Girls volleyball: The Fox Valley all-area team

Kristen Bergquist Huntley

When the Red Raiders needed a point, they could always depend on their senior co-captain to deliver from the outside. "She was the leader of our team," said second-year Huntley coach Michelle Jakubowski. "By far she was our firepower. She felt like she had a lot of pressure on her this season, but she worked so hard to keep the team going." A balanced player who played all the way around the rotation, Bergquist finished her final season in red and black with 281 kills and 45 aces.

Kathleen Collingbourne Dundee-Crown

How's this for dependable? In four years as a varsity starter, Collingbourne never missed a match and only missed part of one practice due to a college visit. An outside hitter by trade, this senior also developed into one of the Chargers' best defenders this season, thereby helping her team set a new school record for wins with 25. Collingbourne set a school record by successfully making the dig on 81 percent of her chances. "Not only did she lead our team in digs, but she was our best serve-receive passer," said Chargers coach Tracy Williams. "She was a true leader on the floor and a great example off it, a great player to have for four years." Collingbourne, led the team with 48 aces and remained a three-sport athlete (baskeball, softball) throughout her high school career.

Ashley Doherty Prairie Ridge

A four-year starter for the Wolves, this senior graduates as the only starter in Prairie Ridge history to win three sectional titles ('04, '05, '07), a run that included back-to-back state runner-up finishes in 2004 and 2005. A 6-foot tall middle blocker, Doherty's 296 kills, .315 hitting percentage, kill efficiency of .471, 61 aces and 153 digs were important to the team's success. So were her less quantifiable skills. "It was nice to see her leadership develop this year," Wolves coach Stefanie Otto said of the team's co-captain. "Ashley cared about this team and worked hard to make sure everybody got along. She has a very gentle heart and is very encouraging."

Kristen Haggenjos St. Edward

Any outside hitter at St. Edward has big shoes to fill. In the tradition of 2004 honorary all-area captain Alyssa Groves and two-time all-area selection Kayla Leyden comes Haggenjos, an outside hitter with the ability to change the course of a match with her intimidating arm swing. After moving into the role of No. 1 hitter after Leyden's graduation, Haggenjos' made her mark as St. Edward's offensive sparkplug in her junior season. She recorded a team-best 319 kills (9 kills per match) with a kill efficiency of .315. A team captain, she could play defense, too, as evidenced by her team best 330 digs. "It's awesome to see the confidence in her this year," St. Edward coach Jaime Walton said. "She's level-headed, a determined player and a good leader."

Emily Hayes Bartlett

Hayes, a junior, had played middle blocker until this season, when she accepted a switch to outside hitter to complement sophomore scoring machine Carly Sahagian. "She was indispensable," said first-year Bartlett coach Jill Bergmann of the 6-foot-1 Hayes. "She had played middle since junior high, and I don't think she was ever upset about changing. She played all the way around for us. Without her we would have been a lot more predictable. An All-Upstate Eight Conference honorable mention selection, Hayes posted 149 kills (.306 hitting efficiency), 30 block kills, 21 aces and made just 23 service errors in 241 attempts.

Stephanie Holthus Burlington Central

Rockets coach Marv Leavitt, who has sent 30 players on to Division-I volleyball programs, said of this sophomore outside hitter: "She is one of the most gifted athletes I've ever coached. She plays way beyond her years in school. She's just a natural. She tips and rolls the ball in ways that many players don't add to their games until college." The high praise is warranted. Despite missing 10 matches this season due to a broken foot and, later, a brief illness, Holthus still managed 237 kills and with a remarkable kill rate of 44 percent. A creative hitter who knows how to avoid a block, the 5-foot-11 Elgin resident also managed 147 digs, put 91 percent of her serves in play, notched 13 aces and failed to return serves just 13 times in 190 attempts.

Erin Johnson Crystal Lake South

A 6-foot-3 middle blocker, Johnson verbally committed to play for the University of Illinois as a sophomore last spring. Illini coach Don Hardin will eventually enjoy coaching a player Crystal Lake South coach Laura Jensen knew to be a difference-maker. "She has the ability to take over a game when we needed her to and there are few people that can stop her when she's on fire," Jensen said. "Even when she's not on fire, they have trouble stopping her." Johnson finished the season with 188 kills, polishing off 50 percent of her chances. She also blocked 227 shots, 122 of which fell for points served in play 93 percent of the time and recorded 42 aces.

Jena Karkos Hampshire

An outside hitter who plays much taller than her listed height of 5-foot-10, Karkos has been a key figure in Hampshire's successful march to Redbird Arena this fall. The three-year varsity starter enters the Class 2A semifinal with 333 kills this season to go with 220 digs and 40 blocks. "Jena hits so well that even when the other team puts up a solid block, she's still hitting over it," Whip-Purs coach Karen Whitehouse said. "She's one of the main ingredients to the success of this team. She used to be a little timid, but she has really progressed as a leader. She's done a great job for us." Karkos is a two-time Hampshire co-captain.

Jen Kondrat, Hampshire

Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse figured Kondrat's 2006 school record for digs (523) was safe this season because the Whip-Purs' block is one year older and better. But in just one more match than last season, Hampshire's libero set a new record by exactly 1 dig in Monday's supersectional win over Westmont. "She's been a four-year varsity player and I've had the privilege of watching her become one of the best liberos around in my three years as her coach," Whitehouse said. "She sets the pace for us on defense. Last year she was our team MVP. We know without Jen on our team we wouldn't be anywhere near what we are."

Alexa Kruel South Elgin

One of the best female athletes at South Elgin High School, Kruel grew as a volleyball player in 2007, according to Storm coach Joni Melahn. "She's always been very athletic, but in her senior year she really put it all together," said Melahn, a former Daily Herald All-Area honorary captain herself. "When she connected, she could put the ball away because she was able to adjust to any set. She has the power and knows it's fun to go for the big kill, but she's smart enough to know sometimes you have to put the ball in a different place." Kruel played in just 58 total games this season due to an illness and two excused absences for a funeral and the ACT. Nevertheless, she finished her senior season with 91 kills, 77 digs, 20 aces.

Morgan Kilberger Crystal Lake South

A three-year starter for the Gators, this 6-foot-1 right side helped form the intimidating front line that led Crystal Lake South to the Valley Division championship with 166 kills and 64 blocks for points. "This was Morgan's best year both physically and mentally," said Crystal Lake South coach Laura Jensen. "She's a kid who can take over a game and she did exactly that for us at times this year. She's a huge block on the right side, which makes people adjust the way they can put the ball down. Kilberger also served 20 aces. She will play next season on scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Teresa Krog Burlington Central

Burlington Central's 6-foot-1 middle hitter was a force at the net for the Rockets all season long, finishing with 89 blocks and a kill percentage of .501 (252 kills in 441 attempts). Those 252 kills led Burlington Central, which finished as conference champions in the Big Northern East, the school's first volleyball title since 1986. "Teresa had a big game at the net this year," Central coach Marv Leavitt said. "She was really strong. She not only hit with power, she knew where to place the ball." Krog demonstrated more ball control at the service line, where she led the Rockets with 48 aces and 222 service points. A varsity performer for 3½ seasons, Krog will play on scholarship next season and become a teammate of 2004 Daily Herald All-Area honorary captain Alyssa Groves at Murray State University.

Amanda Lutzow Dundee-Crown

Dundee-Crown coach Tracy Williams gave her four-year varsity starter a high compliment: "She's the whole package," Williams said. "I told her I'm so glad she doesn't play for another team because things come so easy for her. Amanda grew a lot as a person the last four years, which was very rewarding to watch." Lutzow finished her fourth varsity season with 331 kills, which broke Elaine Zybko's school record. Those kills aksi raised her career total to 864, which topped Dana Hanselman's record for kills in a career. Lutzow also set two school records for a career by putting 95 percent of her serves in play and making digs on 78 percent of her chances. The senior outside hitter finished her final high school season with 26 aces and 326 digs. "I've had some very good ones, but Amanda was undoubtedly the best player I've coached at Dundee-Crown," Williams said.

Kendall Martin Elgin

The Upstate Eight was put on notice this season: Elgin volleyball is on the comeback trail. Much of that optimism lies in the Maroons' talented, energetic freshman, who finished the season with a team-best 216 kills from her outside hitter position. The 5-foot-8 rookie was named to the all-Upstate Eight Conference honorable mention team, and her coach sees only great things ahead. "As a freshman she impressed us," first-year coach Keith Foster said. "Kendall assumed a leadership role she might not have been prepared for, but she handled as best she could. Offensively, we ran our entire offense through her and we used her as a decoy when other teams keyed on her." Martin already serves a nice floater and is working to perfect a hybrid jump floater before next season.

Sondra Parys Prairie Ridge

Prairie Ridge's strength was in the middle, where Ashley Doherty and Parys made teams wince every time they were set. Parys was particularly devastating. She led the team with 333 kills thanks to a .449 kill efficiency. But Parys was far from one-dimensional. This 6-foot-tall middle blocker also made 170 digs, served 38 aces and finished with 15 solo blocks and 55 assisted blocks. "Sondra pleasantly grew on me this year," said Prairie Ridge coach Stefanie Otto. "She's a young lady who really matured a lot this season in how she worked around her teammates and just her intensity on the court and her desire to win. I saw her grow and become more consistent. She became more focused latter half of season."

Lauren Pigatto Jacobs

Jacobs' junior middle hitter stands 5-11, but plays like she's 6-5. Outsized regularly against the taller front lines of conference rivals Crystal Lake South and Cary-Grove, Pigatto never caved. She set the bar higher for a big senior season by finishing her junior campaign with 60 blocks, 135 kills and 30 aces. "For her size she plays huge," said Jacobs coach Lisa Dwyer. "She's one of our go-to players, for sure. She gets the team fired up and has a lot of spirit. She sets the tone. When she's on, our whole team is on and follows suit with her. Next year you can expect even bigger and better things." Pigatto was named the Golden Eagles' team MVP.

Katie Post Streamwood

A unanimous all-Upstate Eight Conference selection, Post earned the title of Honorary Co-Captain of the Daily Herald's Fox Valley area by leading the Sabres with 329 kills, 53 aces, 184 digs and 43 solo blocks. Bound next fall for Ohio University on scholarship, this former three-sport athlete finished her four-year varsity careerwith 923 kills, 147 aces, 514 digs and 125 solo blocks. She is ranked No. 76 among all seniors nationwide by by prepvolleyball.com. But Post was more than just a great player. "Her leadership really showed this year," said Streamwood coach Kevin Kwon. "The other girls just love her. She cares about the younger girls and always watches the freshmen play and encourages them."

Carly Sahagian Bartlett

Bartlett's hard-hitting sophomore officially has the Upstate Eight Conference's attention. The 6-foot-tall outside hitter was named a unanimous all-UEC pick this season by league coaches after posting 231 kills to lift the Hawks to a regular-season finish of 16-16. She also finished with 34 block kills and received a perfect passer rating on 100 of 292 attempts. A well-rounded player already, Sahagian used her jump serve to record 58 topspin aces. She made 108 digs. She's also a great teammate. "Carly is one of the nicest kids," raved first-year Bartlett coach Jill Bergamann. "She is a big sweetheart, so polite, so thoughtful. You'd expect a kid with her talent to have big head on her shoulders, but not at all. She's so grounded. When we needed the ball to do down we looked for her."

Danielle Smith Cary-Grove

A determined force on the outside for the Trojans, Smith finished her season as one of the best all-around players in the Fox Valley Conference. The senior 5-foot-11 senior posted 252 kills. However, she was just as key on defense, where she finished with 377 digs, third in Cary-Grove history. In her third varsity season, Smith also notched 19 aces and 8 blocks. "Danielle's just one of those quite leaders does her job and does it well," Cary-Grove coach Patty Langanis said. "The rest of the girls respected her so much and learned from her. That kind of leadership really helped. She did all aspects of the game very well and she did them even better in tight matches and big games. You could always count on her."

Breanna Smith Cary-Grove

The other half of Cary-Grove's bookend Smith twins, Breanna patrolled the middle of the court for the Trojans en route to a 29-win season. She posted 77 blocks and put away 133 kills despite being a somewhat undersized middle at 5-11. "She might not have been the biggest middle you'll see in the Fox Valley Conference, but Breanna played with so much heart," Cary-Grove coach Patty Langanis said. "She was without a doubt the emotional leader of this team. When she stepped on the court she made things happen. She willed this team to success by the way she carried herself." Smith was a key contributor to the Trojans' upset of CL South in a regional final, thanks to her effectiveness on a one-foot takeoff that kept the block guessing. She also contributed 56 digs and 14 aces to the Trojans' cause this season.

Stephanie Thorson Dundee-Crown

Thorson blossomed into a force in the Fox Valley Conference in her second varsity season as a junior. She finished second on the team in kills behind four-year starter Amanda Lutzow, with 166 for the season. She also made 64 total blocks and put 95 percent of her serves in play. This year she played all the way around the rotation after sitting out back row as a sophomore. "Over the winter she developed into a phenomenal hitter. I couldn't believe how much she had improved," said coach Tracy Williams. "She has power and jumping ability and she can play anywhere. She started this season as a middle and played setter for a few matches because we needed her to fill in. Then we moved her home to the right side. I'm real excited to have her back next year and see what she can do."

Molly Turk Burlington Central

One of the best all-around players in the area, this junior setter was named honorary co-captain of the Daily Herald All-Area team after finishing the season with 830 assists, an average of 22.4 assists per match. "Everyone really likes playing for her, too," pointed out Rockets coach Marv Leavitt. "She's like one of those quarterbacks everyone rallies around. There are two parts to her: one side that loves to compete and one side that makes everyone feel that she cares about them. She's a great teammate." She's also a great hitter when she wants to be. Turk finished the season with 93 kills after putting away 49 percent of her attempts. She demonstrated her all-around prowess by adding 52 aces, 103 blocks, 160 digs and 187 service points.

Erin Wahl Cary-Grove

Wahl made Cary-Grove's back row the place spikes went to die. She finished with the highest serve-receive rating on her team (2.1) and set a new school record for digs with 486, breaking 2006 graduate Lauren McLaughlin's not-even-dusty record. "She stepped into the libero role with so much excitement and talent that anyone watching woould have thought she'd been a libero for two or three years," Trojans coach Patty Langanis said. "She was the glue that held this team together in tough matches. She would get in the her teammates' faces about what needed to be done. She was an extension of me out on the court." A four-year varsity starter on defense, Wahl was also the school's homecoming queen this fall.

Amy Wehrs Hampshire

Hampshire wouldn't be playing at Redbird Arena this weekend without Amy Wehrs. The perfect complement to senior outside hitter Jena Karkos on the other side of the court, Wehrs led the Whip-Purs to their first downstate appearance by recording a team-high 346 kills. And she's just a sophomore. "She's a sophomore but she's one of our leaders," said Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse. "She's not afraid to speak to seniors and tell them where to go or what to do. She's a very smart hitter. The thing is she's not just a hitter. She plays defense and she leads the team with 62 aces." In a demonstration of what all-around

Kara Wehrs Hampshire

Division-I schools are buzzing about this sophomore setting prospect, who directed her offense to the Class 2A Final Four by dishing out a school record of 812 assists this season. "Kara is our No. 1 leader because she's our setter and plays such a vital role," Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse said. "She's a player who offers so much more beyond her setting. She's also a great defensive player, which is rare because most setters are worried about setting and don't worry as much about defense." Kara Wehrs' total of 202 digs shows she's more than up to the challenge of playing defense. She also contributed 55 aces from he service line to go with 97 blocks and 92 kills.

Katie Yohn St. Edward

One of the best all-around athletes playing volleyball in the Fox Valley area, this multi-sport athlete became one of her team's top performers in 2007 despite not playing the sport year-round. A setter who is just as comfortable hitting, Yohn finished the season with 295 assists and 218 kills. The junior also contributed 42 aces, 132 blocks and 146 digs to finish the season as the Green Wave's most versatile player. "She's one of my favorites," said fourth-year coach Jaime Walton. "She's an athlete who will take everything you teach her and actually use it in a game. It makes you so excited. She gets this big smile when she knows she did it right."