Scouting Fox Valley area girls volleyball

Top athletes: Bartlett - Madison Hankins (Jr., S/RS); Bria Lomax (So., MH); Klaudia Bartoszewicz (So., OH); Jaden Lindstrom (Fr., OH)

Batavia - Ali Northrop (Sr., MB); Amanda Otten (So., S/RS); Kyra Taylor (Jr., OH); Zoe Kramer (Sr., RS), Allison Marquardt (Sr., MH); Cordelia Smith (Sr., S/RS); Taily Kledzik (Sr., DS/L)

Burlington Central - Addy Nava (Jr., OH); Rylie Hahn (Jr., OH); Morgan Leone (Sr., L); Rachel Stoneman (Jr., S); Sophia Anthony (OH); Gabby Rodriguez (Sr., MB); Eysha Salwan (Jr., S); Abby Devol (Fr., DS); Ashley Arceo (Fr., S/OP)

Cary-Grove - Lauren Passaglia (Sr., S); Julia Rice (Sr., OH); Tricia Kennedy (So., MH)

Crystal Lake South - Megan Langdon (Jr., MH); Mia Regillio (Jr., MH); Sam Wesoly (Sr., OH); Jessie Proszenyak (Jr., OH); Emma Stowasser (So, S); Alyssa Zagroba (Jr., L); Morgan Jones (Fr., OH); Gabby Wire (Fr., OH)

Dundee-Crown - Jenna Brown (Sr., S); Mackenzie Field (Sr., MH); Tealyn Kamp (Jr., RH); Natalia Smiech (Sr., OH); Mekena Wesol (Jr., OH)

Elgin - Taylor Butler (Sr., L); Elly Lim (Sr., DS); Olivia Veneble (Sr., OH); Ava Blarak (So.); Trinity Evans (So.); Sarah Caldwell (Jr.); Mary Ghiotti (Sr.); Diana Mancera (Fr., S); Natalie Gonzalez (Sr., S)

Geneva - Devynn Day (Sr., OH); Anna Loberg (Sr., S)

Hampshire - Jacey Lambert (Jr., MB); Juli Barrientos (Sr., S); Hayley O'Reilly (Sr., OH); Gabi Peter (So., MB); Ainsley Dowling (Jr., OH)

Huntley - Emma Konnie (Sr., OH); Ally Panzloff (So., OH); Avery DeBlieck (So., MB); Luma Acevedo (So., L); Maggie Duyos (So., S); Lauren Bauer (Jr., OH); Paige Seibert (Sr., DS); Hadley Gaszynski (So., RS); Avery Robertson (Jr., OH)

Jacobs - Maggie Wallenberg (Sr., OH); Jaclyn Poirier (Jr., MH); Ireland Van Stone (Jr., OH); Rachel Kaczorowski (Jr., S); Meredith Giustino (Jr., L); Amanda Schaffer (Jr., S); Sara Wasner (So., OH)

Kaneland - Sami Abruzo (Sr., L); Jordan Weber (Sr., MH); Olivia Burtell (Sr., MH); Madison Buckley (Jr., OH); Meghan O'Sullivan (Jr., S); Bella Ring (Jr., OH)

Larkin - Kaitlin Turner (Sr., S); Ariela Bermudez (Jr., DS); Lilah Hanson (Jr., L); Kylie Nosbisch (Sr., RS); Victoria Didden (Sr., RS)

South Elgin - Alyssa Worden (So., OH); Brooke Elders (Sr., RS); Maggie McGough (Jr., L)

St. Charles East - Skyler Misch (Sr., OH); Kayla Daros (Sr., DS); Kelsey Kyle (Sr., MH); Audrey Albion (Sr., OH); Nina Scoliere (Sr., S); Anita Prybell (Sr., MH/RH); Taylor Swanson (Jr., DS); Kendra Dziubinski (Jr., MH); Kate Goudreau (So., OH); Olivia Denny (Jr., MH); Isabella Mosquera (So., MH); Lia Schneider (So., L)

St. Charles North - Cailey Johns (Sr., MH); Ally Warburton (Sr., OH); Mia DelaMerced (Jr. OH); Riley Moreno (Jr., MH); Marissa Guajardo (Jr., MH); Jessica Parker (So., S); Karlie Custer (So., L); Katie Scherer (Fr., OH)

St. Edward - Brooke Biggins (Jr., S/OPP); Kailey Treiber (Jr., OH); Delaney Nolan (Jr., MB); Rebecca Wright (Sr., DS); Kimberley Aguirre (Jr., S); Maddie Pogorzelski (Jr., MB)

Streamwood - Hannah Jeing (Sr., L); Natalie Stoch (Sr., OH); Vivian Sumoski (Sr., RS); Isabella Archulita (Jr., MB); Marisa Hauserman (Jr., MB)

West Aurora - Chloey Myers (Sr., OH); Cara Grube (Sr., DS); Mielye Hardersen (Jr,. S); Kaitlyn Alshire (MH)

Teams to watch: Huntley (34-6), St. Charles East (25-14), Geneva (24-13), Kaneland (29-9), West Aurora (26-10), St. Charles North (19-15), South Elgin (28-8), Cary-Grove (27-11), Bartlett (20-14)

Season outlook: South Elgin is coming off its first conference championship and the first for a U-46 school since 1997. The Storm graduated Angelina Negron but returns senior right side Brooke Elders who will play at Loras next year. Junior libero Maggie McGough also is back after a team-high 332 digs last year.

Elsewhere in the Upstate Eight, Streamwood will mix returning starters Hannah Jeing, Natalie Stoch and Vivian Sumoski with newcomers Isabella Archulita and Marisa Hauserman. Bartlett brings back two all-conference players, Madison Hankins and Bria Lomax.

Larkin (5-26) only has 3 returning varsity players - Kaitlin Turner, Ariela Bermudez and Lilah Hanson - but coach Mattie Boyd said Melanie Pardo from last year's JV team has made "amazing improvements," and athletic freshman Morgan Miller has tons of potential on the outside. Elgin (0-35) has three returning varsity players: senior libero Taylor Butler, defensive specialist Elly Lim and senior outside Olivia Veneble.

Geneva coach Annie Seitelman said her team will have a "different look" but still be competitive in the DuKane Conference. McKenna Kelsay takes over for long-time Batavia coach Lori Trippi-Payne. The Bulldogs (12-24) will look to senior Ali Northrop, sophomore Amanda Otten and junior Kyra Taylor to lead the way with newcomers Zoe Kramer (UW- Stevens Point), Allison Marquardt and Cordelia Smith (St. Olaf) stepping into big roles. Senior Cailey Johns is a senior who has started as a sophomore at St. Charles North and is back after being hurt much of her junior year. She will play at Dennison, teammate Ally Warburton at Whitewater, and Mia DelaMerced, Riley Moreno and Marissa Guajardo also return.

Kaneland's senior libero Sami Abruzo will play next year at Purdue University-Northwest. The Knights also have seniors Jordan Weber and Olivia Burtell and juniors Madison Buckley and Meghan O'Sullivan back from a 29-win team.

West Aurora finished third in the SPC behind Minooka and Plainfield North and returns top hitter Chloey Myers and two-year varsity DS Cara Grube.

Huntley always is a team to watch, a sectional champion last year. The Red Raiders have a big senior class to replace but a promising group of newcomers that includes Prep Volleyball Fab 50 sophomore Ally Panzloff, plus senior Emma Konnie.

Senior setter Lauren Passaglia, who will play at Hillsdale College, is back to run the show at Cary-Grove (27-11), who also will look to returners Julia Rice and Tricia Kennedy, and newcomers Mya Bajromic, a junior middle, sophomore libero Alexis Koenig, senior middle Paige Scheistel, senior right side Delaney Ruhland and senior libero Grace Erych.

Rich Panitch takes over at Dundee-Crown (10-25) and has five returning starters to work with. That includes senior setter Jenna Brown, who has a Division I scholarship to Georgia State.

Burlington Central (12-19) also has a new coach, Samantha Mainzer, whose top returnees include Addy Nava, Rylie Hahn and Morgan Leone. The Rockets also welcome a newcomer from Harvest Christian, libero Abby Devol, and freshman Ashley Arceo. Jacobs (15-18) returns senior outside hitter Maggie Wallenberg, committed to Southern Illinois University. Junior middles Megan Langdon and Mia Regillio are back at Crystal Lake South (20-16). Hampshire (10-22) returns starters Jacey Lambert, Juli Barrientos and Hayley O'Reilly.

Dawn Gross is the new coach at St. Edward (17-16). She said she will turn to Brooke Biggins to run the offense, looking for Kailey Treiber for kills. Delaney Nolan is returning from injury soon, and Gross said Rebecca Wright has an "unstoppable top spin serve."

There is some very good news. St. Charles East coach Jennie Kull was involved in a serious accident last May. She suffered three broken neck vertebrae and multiple broken ribs but is back coaching the Saints.