Evanston
Coach: Mallory Thelander
2015 record: 16-20, lost to Glenbrook South in a Class 4A regional semifinal
Key returners: None
Outlook: Experience, or lack thereof, is Evanston’s biggest obstacle in 2016. The Wildkits lost all of their 2015 starters to graduation.
“One of our biggest weaknesses will be the lack of varsity experience that we have on our team this year,” said Thelander, the Wildkits’ first-year head coach. “There is a lot of work we have already done and will continue to do in these first few weeks to make up for that lack of experience.”
Keep an eye on: Clara Siebert is set to play a big role on a very young team. After playing part time on the right side in 2015, the junior has “shown a lot of improvement from last season,” according to Thelander, and should get far more playing time.
One of her greatest gifts is her versatility: She can start at any front-row position.
“Clara will provide us with a lot of options offensively, especially in the beginning of the season,” Thelander said.
Glenbrook South
Coach: Kelly Dorn
2015 record: 19-18 (7-3 Central Suburban South), lost to Loyola in a Class 4A regional final
Key returners: Sr. OH Sarah Wojick, Sr. OH Julia Rytel, Sr. DS Abbey Ireton
Outlook: The Titans will be under the direction of Dorn, who is in her first year at Glenbrook South after having served as an assistant coach at New Trier. Dorn inherits a senior-laden club that she said is capable of capturing a regional title. To win the regional, Dorn said Glenbrook South will likely need newcomers Victoria Piecha, a junior outside hitter, and Logan Steenbergen, a sophomore, to contribute.
Keep an eye on: The Titans’ top player is Wojick, a Miami (Ohio) recruit. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter had 93 kills and a 42.3 kill percentage in an injury-shortened 2015 campaign.
“She’s amazing,” Dorn said. “She leads the way in what I think is a really good core group. They’ve been together many years and they’ve played together outside of high school. They just know the game and they know how to win.”
Maine South
Coach: Allison Groessl
2015: lost to Schaumburg in a Class 4A regional semifinal
Key returners: Sr. S Stacey Sremac, So. S Katie Carmichael
Outlook: Maine South will be in a transition year with a new coach and plenty of new faces. One of the few familiar faces is Sremac, who said she’s optimistic about the new players in the program.
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“I felt like last year we didn’t really stick with it — we kind of lost motivation and shut down if something didn’t go our way,” Sremac said. “I feel like we were really intense last year and this year we’ve got a new batch of girls and everyone seems to be really lighthearted and really good. So hopefully we can keep our motivation solid throughout the season.”
Though the Hawks offense might struggle, their defense should be a strength, Sremac said.
Keep an eye on: Groessl returns to her alma mater to take over a program she was a part of for four years. Groessl, who played college basketball at Carthage in Kenosha, Wis., says she’s excited to return home.
“It’s amazing being back at Maine South,” Groessl said. “I loved being a Hawk back in the day. Running into past coaches and teachers has made this transition wonderful. I am excited to be back on the court winning games, now just in a different way.”
Groessl takes over for Joe Bangit, who served as the head coach for one year. Groessl emphasized that this season would not be about wins and losses, but rather, instilling a culture to build off of going forward. Sremac said the players have already bought in.
“I think she understands how the program works and what needs to be done for us to do well and I think she’s got everything really figured out,” Sremac said. “She’s really organized about it and I think she understands what playing for Maine South is and she really understands the culture.”
New Trier
Coach: Hannah Hsieh
2015 record: 32-6 (10-0 Central Suburban South), lost to Loyola in a Class 4A sectional final
Key returners: Sr. MH Callie Fauntleroy
Outlook: The Trevians, perennially a top program, had 11 seniors on last year’s team who have since graduated. Hsieh said she feels good about the Trevians’ ability to replace those players.
“Our returners and the new players have lots of volleyball experience despite their age,” Hsieh said in an email. “We are looking to be competitive regardless of age or varsity experience.”
Keep an eye on: The graduation of 11 seniors opened up plenty of spots, including for five sophomores who made varsity. That is unusual at New Trier, Hsieh said, but she expects her Class of 2019 players to contribute right away. After all, she noted, they all played four to five years of club volleyball.
“They are a solid group with good skills and will be contributing to the growth of the team,” Hsieh said.
Niles North
Coach: Terri Vander Jeugdt
2015: Lost to New Trier in a Class 4A regional semifinal
Key returners: Sr. MH Isis Evans, Jr. OH Alyssa Aragon, So. OH Veronica Walinski
Outlook: The Vikings only graduated two starters from last year’s team, but one of them was Carolyn Dwyer, a key outside hitter. Vander Jeugdt said she expects Walinski and Aragon to replace Dwyer. Evans, a third-year varsity player, is a mobile blocker who brings court sense and leadership to the fold, according to Vander Jeugdt.
Keep an eye on: Vernon Hills moves into the Central Suburban North this year, sending the Vikings from the conference’s North division to its South division. The Central Suburban South features bigger schools like New Trier and Evanston.
Vander Jeugdt believes that teams from schools with large enrollments who take her Vikings lightly “are going to be surprised,” she said. “We maybe have six kids that play on a club team, where all of the players at some of the CSL teams are high-level club players. But we have the mental toughness to be more than competitive. We’re going to play aggressive and play in defensive mode.”
Niles West
Coach: Stacy Metoyer
2015 record: 21-11 (5-5 Central Suburban South), lost in a Class 4A regional semifinal to Rolling Meadows
Key returners: Sr. S Eleni Balourdos, Sr. OH Kaila Johanson, So. OH Natalia Pehar, Jr. M Nicole Zelazko, Sr. DS Bianca Tomuta
Outlook: Niles West returns the core of last year’s team. The Wolves will possess a prolific offense, according to Metoyer, with talented outside hitters in Johanson and Pehar. Metoyer said her main concern is her team’s ability to serve with consistency.
Keep an eye on: Balourdos, who is entering her third season as the team’s primary setter, makes the offense go. The 5-foot-8 Balourdos will once again have plenty of options to set to, including Johanson and Pehar. Last season she had 1,528 assists, 109 digs, 66 aces and 38 blocks for the Wolves.
“She’s been an all-conference performer for us and has been a key in running our offense the last three years,” Metoyer said. “So we’ll rely heavily on her.”
Jonah L. Rosenblum, Gary Larsen and Brett Christie are freelance reporters for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @BChristieDTH and @jonahlrosenblum
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