion Red Raiders with 333 kills and was second with 49 aces and 210 digs. Huntley was 34-6 and a win away from its eighth state appearance, falling to Wheaton Warrenville South, 26-24, 25-23, at supersectionals. Konie, a Northwest Herald All-Area second-team pick in 2019, will play next year at NCAA Division II Illinois-Springfield.

Maddy McCormick, Crystal Lake Central, sr., OH

McCormick, an All-Area first-team selection last season, shined in the postseason for the Tigers, who earned their fifth straight regional title and finished as FVC runners-up at 16-2. The D-I Colorado State commit and high-flying outside hitter led Central’s attack with 241 kills, adding 386 digs and 40 aces.

Lauren Passaglia, Cary-Grove, sr., S

Passaglia, a three-sport athlete at C-G (basketball, soccer), was a key part of the Trojans’ 2019 Class 4A regional championship. The D-II Hillsdale College commit led the team with 411 assists while also chipping in 134 kills and a team-best 72 blocks. Passaglia was an All-Area honorable mention.

Madeline Timmerman, Crystal Lake Central, sr., MB

Timmerman helped lead the Tigers to a 35-4 record and Class 3A regional title, posting 173 kills and a team-leading 115 blocks as one of the area’s premier middle blockers. The four-year varsity player and D-I Eastern Michigan commit was an All-Area honorable mention selection in 2019.

Maggie Wallenberger, Jacobs, sr., OH

Wallenberger, a D-I Southern Illinois commit and All-Area second-team pick last year, smashed 333 kills as a junior after recording 277 as a sophomore. Wallenberger’s sister, Bridget, was the 2016 Horizon League Freshman of the Year while at Milwaukee and currently is a redshirt senior at Houston.