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Fox Valley Conference
Cary-Grove
Coach: Patty Langanis (27th season)
Last season: 6-5, 5-4 FVC (tied for third)
Top returners: Mya Bajramovic, sr., MB; Tricia Kennedy, jr., MB; Alexes Koenig, jr., L; Juliana Chapman, jr., OH
Key newcomers: Nikki Novak, sr., OH; Meg Rothermel, jr., MB; Skyler DeSomer, sr., S; Abby Hennessey, sr., DS; Isabelle Strader, jr., S
Worth noting: C-G fell to Jacobs, 25-20, 25-14, in the quarterfinals to end its FVC tournament run during the COVID-19-shortened spring season.. ... Lauren Passaglia, a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team pick, was the Trojans’ biggest loss to graduation. Passaglia was nominated by multiple FVC coaches for Northwest Herald Girls Volleyball Player of the Year and now is at Division II Hillsdale College in Michigan. … Chapman earned All-FVC honors for the Trojans, along with Passaglia. … Bajramovic, Kennedy, Koenig and Chapman all started during the spring. C-G, which last won a regional title in 2019, returns about half of its starting lineup and has some big hitters back. …. “We have a lot of offensive weapons,” Langanis said. “Replacing Lauren Passaglia as our setter will be difficult but Skyler [DeSomer] and Isabelle [Strader] are working extremely hard to fill her shoes. I think we’ll be able to compete with everyone in the conference.”
Crystal Lake Central
Coach: Amy Johnson (first season)
Last season: 12-1, 9-0 FVC (first), FVC tournament champion
Top returners: Mary Grace Gallagher, sr., MB; Lauren Klutke, sr., RS-S; McKenna Timmerman, sr., OH
Key newcomers: Molly Vittetoe, sr., DS; Brecken Noennig, sr., DS; Paige Keller, sr., S; Avery Munn, sr., RS-MB; Courtney Schober, sr., RS-MB; Bree Hubacher, jr., DS-OH; Allie Burke, jr., OH; Siena Smiejek, fr., MB
Worth noting: The Tigers swept the FVC during the regular season, dropping only one set, and went 3-0 in the conference tourney to end the FVC season with a perfect record. Central’s only loss was out of conference (Belvidere North). … Johnson takes over coaching duties for Lisa Brunstrum, who went 287-60 in 10 seasons at Central, including six regional titles [five in a row from 2015 to 2019] and a Class 4A third-place state finish in 2017. Brunstrum’s teams posted 31 or more wins in six of nine seasons, excluding the COVID-19-shortened spring. Johnson graduated from Cary-Grove and was named the 2002 Northwest Herald Female Athlete of the Year. She started four years at Kentucky. … The Tigers graduated many impact seniors, including outside hitter Maddy McCormick (Colorado State), the 2021 Spring Northwest Herald Volleyball Player of the Year, middle blocker Madeline Timmerman (Eastern Michigan) and libero Karina Simatos (Bradley), all All-Area first-team selections. … McKenna Timmerman was an All-Area second-team selection and was second on the team with 82 kills, along with 87 digs and 13 aces. Klutke earned All-Area honorable mention and was second on the team with 90 digs, adding 31 kills, 10 aces and 17 blocks. … “The Tigers lost a lot of experience at key positions, but we have a group of committed players who are working extremely hard to take their game and the team to the next level,” Johnson said.
Crystal Lake South
Coach: Jorie Fontana (14th season)
Last season: 7-6, 4-5 FVC (tied for sixth), FVC tournament runner-up
Top returners: Ashley Ciezadlo, sr., OH; Grace Goerges, sr., DS; Morgan Jones, so., OH; Megan Langdon, sr., MB; Jessie Proszenyak, sr., OH; Mia Regillio, sr., MB; Emma Stowasser, jr., S; Gabby Wire, so., OH; Alyssa Zagroba, sr., DS
Worth noting: The Gators had an up-and-down spring but finished on a high note, winning four of their final five matches and finishing runner-up in the FVC tournament. South defeated No. 2-seeded Burlington Central in the quarterfinals, No. 4-seeded Hampshire in the semifinals and lost to top-seeded Crystal Lake Central in the championship match. … The Gators were led offensively by grad Sam Wesoly, an All-Area second-team pick who had a team-high 86 kills, 21 aces and 76 digs. She was the only senior on the FVC tournament runner-up. … Regillio, an All-Area honorable mention pick, led South with 28 blocks and added 40 kills. … Fontana said the team’s strengths will be their athleticism and offense. .… “We hope to compete for a top spot in the conference,” Fontana said. “We know that’s a difficult task with such amazing teams in the conference, but these girls are excited for the challenge. They work extremely well together and will continue to battle through each match.”
Dundee-Crown
Coach: Tiffany Dumas (first season)
Last season: 2-7, 2-9 FVC (tied for ninth)
Top returners: Makena Wesol, sr., OH; Tealyn Kamp, sr., RS; Audrey Prusko, so., MB; Emily Valencia, sr., L
Key newcomers: Rachel Piluski, jr., OH; Kylie Hanson, jr., S; Olivia Beeks, sr., MB; Tiyana Brown, sr., MB; Jayleen Cordero, sr., DS
Worth noting: Dumas takes over at the varsity level after 11 seasons of coaching JV. … The Chargers graduated six from the spring, including S Jenna Brown, MB MacKenzie Field, L Mia Seaton and OH Natalia Smiech. … Wesol was the team’s MVP in the spring and earned All-FVC honors. “She’s a fantastic leader on and off the floor,” Dumas said. … Kamp returns as the right-side hitter and has been “a great guide to the newcomers on the court,” Dumas said. … Valencia takes over at setter for Brown, a four-year varsity player now at D-I Georgia State. Brown holds school record for career assists (1579) and career aces (165). “Emily Valencia is a fantastic back row leader and we are excited to see her passing it up this season,” Dumas said. ... Prusko led the Chargers in blocks during the spring as a freshman and will be “tearing it up in the middle front,” Dumas said.
Hampshire
Coach: Will Benenhaley (third season)
Last season: 8-7, 4-5 FVC (tied for sixth)
Top returners: Jacey Lambert, sr., MB; Gabi Peter, jr., MB
Key newcomer: Emily Mohr, jr., S
Worth noting: The Whip-Purs made big strides in the spring, advancing to the third-place match of the FVC tournament, where they ended the season with a loss to Jacobs, 25-16, 25-18. … Hampshire returns two of the area’s top middles in Peter and Lambert. Peter, an All-Area honorable mention selection, ended the spring with 109 kills, 26 blocks and 22 aces, while Lambert, an All-Area second-team pick, had 92 kills and 25 aces. Lambert will play next year at D-II Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. … The Whips also will need to replace All-Area second-team setter Juliana Barrientos, who now is at Lake Forest College. … Benenhaley believes the Whips can contend for the FVC title after showing a lot of growth in the spring. … “This season should be an exciting one, since I went to the drawing board to change a lot about this program,” Benenhaley said. “I am very excited to see how my hitters adjust to a new setter since we graduated a good one. Our strengths would have to be our ability to attack the ball from any [spot].”
Huntley
Coach: Karen Naymola (10th season)
Last season: 7-7, 5-4 FVC (tied for third)
Top returners: Avary DeBlieck, jr., MB; Maggie Duyos, jr., S; Ally Panzloff, jr., OH; Lauren Bauer, sr., OH; Luma Acevedo, jr., DS; Lizzie Williams, so., OH; Emily Willis, jr., OH
Key newcomer: Georgia Watson, fr., MB
Worth noting: The Red Raiders went into the FVC tournament as the No. 3 seed, but fell to Hampshire, 25-22, 25-9, in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Excluding the COVID-19-shortened spring, they have won four straight regional titles and six in the past seven seasons. … Huntley suffered some key injuries in the spring, with DeBlieck, Panzloff and Duyos all missing time. … Emma Konie, now at Illinois-Springfield, recorded 58 kills and 68 digs. Panzloff, an All-Area honorable mention pick, paced the Raiders with 64 kills, along with 54 digs and 29 blocks. DeBlieck tallied 33 blocks and 28 kills, and Duyos, stepping in for four-year setter Taylor Jakubowski (Seton Hall), recorded 145 assists and 76 digs despite missing two weeks. Acevado led the team with 145 digs. … “I’m so excited to watch this team compete,” Naymola said. “This a very athletic group who has a great work ethic and I anticipate we can be a very successful team.”
Jacobs
Coach: Mike Depa (first season)
Last season: 7-5, 5-4 (tied for third)
Top returners: Rachel Kaczorowski, sr., S; Ireland Van Stone, sr., OH; Meredith Giustino, sr., L; Jaclyn Poirier, sr., MB
Worth noting: Depa takes over coaching duties for Gary Granell, who coached on an interim basis in the spring. Depa has coached at every level at Jacobs since 2016. ... The Golden Eagles defeated Hampshire, 25-16, 25-18, for third place in the FVC tournament after tying for third in the regular season. … Jacobs graduated only one, but it was a significant loss. Maggie Wallenberger, now at Southern Illinois, led all FVC players with 113 kills and added 15 aces. She earned All-Area first-team honors. … Jacobs returns everybody else from the spring, including Kaczorowski, an All-Area first-teamer, who led all area players with 305 assists and surpassed 1,500 career assists. She had 19 aces and 54 digs. … Van Stone was an All-Area honorable mention pick and All-FVC selection, along with Kaczorowski. … “We have a lot of returning players from last year and are excited about the team chemistry and building off of a third-place finish last year,” Depa said. “We expect to compete for the top of the conference this year. I see our strengths being experienced players, our serving ability, and our offensive power when we get in sync.”
McHenry
Coach: Hilary Agnello (fourth season)
Last season: 6-9, 3-6 FVC (eighth)
Top returners: Abbie Honkala, sr., MB; Aspen O’Brien, sr., MB
Key newcomers: Ella Boland, so., OH; Mollie Hobson, so., OH
Worth noting: Agnello said this year’s team is deep and competitive. Honkala and O’Brien will be counted on to lead the Warriors after an up-and-down spring. McHenry’s biggest graduation losses were OH Savannah Coats (D-II Colorado State University-Pueblo) and MB Kylie Borck (D-III Blackburn College). … McHenry last won a regional title in 1997. … “This team is the most competitive within the program I have ever had,” Agnello said. “While as a coach this is a great thing, I think it speaks for the collective growth of the program and overall hunger this group has to compete. ... The senior leadership has been amazing, and this season’s success will hinge on their ability to demonstrate how to be teammates ... and channeling that competitive spirit toward our opponents.”
Prairie Ridge
Coach: Stefanie Otto (25th season)
Last season: 2-9, 2-7 FVC (tied for ninth)
Top returners: Ansley Morlock, sr., OH; Breckan Severson, sr., L; Rilee Schulze, sr., S; Mackenzie Schmidt, so., MB; Maya Breseman, jr., DS; Haylee Yelle, sr., OH-OPP
Key newcomers: Vanessa Holtz, sr., S-OPP; Anna Siegwald, sr., OH; Brianna Scheid, sr., MB
Worth noting: Morlock is a three-year starter for the Wolves and earned All-Area honorable mention as a sophomore. She led the team with 65 kills and 13 aces, along with 59 digs on defense. Breseman also had 59 digs and was third on the Wolves with 11 aces. … Prairie Ridge had a string of four straight regional titles before 2019. Last spring’s losing record was the program’s first since 2011. … Top losses to graduation for the Wolves included MB Claire Emery, OH-MB Kaylin Mitchell, DS-OH Olivia Jost (D-II Winona State) and S Sammy Johnson. ... “I am looking for our seniors to step up and take over the leadership role on this team,” Otto said. “If we can focus on working together as a team, we should be able to compete in the [FVC].”
Kishwaukee River Conference
Harvard
Coach: Megan Nolen (eighth season)
Last season: 1-10, 1-9 KRC (sixth)
Top returners: Abby Perkins, sr., L; Abigail Tittle, sr., MB; Nicole Garcia, sr., DS-L; Asha Billstrand, jr., OH
Key newcomers: Jaclyn McMillan, so., MB; Mindy Krasinski, fr., S
Worth noting: The Hornets graduated eight seniors from the spring. … Harvard had one All-KRC member last season, graduate Alex Cooke, and also lost starters in Michaela Froehlich and Montana Brincks. … The Hornets beat Woodstock, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, for their first KRC in four seasons. Billstrand had a big day with six kills and 22 digs. … “We have big goals set for this season, and the ambition and drive from every player to see those goals accomplished,” Nolen said. “The upcoming juniors and seniors have stepped up to lead their underclassmen. A lot of young talent has made their way to the varsity squad, and we are eager to get this season started.”
Johnsburg
Coach: Abby Bruns (second season)
Last season: 5-10, 3-7 KRC (fifth)
Top returners: Allie Burke, sr.; OH; Emmie Wizceb, jr., MB; Delaney Stern, so., S
Worth noting: The Skyhawks return all of their starters from the spring, and Bruns sees them taking a big step forward in the KRC. … Wizceb and Stern earned All-KRC honors as underclassmen. Wizceb recorded 53 kills and 43 blocks, and Stern had 105 assists, 14 blocks and 20 aces, despite missing about a week. … Johnsburg had its second straight losing season in the KRC after going 20-4 in conference matches over its previous two seasons, including a title in 2018. … “I am excited to see the growth this group has made since the spring,” Bruns said. “Burke is a strong outside hitter that is a leader on our team. Wizceb had a breakout year as a middle. We are looking for her to command the middle and be a bigger force. Stern is one of our main setters, who I look to really lead the team. She has really started running our offense and demanding more from our hitters. This team is a really fun team to coach. They have the drive and determination to want to change and challenge themselves and those around them.”
Marengo
Coach: Rayne Hoey (second season)
Last season: 6-7, 4-6 KRC (tied for third)
Top returners: Michaela Almeida, jr., OH; Gianna Almeida, jr., OH; Isabella Simonini, sr., RS; Mia Lulinski, jr., MB; Allie Brackmann, jr., DS; Abby Rohe, sr., MB; Courtney Jasinski, sr., DS; Beth Webster, sr., MB
Key newcomers: Tess Volkers, so., S; Sydney Andrews, so., OH; Amanda Trotz, jr., RS; Kayla Klaassens, jr., DS; Addie Johnson, jr., S; Samantha Gustafson, sr., RS-MB ; Karli Adamson, sr., OH-MB
Worth noting: The Indians graduated their two top players, outside hitter Alexis Kunde (64 kills, 81 digs, 10 blocks, 14 aces) and setter Lilly Johnson (166 assists, 103 digs, 12 aces), both All-Area honorable mention selections and All-KRC members. … Marengo beat both Johnsburg and Harvard twice for its four KRC wins. … “We have been working hard throughout the summer and are ready to get into the season,” Hoey said. “With the shortened season last year, we are looking forward to competing and getting the opportunity to play again. … This team is one of the most bonded teams I have seen. This team has overcome so many obstacles and they are ready to go for this season.”
Richmond-Burton
Coach: Mike Kamholz (second season)
Last season: 12-4, 8-2 KRC (second)
Top returners: Maggie Uhwat, so., OH
Key newcomers: Elissa Furlan, fr., OH
Worth noting: The Rockets only two conference losses in Kamholz’s first year were against Woodstock North, both two-set losses. … Uhwat and graduates Jesse Klicker and Jordyn Duncan each were named All-Area honorable mention and made the All-KRC team. … Uhwat led R-B as a freshman with 114 kills, while also tallying 65 digs and 19 blocks. Duncan recorded 110 kills, 30 aces and 87 digs, and Klicker posted 262 assists, 138 digs and 22 aces, surpassing 1,000 career assists. … Although the Rockets graduated some of their top players from the spring, Kamholz has high hopes this fall. … “This team is young and full of potential,” Kamholz said. “We have hopes to win [the KRC] this year. We are most excited to be back in a regular season. We have power on this team but we are young and need time to get used to each other.”
Woodstock
Coach: James Neill (first season)
Last season: 4-6, 4-6 KRC (tied for third)
Top returners: Maddie Moan, sr., OH; Ella Wicker, jr., L; Hallie Steponaitis, so., OH
Key newcomer: Julia Laidig, fr.; DS-OH
Worth noting: Neill takes over for Jill Rokosik, who went 58-26-1 in three seasons at Woodstock. The Blue Streaks won a conference title in Rokosik’s second year – the program’s first since 1986 – and went 22-10 in conference play in the past three years. … Moan and Wicker were All-KRC selections in the spring. Moan, who is committed to D-I Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earned All-Area honorable mention, was named team MVP and led Woodstock with 84 kills and 15 aces. Wicker, a team captain, tallied 63 digs and 14 aces in 16 sets. … Although young, Neill said the Streaks have plenty of experience at the club level. … “I would like to see player growth on all levels,” Neill said. “I would love to see all levels compete at a high level. I have a great staff to help push the program in the right direction. I expect the girls to work hard, have fun and leave it on the floor.”
Woodstock North
Coach: Eric Schulze (fifth season)
Last season: 11-2, 10-0 KRC (first)
Top returners: Kylie Schulze, jr., S; Alyssa Wickersheim, sr., OH; Kaitlyn Wickersheim, jr., L; Avery Crabill, sr., OPP; Faith Eddy, sr., OH; Cadence Klasek, sr., MB; Madison Miller, sr., DS; Kamryn Butenschoen, sr., MB; Trinity Tillman, sr., MB
Key newcomers: Lexi Hansen, so., OH; Devynn Schulze, fr., OH-DS
Worth noting: The Thunder won their first conference championship in program history, going undefeated in the KRC, and bring back their entire starting lineup [losing only one player to graduation], making them the KRC favorites once again. North won back-to-back regional titles in 2018 and 2019 and had 20 wins in each year from 2017 to 2019. … Kylie Schulze was an All-Area first-team selection, recording 191 assists in 10 matches and leading the team with 28 aces. Schulze, who was named the KRC Player of the Year, is approaching 1,000 career assists and the team’s all-time assists record (997). … Alyssa and Kaitlyn Wickersheim both earned All-Area second-team honors. Alyssa led the Thunder with an area-high 115 kills, also posting 15 aces and 67 digs. Kaitlyn led the team with 115 digs and had 12 aces. Crabill and Eddy, All-KRC picks, played significant roles for the KRC champs. Kylie Schulze and Kaitlyn Wickersheim were both named to the Champaign News-Gazette’s All-State team.… “Our strengths will be experience, serving, ball control and defense,” Eric Schulze said. “We have one of the top setters in the area as well. Our weaknesses are at the net as we don’t have the size and athleticism of many of our opponents, so we will need to be both technically and tactically sound to out-execute our opponents.”
East Suburban Catholic Conference
Marian Central
Coach: Robin Secrist (second season)
Last season: 3-10, 0-5 ESCC (eighth)
Top returners: Valle Leggett, sr., OH; Ella Conlon, so., MB; Kaitlyn Mullen, jr., S
Key newcomers: Danielle Lipnisky, jr., OPP; Kate Rodden, sr., OH; Delaney Rogge, so., MB
Worth noting: Leggett is a four-year varsity player and led the Hurricanes with 57 kills, 11 aces and 23 blocks during the spring. She was the team’s lone All-ESCC selection and earned All-Area honorable mention. ... Marian’s biggest loss to graduation was outside hitter Grace Holian, who led the Hurricanes with 80 digs, adding 53 kills and five aces. … All three of Marian’s wins during the spring came out of conference (Belvidere, Johnsburg, Richmond-Burton). … Conlon started as a freshman and is someone to look out for, Secrist said. … “The energy on this team is something that can’t be taught,” Secrist said. “They are an insanely talented group of players who are jiving and pushing each other to new levels. … Our team is packed with great passers, heavy hitters and setters who can deliver the ball and make it happen. We believe that these athletes have the drive and passion to put Marian Central back on the map.”