This 6-foot senior middle blocker was a key to Crystal Lake South's 23-7 regular season. Committed to Quincy University, Atkinson entered regional play this week with 105 kills, 26 aces, 54 digs and 75 total blocks. "Brittany leads by example," Gators coach Jorie Fontana said. "She's very consistent. Her serve receive passing is excellent. You can always depend that her head's in the game and she'll do her part."

This sophomore stepped into the role of starting libero earlier this season when third-year libero Margie Haggenjos was moved to right-side hitter to fill a need. Ayello's quick first step allowed her to make 244 digs, including a season-high 21 digs against 2008 Class 3A runner-up Burlington Central. She also made 275 serve receive passes to ignite the St. Edward offense. "She has been playing amazing," Green Wave coach Jaime Dovichi said. "She is just so fast. She's like a little water bug. It's really working out for our team. Katie stepped right in at the libero spot without skipping a beat."

Jessica Benson Westminster Christian

A 5-foot-9 middle blocker, this senior was the pivotal player in the Warriors' 22-11 regular season. Benson entered regional tournament play this week with team highs in kills (202) and digs (126), 18 blocks and 22 assists. She also recorded 66 aces in 274 service attempts (24.1 percent). "She is our go-to hitter when we need more offense out of the front row or back row," Westminster Christian coach Guy Lum said. "She excels in our back-row defense, fearlessly keeping everything up that comes to her."

Hannah Burkle Crystal Lake South

A 6-foot-2 middle blocker, this junior cuts an imposing swath at the net. "Hannah is a force to be reckoned with," Gators coach Jorie Fontana said. "When she's on she really is unstoppable. I've seen girls just back away from her when she's serving and when she's hitting and definitely when she puts up a block." Burkle completed the regular season with 59 blocks, 130 kills and 28 aces.

Amanda Carroll Huntley

A two-time all-area selection, this senior setter runs the show for the improved Red Raiders, who entered regional play this week with a record of 26-9. Bound for the University of South Carolina Upstate, she finished the regular season with 585 assists, spreading the ball between a variety of hitters, many of them underclassmen. "Amanda has really been the focal point of our team as our setter, kind of like our quarterback," Huntley coach Michelle Jakubowski said. Carroll has also contributed 63 kills, 39 aces and 140 digs.

Amy Dion Huntley

Honorable mention all-area as a freshman, this fleet-footed sophomore libero joins the first team after a spectacular regular season in which she led the area with 380 digs. "She picks up everything," Huntley coach Michelle Jakubowski said. "She passes and serve receives so well, and people still serve to her, which is nice for us. We try to work everything so she digs the ball for us. She's definitely our emotional leader." A two-year varsity starter, Dion also added 45 kills and served 45 aces.

Margie Haggenjos St. Edward

A three-year varsity starter and captain of the Green Wave, this versatile junior moved from her natural position of libero to right-side hitter early in the season. St. Edward has become a more formidable team as Haggenjos has grown accustomed to hitting. She finished the regular season with 42 kills while notching 206 digs and 233 successful serve receive passes. "She has the most court sense on the team and she's our most versatile player, so having her on the floor for six rotations was good for us," St. Edward coach Jaime Dovichi said. "She's such a smart player."

Lindsey Hedl Elgin

A four-year varsity starter and two-time captain of the Maroons, this senior libero finished the regular season with 246 digs and a solid 2.5 passer ratio. An all-tournament selection this season at Jacobs, Hersey and DeKalb, Hedl also contributed 89 kills and 38 aces with an 86-percent serving success rate. "She's our go-to girl both on offense and defense," Elgin coach Keith Foster said. "She really led our team on the court. She's a great leader and a great girl."

A three-time All-Area selection committed to Jacksonville State, this senior setter captained Valley Division champion Cary-Grove to one of the finest regular-season records in school history (31-4). Already the school record holder for assists in a season and a career, she finished her fourth year as a varsity starter with an area-best 696 assists to go along with 181 digs and 74 blocks. "She does things I'd love to take credit for as a coach but I can't," Trojans coach Patty Langanis said. "She designs some of the moves she does on her own in play. She's leads this team on the court and off it brilliantly, in season and out."

A four-year all-area selection named all-state as a junior, this 5-foot-113/4 Northwestern-bound outside hitter is one of the most effective and feared hitters in Fox Valley area history. As a senior she posted a phenomenal hitting efficiency of .503 (417 kills in 733 attempts) for the second straight season, even though she faced double and triple blocks in every match. The most well-rounded player in the area, she also recorded 212 digs, 44 blocks and made only 20 errors in 374 serve receive attempts. Of her 295 jump serves, 92 were aces (31 percent). She will train this December at the U.S. Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Central coach Marv Leavitt, who has coached over 30 Division I players and several all-staters said of Holthus "She is the best player I have ever coached. There is no comparison."

Formerly a role player for Cary-Grove, this senior outside hitter exploded at midseason and became a force for the Trojans. She finished the regular season with 151 kills, 31 aces, 174 digs and 57 blocks for the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division champions. Klinger took over in a victory against rival Crystal Lake South, when she hammered down a season-high 14 kills. "She's given us more this season than we ever could have hoped for," Cary-Grove coach Patty Langanis said, "and that's a lot of the reason for our great success this season."

A four-year starter and captain of the Storm, this senior middle blocker thrived in the latter of the season, thanks to improved passing that allowed South Elgin to set the middle. Krause finished the regular season with 207 kills and a .264 hitting efficiency. She also 45 blocks to go with 36 aces. Also a four-year basketball player and a softball player for the past two seasons, this smart player ranks second in her senior class. "Alyssa has set a high standard for what it means to be an athlete at South Elgin High School," Storm coach Joni Melahn said. "Her work ethic and enthusiasm for everything she does will be remembered for years to come."

A two-time All-Area selection, this three-year starter erupted in her junior season to lead the Trojans with 305 kills. A highly sought-after Division-I prospect, the outside hitting six-footer also made 150 digs, 68 blocks and served 77 aces for a team that ended the regular season with a record of 31-4 and a Valley Division title in the Fox Valley Conference. "She's always been a strong player, but this year she really came into her own and became a leader on the team," Cary-Grove coach Patty Langanis said. "She brings so much power and court sense to the floor. It's incredible to think what kind of player she'll be by the end of next year."

The captain of the Golden Eagles was their best all-around player during the regular season. The junior outside hitter entered regional tournament play with 170 kills, 201 digs, a 2.2 passer rating, 11 solo blocks and 27 assisted blocks. A 95-percent server, she delivered 24 aces. Perhaps Lesner's best attribute is her never-give-up attitude. "She's so positive," Jacobs coach Lisa Dwyer said. "She carries the weight for our team and doesn't want to make any mistakes. She keeps us together defensively and doesn't let balls hit the floor. She keeps us together."

The success of this junior setter allowed the Whip-Purs to run one of the more unpredictable attacks in Class 3A, in concert with four-year starting setter Kara Wehrs. She entered this week's regional tournament with 275 assists and 132 digs. Her play is characterized by maximum effort on every point. "She's the kind of player who practices and plays all out," Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse said. "In practice I have to tell her to take it easy sometimes because there's no need to break your neck going through bleachers to save a ball. She's a quiet player who leads by example."

A three-time All-Area selection and a four-year starter for the Hawks, this outside hitting 6-footer led the Fox Valley area in kills through the end of the regular season with 422 in 848 attempts (.357 efficiency). Committed to Tennessee, Sahagian demonstrated her all-around prowess by making only 22 errors in 254 serve receptions while leading her team in digs (144) and aces (58) in 192 attempts (30.2 percent). She also contributed 24 solo blocks and 15 assists. "She was definitely our go-to player," Bartlett coach Brandon Mueller said. "She probably gets about 70 percent of the sets, so as she goes we go. Our team really relies on her and she is by far one of the hardest workers in the gym."

A 5-foot-9 outside hitter, this senior led the Gators (23-7) with 187 kills through the end of the regular season. A six-rotation player, she also made 145 digs to go with 20 blocks and 48 aces. "This year she's been our all-around girl," Crystal Lake South coach Jorie Fontana said. "She comes through even when she's not on. Her head is always in the game and she gives 100 percent. She throws her body all over the floor and gets digs you didn't think were possible. Her growth in four years here has really been tremendous."

This senior outside hitter, committed to Niagara, made opponents pay for double blocking teammate Stephanie Holthus. A transfer from Florida as a junior, Scully completed the regular season with 176 kills and a .279 hitting efficiency. She also made 166 digs, 34 blocks and served 54 aces for the Big Northern-East co-champions. "Taylor has had a fantastic year," Rockets coach Marv Leavitt said. "She does so much for us. Her hitting has really improved this year and her passing has gotten really consistent. We're really a two-person team as far as who gets all of our kills."

Though not the tallest setter in the area at 5-foot-5, this junior was one of the most effective. Sirovatka directed a balanced attack, dishing out 510 assists through the end of the regular season. She also contributed 63 digs. "She has been our sparkplug, the person who constantly gets us on a level playing field whether our passing or our energy is off," Gators coach Jorie Fontana said. "She gets us back to even and often better than that. She's consistent and dependable in her sets, which is comforting for the players."

This sophomore outside hitter grew into a force for the up-and-coming Red Raiders this season. When the match was on the line, setter Amanda Carroll could always count on Smith to give Huntley a much-needed point. "She has definitely stepped up since her freshman year," Red Raiders coach Michelle Jakubowski said. "She's the one we give the ball to when we need a point." Through the conclusion of the regular season, Smith had a team-high 237 kills to her credit to go along with 30 aces.

Committed to Indiana University as a setter, this junior emerged as a force for the Fox Valley (Valley) champions as an outside hitter in her first season as a varsity starter. She contributed in every area with 73 kills, 113 assists, 131 digs and 106 blocks. "With Colleen on the court we gain so much speed we can play with," Cary-Grove coach Patty Langanis said. "She adds so much to our team because with her we can run a quick offense with two setters on the court. On top of what she brings with her great setting hands, she's become a dynamic hitter. And she's a huge block."

A four-time All-Area selection, this powerful outside hitter led the Whip-Purs yet again with 293 kills. The Kansas-bound senior demonstrated her all-around ability by posting 197 digs and 51 aces. "Amy is one of the smartest hitters in the area," Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse said. "She knows how to score for us and is just an extremely confident player. When the game is on the line, Amy is the one asking for the ball. The other teams know where we're going and they still can't shut her down."

A three-time All-Area selection committed to Kansas, this setter directs a dynamic offense and has 358 assists heading into regional tournament play. The four-year starter hit opposite of twin sister Amy this season and posted 259 kills to go with 132 digs and 37 aces. Prepvolleyball.com ranked her as the No. 44 prospect nationally among this year's senior class. "In my five years of coaching, Kara is probably the hardest worker and most humble athlete I've coached," Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse said. "She developed not just as a player but a leader."