Girls Volleyball

Sterling senior Delali Amankwa is the SVM Volleyball Player of the year for the 2024-25 season after a record-setting career at setter.

Here is a look back at the top Sauk Valley volleyball players for the 2024-25 season.

Sterling baseball opened Western Big 6 Conference play with a win over Galesburg, Newman won, Rock Falls won, Oregon softball won and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Joliet Catholic Academy announced earlier this week the hiring of former JCA player Emily (Soto) Brown as the Angels' new head girls volleyball coach.

Rita Self has resigned as Henry-Senachwine volleyball coach after leading the Mallards for 17 years over two stints.

Woodstock North coach Eric Schulze, who led the Thunder to four Class 3A regional championships and a school-record 30 wins in 2022, is stepping down as head coach.

Woodstock North football coach Matt Polnow and girls volleyball coach Eric Schulze resigned from their positions, according to the Jan. 14 Woodstock School District 200 board meeting agenda.

Sterling High School graduate Grace Egan recently transferred to the Wisconsin volleyball team. As a redshirt freshman at Ohio State last season, she had a career-high 22 kills against the Badgers.

The greatest moment of Gillian Grimes’ volleyball career is just a blur. Ditto for Ava Falduto. Grimes, a junior libero from Nazareth, was on the floor when Penn State won the national championship by beating Louisville. Falduto, from IC Catholic Prep, also played in the match.

Here are 41 of the best girls volleyball players across The Times coverage area, The 2024 Times All-Area Girls Volleyball Team.

Senior setter Skylar Dorsey's versatility helped this year’s Ottawa Pirates to another successful season, and also carried her to the honor of the 2024 Times Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

Sterling High School graduate Lexi Rodriguez closed her decorated, stellar career at Nebraska by setting the school’s all-time digs mark in her final game on Friday.

The recognition continues to come in as Sterling High School graduate Lexi Rodriguez is one of four finalists for the American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year. Nebraska's senior libero was also named All-American for the fourth time.

Lockport's Jenna Kolosta sat out last season with an injury. She returned this season to lead the Porters to a Class 4A third-place finish

The top players in the volleyball-rich Herald-News area are honored on the 2024 All-Area Team

Here is the Kane County Chronicle girls volleyball All-Area team.

St. Charles North junior Haley Burgdorf, who finished the season with 611 kills with a 50.7% kill percentage, while also adding 268 digs, 48 service aces and 44 total blocks, is the 2024 Kane County Chronicle girls volleyball Athlete of the Year.

Sterling High School grad Lexi Rodriguez had a standout performance to help Nebraska reach the Final Four. She is nine digs away from setting Nebraska's all-time digs record.

Rock Falls senior basketball player Elizabeth Lombardo, who scored a season-high 27 points and hit six 3-pointers in a win, is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week. Here is her Q&A with Drake Lansman.

The All-Arrowhead Conference volleyball selections were announced, with West Carroll grad Lacey Eissens of Sauk Valley Community College named MVP. SVCC's Jess Johns, Maggie Richetta and Ava Wight also received honors, along with Forreston grad Brooke Boettner (Highland CC).

Despite missing three weeks, Sycmaore's Ava Carpenter made such an impact for the Spartans she was named the Interstate 8's MVP. She was also the Chronicle's volleyball player of the year.

Experience ruled the volleyball court in DeKalb County. Each member of the Daily Chronicle all-area first team was a senior. We take a look at the area's best.

A look at the top volleyball players in the NewsTribune area during the 2024 season.

Sterling's Lexi Rodriguez and Rock Falls' Maya Sands helped Nebraska and Missouri advance in the NCAA volleyball tournament, and Bree Borum helped Loyola Chicago pull off an upset for their first tournament win.

Huntley senior Georgia Watson helped the Raiders bring home their first state trophy since 1997 with a fourth-place finish in a loaded Class 4A field. Watson, who will graduate early to enroll at Kentucky, is the 2024 Northwest Herald Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

Meet the 2024 Northwest Herald All-Area girls volleyball team.

Richmond-Burton coach Mike Kamholz led the Rockets to their second straight Kishwaukee River Conference title, first regional championship since 2015 and a sparkling 36-2 record. Kamholz is the 2024 Northwest Herald Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Here is the 2024 Suburban Life All-Area girls volleyball team.

Benet senior libero and Purdue recruit Aniya Warren, who led the Redwings to a 40-2 record and second place in Class 4A for the third consecutive year, is the Suburban Life girls volleyball Player of the Year.

Sterling alum and Nebraska senior Lexi Rodriguez is just the second player in Big Ten history to earn three Big Ten Defensive Player/Libero of the Year honors.

Here is the 2024 Record Newspapers All-Area girls volleyball team.

Oswego senior and Long Beach State recruit Sidney Hamaker, who led the Panthers to a record 32 wins, the program's first conference title and sectional final, is the Record Newspapers girls volleyball Player of the Year.

Three local alums are key pieces for their teams at the NCAA volleyball championships in Sterling's Lexi Rodriguez (Nebraska) and Bree Borum (Loyola Chicago), and Rock Falls' Maya Sands (Missouri). Brooklyn Borum also plays in the NIVC with Virginia.

Rock Falls grad and Missouri junior Maya Sands was named the Southeastern Conference Libero of the Year and All-SEC First Team.

Fulton senior Reese Germann and Forreston senior Jaiden Schneiderman were named first-team all-state by the Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association. Fulton's Miraya Pessman, E-P's Lauren Abbott, Ashlyn Johnson and Peyton Umstead were also recognized.

Here is the All-Fox Valley Conference girls volleyball team for the 2024 season, as selected by coaches.

Several volleyball and football players from The Herald-News area earned All-State recognition for their efforts this season.

For three straight seasons, Benet has found itself just one set away from getting its hands on the Class 4A championship trophy. But for the third straight season, the quest ended just short. Marist rallied from down a set to beat Benet 19-25, 25-16, 25-19.

Lockport girls volleyball captured third place in Class 4A on Saturday at the IHSA State Finals in Normal.

Benet faced Marist girls volleyball in the Class 4A State Championship match on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 at at CEFCU Arena in Normal.

Huntley had to contend with another tough block Saturday and fell to Lockport 25-12, 25-21 in the Class 4A state tournament third-place match at Illinois State's CEFCU Arena. The Red Raiders still bring home their first state trophy since 1997. "I’ll always be proud of us."

Huntley girls volleyball faced Lockport in the Class 4A State Consolation match on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 at CEFCU Arena in Normal.

Prairie Ridge was back in top form Saturday. The Wolves, led by 20 kills from sophomore outside hitter Maizy Agnello, ended the season by beating DePaul Prep 25-22, 25-23 in the Class 3A state tournament third-place match at Illinois State's CEFCU Arena.

Timothy Christian used a balanced attack around Abby VanderWal, Bella Potempa and Ella Rickert to secure a straight-set victory over El Paso to secure third place in Class 2A, tying for the program's best finish at state.

Benet put up 14 total blocks, with Wisconsin-bound Lynney Tarnow dropping four of them, to take down Huntley in straight sets to advance to its third consecutive Class 4A title match.

Making their first state appearance in 25 years, the Porters had some nerves. But they rallied in the second set before falling 25-14, 25-22 to Marist in the final Class 4A semifinal on Friday at CEFCU Arena on the campus of Illinois State in Normal.

Making its first state semifinals appearance since 1997, top-seeded Huntley fell to No. 1 Benet 25-15, 25-19 in their Class 4A state semifinal at Illinois State's CEFCU Arena. The Raiders will play Lockport for third place at 7:25 p.m. Saturday.

Top-seeded Prairie Ridge, making its first state appearance in six years, saw its seven-match winning streak come to an end against No. 2 Limestone 25-18, 25-15 on Friday in the Class 3A state semifinals at Illinois State's CEFCU Arena in Normal.

Timothy Christian had its 38-match winning streak snapped with a 25-21, 25-16 loss to Bloomington Central Catholic in the Class 2A semifinals on Friday in Normal.

Huntley and Prairie Ridge are the first McHenry County teams to reach state since 2018. The Red Raiders and Wolves look to continue their special seasons Friday and Saturday at Illinois State University's CEFCU Arena in Normal.