Girls volleyball: 5 storylines to watch in The Herald-News area in 2025

Year in and year out, girls volleyball is one of the most competitive sports in The Herald-News coverage area. There are several teams that have the talent and ability to make a postseason run and represent the area in the state finals, like Lockport did last year in a third-place Class 4A state finish. Following is a look at five storylines to keep an eye on.

Can Lockport make it back to state?

The Porters may have surprised some people with a trip to the Class 4A state finals last season, but they will be on the radar this season. They did lose Herald-News Girls Volleyball Player of the Year Jenna Kolosta and Emily McGraw, who were first and third on the team in kills last season, but they return Bridget Ferriter, who was only two kills behind Kolosta for the team lead. With a fairly young team last season, the Porters went 36-6 and have advanced to at least the sectional championship the last two years.

It won’t be easy for Lockport, as the Porters are in a strong conference featuring Lincoln-Way East, Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way West, Sandburg, Andrew and Homewood-Flossmoor. Then they will most likely have to fight through a regional and sectional filled with those teams, plus others. But with players such as Ferriter, setter Natalie Bochantin and middle hitter Hustyn Timosciek, coach Nick Mraz has the start of another strong team.

Can Joliet Catholic rebuild its program with alumna Emily Brown as head coach?

To be fair, Joliet Catholic hasn’t exactly dropped off the volleyball map. In coach Keisha Cameron’s first two seasons (2021 and 2022), the Angels finished fourth and third in Class 3A, respectively. The last two seasons saw them move up to Class 4A because of the success factor, and they did not reach the state finals.

They will be back in 3A this year, and they will do it with a new head coach. Former Joliet Catholic standout Emily Brown, who was a member of the Angels’ first state title team in 2003, takes the reins from Cameron. The Angels lost 11 seniors from last year’s team that finished 18-16.

But Brown knows the expectations, and perhaps more importantly, she has been to the state finals as a player and an assistant coach with Minooka, finishing second in 4A in 2016 and 2017. She has also filled her staff with Joliet Catholic graduates who also know what is expected and how to attain it.

Can Providence take the next step in Class 3A?

Providence quietly put together an outstanding season last year, winning the Class 3A Kankakee Sectional before falling to Bartonville-Limestone in the Pontiac Supersectional and finishing with a 30-10 record.

The Celtics have not advanced to the state finals since 1995, but they have won nine straight regional championships and two straight sectional crowns. With returning players such as outside hitter Abbey Knight, setter/outside hitter Demi Carbone, outside hitter Cali Tierney and middle hitter Grace Lustig, coach Lee Rucinski has the makings of a team that can challenge the best that 3A has to offer and possibly win the first Providence trophy since taking third place in Class AA in 1998.

How good is the Southwest Prairie Conference?

Several of The Herald-News area teams compete in the Southwest Prairie Conference. The past few seasons have seen Joliet West rise to the top of that conference, with stiff competition from Oswego and Minooka. It wouldn’t be surprising to see those three vying for league supremacy this season, along with relative conference newcomer Bolingbrook, which is in its second year as a member.

Several teams in the conference are knocking on the door, trying to join that group. Plainfield South had a strong season last year under first-year coach Michelle Kirby, while Romeoville has been steadily improving as well. Look for Plainfield North to bounce back and be in contention, with Joliet Central, Plainfield East and Plainfield Central looking to join the party.

Best of the rest

With so many quality programs in the area, it’s difficult to narrow them down to five. The Southwest Valley Conference will be a dogfight with Lockport, the three Lincoln-Way schools and Homewood-Flossmoor as the most likely 4A contenders from that conference.

In 3A, Lemont and Morris could very well be in the running for a postseason run, but their paths seem to cross with either JCA or Providence year in and year out.

Class 2A features Coal City, Wilmington, Reed-Custer and Peotone in the Illinois Central Eight and Seneca in the Tri-County Conference, while Gardner-South Wilmington and Dwight will compete for 1A supremacy.