Tri-Cities volleyball year in review

Aurora Central

Final record: 29-8, Suburban Catholic Conference Gold champions.

Postseason: Lost to Rosary 25-23, 25-17 in Class 3A Aurora Central regional championship.

Players to watch in 2011: Kendall Adams, jr., MH; Victoria Swigart, jr., RH; Ashley Wilk, jr., OH.

Season wrap: For the second straight year under second-year coach Jeanne Czipri, the Chargers set a program record for wins and won a SCC Gold title. While there is no doubt the Chargers have some big shoes to fill like All-Area setter Natalie Steinwart, there's also no doubt the enthusiastic Czipri has this program heading in the right direction. “From where this program has come to be able to have a game with a team like that (Rosary) in a regional final in two years is huge,” Czipri said. “For a program that hasn't won a lot, we are making the strides we need to.”

Batavia

Record: 32-6, 6-0 in the Upstate Eight Conference River Division.

Postseason: Won UEC River Division title. Won Class 4A Geneva regional. Lost 25-19, 25-23 to York in Class 4A Bartlett sectional semifinals.

Players to watch in 2011: Mary Nilles, jr., S/RS; Meghan Fabian, jr., DS; Kristen Koncelik, so., MH; Kaytlin St. Clair, jr., MH; Mary Kate Bryant, jr., S/RS; Stephanie Kinae, jr., L; Haleigh Theuerkauf, jr., RS.

Season wrap: A truly special season for Lori Trippi-Payne's Bulldogs, who won their first conference championship since 2005. Their regional title was just the second in school history. Didn't lose a conference match. The scary news? They could be even better in 2011 especially if they find someone to replace all Caitlin Piechota's powerful kills and general all-around strong play. “Everything these kids have accomplished has been incredible,” Trippi-Payne said. “These kids fought hard all year. It was a lot of fun working with them, seeing them fight. Everything we achieved, a 32-win season? What a credit to these girls, how hard they worked. How much adversity we went through, give these kids credit for stepping up this year and how well we played all season long. That's why we were so good is their work ethic.”

Geneva

Record: 23-14, 3-3 in the Upstate Eight Conference River Division.

Postseason: Lost 25-15, 27-25 to Batavia in Class 4A Geneva regional championship game.

Players to watch in 2011: Hannah Buck, so., OH; Ashleigh Shain, jr., L; Taylor Otto, so., MH; Melissa Hanika, jr., RH.

Season wrap: For a team that entered the season with an entirely new and smaller look, Geneva gave everything it had to get to 23 wins. The Vikings, relying on scrappy play instead of vicious hitting of years past, started out on fire, sitting at 15-2 at one point with a win over DeKalb. Geneva hit a rough patch with a 9-game losing streak before a solid finish that included a two-game win over Rosary. Geneva will welcome a sophomore team to varsity next year that went 34-1. “We won a lot of matches we weren't supposed to win and that's a credit to the girls,” Geneva coach KC Johnsen said. “I give them a ton of credit for executing and doing the things we asked them to do.”

Kaneland

Final record: 19-14, 7-3 in Northern Illinois Big 12.

Postseason: Lost 22-25, 25-20, 25-18 to Hampshire in Class 3A regional semifinals.

Players to watch in 2011: Katy Dudzinski, jr., OH; Kylie Siebert, jr., L; Grace Fabrizius, jr., OH/MH; Lauren Banbury, so., MH/RS; Malory Groen, jr., MH/RS.

Season wrap: Todd Weimer's team continued its upward swing in his sixth season, posting a winning record and several memorable moments none bigger than Kaneland's first win over Geneva in 19 years. They will miss NIU-bound setter Jessica Lubic, the program's all-time assists leader who helped the Knights improve each year starting with 3 wins in her freshman season to 19 this year. But they have a solid foundation returning including powerful outside hitter Dudzinski. “We've been working hard nonstop for six years,” Weimer said. “They put everything together. Everyone stepped up and that's what volleyball is all about.”

Rosary

Record: 26-12

Postseason: Won Class 3A Aurora Central regional, its 10th straight. Lost 25-17, 25-10 to St Francis in Class 3A Rosary sectional.

Players to watch in 2011: Amelia Wegman, jr., OH; Briana Flagg, so., OH; Marissa Prochaska, so., RH; Kate Stefanski, so., OH.

Season wrap: The Royals bounced back from a rare .500 season in 2009 to get back to the type of records coach Lisa Kasper is used to. While she loses a pair of seniors that put their names in Rosary's record books NIU-bound libero Haley Norris set the digs record while setter Lindsey Juriga's 1,366 career assists were just shy of Becky Fetter's school record 1,403. The future also looks bright for Rosary who will return most of its lineup in 2011. “Most of the season we were playing four sophomores and a couple of juniors,” Kasper said. “There's a lot to look forward to.”

St. Charles East

Record: 27-11, 5-1 in the Upstate Eight River.

Postseason: Won Class 4A Glenbard North regional, their fifth straight title. Lost 25-23, 25-23 to York in Class 4A Bartlett sectional championship game.

Players to watch in 2011: Maisey Mulvey, jr., L; Meghan Niski, jr., OH; Sarah Dugan, jr., MH; Stephanie Camper, jr., S; Nichole Lambert, jr., MH; Erienne Barry, so., S.

Season wrap: The Saints had to overcome their share of adversity this year, especially losing starting setter Barry to a knee injury during the St. Charles North match. St. Charles East also learned to play as a team more as the year went on. By the end of the season the Saints were just a handful of points away from beating York and winning a fourth straight sectional title a York team that made it to state. “We got a lot better, that is the bottom line,” Saints coach Jennie Kull said. “From the beginning we came together better as a team. One of the things we needed was chemistry and that really got better.”

St. Charles North

Record: 19-16, 4-2 in the Upstate Eight River.

Postseason: Lost to West Chicago 25-23, 24-26, 25-23 in Class 4A Conant regional championship game.

Players to watch in 2011: Jill Stolzenburg, jr., MB; Kim Juriga, jr., RS; Lauren Madziarczyk, jr., OH; Jacey Bell, jr., MB

Season wrap: The North Stars finished third in conference with losses only to champion Batavia and runner-up St. Charles East. Hovering around .500 much of the season, St. Charles North went 4-1 to finish second at the Minooka tournament late in the year and took some momentum into the postseason. Once there, St. Charles North dispatched of Wheaton Warrenville South before nearly taking out No. 1 seed West Chicago in the regional finals.

West Aurora

Record: 21-12

Postseason: Lost 25-20, 18-25, 25-17 to Oswego East in Class 4A Plainfield East regional.

Players to watch in 2011: Lauren Carlini, so., OH; Payton McKenzie, MH, so.; Kelsey Richmond, jr., LH/MB; Lauren Wilson, jr., MB.

Season wrap: Only Batavia's 11-game jump in wins surpassed the improvement West Aurora made after a 14-20 record last year. (Rosary also made a 7-win improvement.) The Blackhawks climbed to third in the DuPage Valley Conference and have a promising nucleus returning to do even better next year, led by Wisconsin commit Carlini. “I had a core group of seniors that were great motivators,” West Aurora coach Kari Nicholson said. “A junior middle hitter that is phenomenal, a junior outside hitter that is phenomenal and three sophomores that are putting it down.”