Maine East
Top returners: Sr. OH Maggie Chwieralski, Sr. MH Niki Ahlstrand, Sr. DS Miranda Duro
New contributors: So. S Erika Christiansen, Jr. OH Maria Skoufos, Jr. OH Mahin Wadia, Jr. RSH Emily Cashen, Jr. DS Michele Wen, Jr. MH Alex Villalobos
Team outlook: After a 17-win campaign in 2013 and a breakout season in 2014 — a trip to the Class 4A sectional semifinals followed the program’s first regional title since 2004 and the team also won its first Central Suburban North championship since 2001 — the Blue Demons are looking to sustain their success in 2015 by winning regional and conference titles again. Despite the losses of outside hitter Hannah Farley and setter Sarah Hua-Pham to graduation, Maine East returns three players who will be entering their third year as starters for the Blue Demons: Chwieralski, Ahlstrand and Duro. Maine East also returns senior back row specialist Courtney Depa.
“When the seniors were freshman, that was my first year back after having been gone from the program for a few years,” coach Anne Bezek said. “So this senior group has been there since we started this whole rebuilding process and getting the program back to where we felt it should be. They’ve been a part of this since they were freshmen and when they were freshmen, they had talked about when they were at varsity how they wanted to win championships and get Maine East’s name out there as a great volleyball school.
“… This senior group is the beginning of the rebuilding process and so at all four levels now, all they really know of Maine East is the higher level of achievement we’ve had over the last couple years.”
Maine South
Top returners: Sr. L Taylor Krueger, Jr. S Stacey Sremac, Sr. MH Olivia Post
New contributors: Jr. hitter Molly Carmichael, Jr. hitter Caitlin Wright
Team outlook: The Hawks graduated Maxine Kasznia and Nora Quinn, their two starting middle hitters on the 2014 squad that lost to Maine East in the Class 4A regional finals. Quinn now plays at Division I Fairfield. However, Maine South returns three starters in Krueger, Sremac and Post. The Hawks also return senior outside and right-side hitter Elizabeth Porterfield. First-year coach Joe Bangit headed the JV squad the past two years and is eager to see what his players can do at the varsity level.
“I’m excited because each of my JV teams had a 28-3 record and now they’re together on one team on the varsity,” Bangit said. “Right now, the premise is, ‘Let’s not get comfortable with what we had.’ I think we have a rather large target on our back, maybe not the largest target, but we do have a large target. That’s what I want them to think about every time they practice, and that we do things a little bit faster and harder at the varsity level. At the end of the day, we’re going to be the last team that’s ever going to be outworked and we’re going to outwork everyone we’re playing.”
Ridgewood
Top returners: Sr. MH Monica Zygula, So. RSH Alyssa Malicki, Jr. MH Sandra Dybala, So. OH Gabby Larocco, Jr. S Sofija Mladenovic, Jr. S Melanie Boquilla
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New contributors: So. RSH Victoria Ignacik
Team outlook: Following back-to-back 5-26 campaigns, the Rebels posted 14 wins in 2014 and hope to continue their upward climb in 2015, despite the graduation of outside hitter Natasa Papulic and libero Marzena Mistarz. Ridgewood fell in the Class 3A regional finals last year to Wheaton Academy.
“All of them are quiet girls, so some will have to step up, really give it their all, step outside their comfort zone and really understand that they’re the leaders of this team,” coach Dave Wlodarczyk said. “Monica Zygula is the only senior that we have right now on the team, so we have a very, very young team, so we just need to make sure somebody steps up and is a good, solid leader for us.
“We want to use last year as a springboard and we talk about it as a revolution every year. The revolution continues. We need those changes, we need to make changes and we need to get better. There’s no room for plateaus. We have to make sure that we continually move forward and they need to get together as a team.”
Niles West
Top returners: Sr. OH Dominique Krason, Jr. OH Kaila Johanson, Jr. S Eleni Balourdos
New contributors: Jr. hitter Elmina Alic, Jr. MH Bethany Keith, Jr. L Bianca Tomuta, Fr. Natalia Pehar
Team outlook: Krason, Johanson and Balourdos have been on the Niles West varsity squad since they were freshmen and are looking to improve on a 19-14 campaign in 2014. The Wolves finished with a 4-6 record in the Central Suburban South and lost in the Class 4A regional finals to Schaumburg last year. Team goals include winning a regional title, finishing in the top three in conference and winning a tournament, according to Niles West coach Stacy Metoyer.
“Two years ago they won a regional title, so they definitely know what it takes to win one because they’ve done it before, so I think that adds a lot of good power behind that, especially Dominique being a senior,” Metoyer said. “Every day in tryouts we can see how focused she is and how much it means to her, so I think she’s going to be a big motivator behind the girls to stay focused and stay on task to reach our goals.”
Niles West also returns sophomore middle hitter Nicole Zelazko, senior setter and defensive specialist Rachel Sison and senior defensive specialist Crystal Vu.
Niles North
Top returners: Sr. OH Carolyn Dwyer, Sr. OH Nina Yonan
New contributors: Jr. Stephanie Wu, Jr. Tiselle Talaboc, Jr. Tina Samuel, Jr. Elaine Maldonado, Jr. Gina Loy, Jr. Courtney Goldenberg, Jr. Allyshia Duberstein, So. Samantha Ono, Fr. Lauren D’Souza, Fr. Veronica Walinski
Team outlook: The Vikings have had several notable departures in the last two years. Taylor Louis, a 2014 Niles North graduate, and Amanda Green, a 2015 graduate, now play at Marquette and Mike Cott, the Vikings’ coach from 2008-14, left to become the Maine West coach. According to new coach Terri Vander Jeugdt, Niles North faces a rebuilding season in 2015. Dwyer and Yonan are expected to lead a young Vikings team. Vander Jeugdt believes the team’s assets are its athleticism and the players’ ability to play multiple positions.
“We are a new team and we are rebuilding and we are a young team, but the one positive thing that I think is going to help us a lot is these girls don’t just have one particular position,” Vander Jeugdt said. “All the players are utility players. They are great in all positions.”
Todd Marver is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.