Metea Valley looks to be pushed by Oswego for area supremacy at the start, but don’t count out St. Charles North, Geneva or Kaneland.
Top 10 Teams
1. Metea Valley (28-9): Senior setter Katie Schuele (East Carolina), the DuPage Valley Conference’s reigning player of the year, leads experienced team seeking fourth straight regional title. Senior libero Addison Torain (Winthrop) moves back to outside hitter and will team up front with fellow all-conference picks in junior middle Olivia Stewart and senior outside Maddie Hopkins.
2. Oswego (29-7): A senior quartet of returnees are led by outside hitters Sidney Hamaker (Long Beach State), who had a program-record 392 kills), and Mia Jurkovic (Western Michigan), who added 242 kills. With setter Ava Flanigan and right-side hitter Kelsey Foster also back in the fold, Panthers look to return to sectional semifinal or beyond.
3. St. Charles North (23-14): Looking for a good place to start? How about junior outside hitter and Haley Burgdorf (Penn State), who had 344 kills last season. She’s the favorite target of junior setter Mia McCall. Injuries last year helped players like junior middle hitter Sidney Wright gain valuable experience.
4. Geneva (24-13): Five seniors return for the Vikings, with 6-foot-3 middle hitter Fiona Turnbull (Georgetown) and 5-11 right-side hitter Samantha Vanda (Milwaukee) topping that list. Outside Lillian Hallahan, setter Bridget Feichter and libero Sophia Broderick also bring back experience.
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5. Kaneland (27-11): Knights graduated 10 seniors from sectional semifinalist that lost to St. Laurence in three games. Success could hinge upon the return of 5-11 middle hitter Morgan Beam, an all-conference choice who suffered an ulnar collateral ligament elbow injury in club.
6. Bartlett (20-14): Senior middle hitter Martyna Sowiak, who had 145 kills and 80 blocks last season, returns to lead Hawks in revamped and expanded Upstate Eight Conference. Expect a lot from senior Ashlyn Lomax, who will move from the right side to outside hitter.
7. Waubonsie Valley (17-19): Senior right-side hitter Naomi Dowd (Northern Illinois), a returning all-conference selection, headlines solid group of veteran players that include senior outside hitters Kaitlyn Reinhard and Ava Bellafiore, senior libero Asia Mitchell and junior setter Hannah Krause for team on the rise in DuPage Valley Conference.
8. Burlington Central (20-16): Leah Freesemann (Campbell), a 6-2 senior outside hitter, and 5-8 senior libero Brianna Gritzman, who’s on the cusp of reaching 1,000 digs, highlight strong group of returnees as Rockets will be looking to move up the Fox Valley Conference standings.
9. Harvest Christian (23-10): Seniors include outside hitters Alyssa Burke and Kenzie Weidman, along with setter Ella Schoenberg and sophomore middle hitter Malea Learned, from team that made run to the supersectional before losing to eventual Class 1A state champ Galena.
10. Aurora Christian (20-10-2): Eagles tout a powerful hitter in 6-1 junior Hope Wagner, plus a four-year varsity veteran in Madalynn Johnson, who plays multiple positions, and junior setter Breanna Hard. It could have this team ready for an extended postseason run.
The 25 Players to Watch
- Grace Bach, South Elgin, senior, middle hitter.
- McKenna Bremner, Batavia, senior, setter/right-side hitter.
- Haley Burgdorf, St. Charles North, junior, outside hitter.
- Naomi Dowd, Waubonsie Valley, senior, outside hitter.
- Brianna Gritzman, Burlington Central, senior, libero.
- Sidney Hamaker, Oswego, senior, outside hitter.
- Breanna Hard, Aurora Christian, junior, setter.
- Mia Jurkovic, Oswego, senior, outside hitter.
- Elizabeth King, Hampshire, junior, outside hitter.
- Adrianna Larson, Newark, senior, outside hitter.
- Rita Lauro, Plano, senior, setter/opposite.
- Mia McCall, St. Charles North, junior, setter.
- Clare McEniry, Rosary, senior, outside hitter/right-side hitter.
- Kaleigh McQuillen, St. Charles East, senior, middle hitter.
- Maureen Pokryfke, West Aurora, senior, outside hitter.
- Teagan Rokos, Batavia, senior, libero.
- Katie Schuele, Metea Valley, senior, setter.
- Londyn Scott, Sandwich, senior, middle hitter.
- Martyna Sowiak, Bartlett, senior, middle hitter.
- Olivia Stewart, Metea Valley, junior, middle hitter.
- Fiona Turnbull, Geneva, senior, middle hitter.
- Addison Torain, Metea Valley, senior, outside hitter.
- Samantha Vanda, Geneva, senior, right-side hitter.
- Hope Wagner, Aurora Christian, junior, outside hitter.
- Charlee Young, Yorkville, senior, outside hitter.