Scouting Tri-Cities area girls volleyball teams
Aurora Central
Coach: Jeanne Czipri
Last year: 11-22
Top players: Natalie Steinwart (S, jr.); Rachel Miller (MH, jr.); Kendra Bradley (DS, sr.); Ashley Bohr (DS, sr.); Lauren Buba (MH, sr.)
Outlook: The Chargers enter the season with optimism behind first-year coach Czipri. Among the newcomers to watch include Vivian Fitzgerald, a senior outside hitter who transferred from St. Francis. Czipri expects Fitzgerald "to be a heavy force from the outside." The Chargers also welcome junior transfer Erin Traczek, also an outside hitter, and sophomores Victoria Swigart (RH), Ashley Wilk (OH) and Kendall Adams (OH). Junior setter Natalie Steinwart is in charge of quarterbacking a strong offense and has two years prior experience on ACC's varsity, while Rachel Miller, Lauren Buba and Katie Herbig are all challenging for the starting middle positions. Defensively, seniors Ashley Bohr and Kendra Bradley and junior Katherine Chandler will be competing for Libero. And Aurora Central will be doing all this in the first year of the Suburban Christian Conference, which Czipri is excited about. "The new conference and its two divisions will add a dynamic element to our regular season play, especially with the two crossover matches," Czipri said. "(We) are hoping to face some solid competition within the conference and in tournaments and invites. Being new to the program and the conference, I am very unfamiliar with most of our opponents, which I believe is a good thing. I can focus on what our team specifically needs to do to win and achieve our potential, and not worry as much about our competition."
Aurora Christian
Coach: Nicole Andersen
Last year: 19-14, 5-3 in PSL, lost regional opener.
Top players: Ashley Ilseman (sr.); Mallory Gilkey (sr.)
Outlook: Anderson has a good place for the Eagles to start with her top two returnees. "Ashley is a powerful left-handed attacker with a competitive edge," Anderson said. "Mallory is also a varsity returner and combining her game knowledge with off-season hard work we expect big things from her this year." Andersen has installed Aim for Perfection - Be of One Mind as the team's theme. "This year's ACS team is not what I expected at the end of last season," Andersen said. "With injury plaguing preseason we find ourselves bonding more than ever as we fight to improve Aurora Christian's record. We'll rely heavily on our defense going into the beginning of season and as players return we expect things to fall in place offensively at just the right time." The Eagles are making the move from the Private School League to the Suburban Christian Conference. "I can't wait to see where we fit in the new SCC conference," Andersen said. "I am projecting us in the upper half of our division."
Batavia
Coach: Lori Trippi-Payne
Last year: 22-14, 11-3, second in conference; lost to Bartlett in regional semifinals.
Top players: Ashlee Colby (sr., DS); Mary Nilles (so., S/RS); Katie Rueffer (sr., S/RS/MH); Kelsey VandenBorn (sr., MH).
Outlook: Beginning her 23rd year as head coach at Batavia, nobody brings more enthusiasm to the area high school volleyball scene as Trippi-Payne. This year will be no different, even while Batavia tries to replace several key starters and eight total seniors in a conference that many of its opponents are bringing back a lot of their best players. Sycamore and Geneva return veteran teams, while DeKalb did not graduate a starter and features one of the best players in the nation in Courtney Thomas. "As it has been in the past few years, the final Western Sun race could be decided in the last week of play," Trippi-Payne said. "We may be able to sneak in a win here or there on those programs to make it interesting. Our team has set a goal to compete in the top three of conference this year." To do that, Batavia has a mix of all four classes, including freshman Kristen Koncelik (5-11, MH/OH) and four sophomores. Koncelik joins Nilles, who was on varsity last year, and others like former stars Laura Doolin and Emma Lucia in making the varsity from Day 1. "We will be much younger this year," Trippi-Payne said. "However, this group works very hard, and with an extra week to our preseason this year (Batavia's season opener is not until Sept. 2), and 6 nonconference matches before we open the conference season, we will be ready to play." Trippi-Payne said with 10 newcomers practices have been very competitive from players trying to earn a starting spot. "They are making these decisions very tough," Trippi-Payne said.
Geneva
Coach: K.C. Johnsen
Last year: 30-8, Western Sun champions.
Top players: Lauren Wicinski (sr., OH); Kelsey Augustine (sr., MB); Katie Sommer (sr., MB); Alexa Sommer (sr., OH/MB); Maddie Kolquist (sr., RS/OH); Grace Burns (sr., L); Shannon O'Neal (sr., RS); Andi Fowler (sr., DS).
Outlook: The Vikings suffered a tough blow before the season started, losing setter Megan Odenthal to a torn ACL. Odenthal had 863 assists last year, another excellent one for the Vikings that saw them win the Glenbard West invite for the first time, and claim regional and conference titles. The good news is that many of the players Odenthal set those assists to are returning, led by the NIU-bound Wicinski and Augustine, who will play next year at SIU-Edwardsville. Those two and Katie Sommer combined for 816 kills, with Wicinski's 380 a school record. Augustine also set a Geneva mark with 73 aces as the Vikings hit 30 wins for the third time in school history. While Geneva has plenty of returning talent, the Vikings also welcome in newcomers Brooke Morphis, Riley Sullivan, Brooke Binnette, Sarah Duever, Holly Stimac and Ashley Boser. Alexa Sommer, a varsity player as a freshman and sophomore, returns after missing her junior season with a back injury.
Kaneland
Coach: Todd Weimer
Last year: 13-21, 5-9 in Western Sun Conference.
Top players: Abby VanDerHeyden (sr., OH); Alyssa Snyder (sr., MH); Jess Lubic (jr., S/RS).
Outlook: The Knights are looking for their final year in the Western Sun Conference to be one of their best and try to crack the top half of the standings. Kaneland pushed Burlington Central to three games in the postseason last year, the same Rocket team that went on to finish third in the state. "It's going to be a battle all year long," said Weimer, who over the summer also landed the St. Charles North boys volleyball coaching job. "Everyone will have to be on their toes." The newcomers include Taylor Bradbury (jr., S/RS), Mackenzie Curran (jr., MH), and sophomore outside hitter Katy Dudzinski and sophomore libero Kylie Siebert. "Heart will be our strength this year," Weimer said. "We have the desire to be very good this season and a need to go far in the state series."
Rosary
Coach: Lisa Kasper
Last year: 28-12, 10-4, second in conference; lost to St. Francis in sectional final.
Top players: Emily Weber (sr. OH); Lindsey Juriga (jr., S), Amy Kus (jr. MH); Haley Norris (jr., L); Mia Wegman (so., OH).
Outlook: The Royals enter a new conference with the same goals they always have under Kasper - a lot of victories and competing with the best programs around. Rosary will bring back five starters hoping to unseat St. Francis. "Hopefully we will continue to have the success this year as we have had in the past," Kasper said. "Our goal is another 25-plus win season and to finish in the top three in our new conference." The top newcomer could be sophomore setter Abby Konovodoff. The Royals will be joined in their half of the Suburban Christian by St. Francis, St. Edward and Marian - all familiar foes from the Suburban Catholic - and also newcomers from the Private School League Wheaton Academy and Chicago Christian. Rosary also plays its typically strong schedule outside the conference with tournaments at Plainfield North, Waubonsie Valley, Wheaton Warrenville South and St. Charles East's Mizuno Cup, and they also will play the defending state champion Saints in a nonconference game.
St. Charles East
Coach: Jennie Kull
Last year: 38-4, won Class 4A state title.
Top players: Caroline Niski (sr., OH); Jacqui Seidel (sr., S/OH); Olivia Desormey (jr., MH); Meghan Niski (so., OH); Maisy Mulvey (so., DS)
Outlook: The Saints program is on a serious roll, following up a third-place finish in state in 2007 by bringing home the program's second state title last year (the first came in 2001). Expectations are sky high again, led by two seniors who already have committed to Division I colleges. Niski is headed to Maryland and Seidel Ball State. Caroline's younger sister Meghan heads five sophomores who will play key roles. "We have a lot of core kids coming back," St. Charles East coach Jennie Kull said. "Obviously we're missing a setter. A huge loss. But we're going to build on what we have and hopefully by end of the season it will come together." The setter Kull speaks of is Laura Homann, now at Syracuse. While Seidel - who likely will set at Ball State - is a natural there, Kull wants her to hit, too. "We like to use her in other positions," Kull said. "We'll probably have someone set her because she's a weapon herself."
St. Charles North
Coach: Lindsey Hawkins
Last year: 20-17, lost to York in the Lake Park regional final.
Top players: Olivia Schneider (sr., S); Jen Ask (sr. OH); Miranda Coello (jr., L); Karlie Giesler (sr., S/RS); Kim Juriga (so., OH); Jillian Stolzenburg (so., MB); Katie Fuerst (jr., OH); Allie VanDril (sr., MB); Emma Headley (sr., RS).
Outlook: The North Stars welcome a new coach in Hawkins, who replaces Lindsay Trudell after her six years on the job. "I love it," Hawkins said. "This is the type of volleyball that every coach wants to coach. A very high level." VanDril, Giesler and Ask are among some of the players who bring experience to the roster, one that's deep enough that Hawkins believes she'll get contributions from everyone. "Very, very high expectations," Hawkins said. "We have a group of girls who are willing to do just about anything to win. And they believe in themselves. I am confident in all 11 of our girls. Right now it is a matter of me finding the best spot for each girl." The North Stars got their season started this week with losses to top programs York and Benet, both in two games. The early games have given Hawkins a chance to see what the North Stars need to work on. "Half the time our passes are there and half the time they are not," Hawkins said. "We're just really looking for a good lineup right now. We've got so much talent we don't know what to do with it." One thing Hawkins, a St. Charles High School graduate, knows - she loves her team's attitude. "The one thing I really like about this group of girls is they never give up," Hawkins said. "They are going to fight and they are going to keep taking it to you for as long as possible. And one of these times it's going to pay off."
West Aurora
Coach: Kari Nicholson
Outlook: The Blackhawks welcome in one of the best freshman in the area, 5-foot-11 setter Lauren Carlini. She's earned All-American honors playing club volleyball. Last year's team had several juniors like Devin Vaughn, Kiara Towles, Whitney Holbrook and Paige Rosenbergh, and now this year's varsity will have eight seniors. The Blackhawks open their season Monday at Geneva.