Fox Valley girls volleyball notes: St. Charles North wins DuKane title, reaches 30 victories; Hampshire peaking at right time

The St. Charles North girls volleyball team put the finishing touches on its DuKane Conference title by downing Lake Park Tuesday.

The North Stars, who earned a No. 2 sectional seed behind Benet Academy, ran the table in league play at 7-0 and moved to 31-3 overall. Haley Burgdorf (304 kills, 38 aces), Sidney Wright (179 kills, 28 aces), Mia McCall (545 assists, 15 aces) and Amber Czerniak (136 digs, 110 kills, 24 aces) continue to lead the way.

Coach Lindsey Hawkins said McCall and Addison Kashuba have helped lift North to another level recently. “Mia’s setting and her choices of who to set and when have made our offense so much more efficient,” she said. “Addison’s defense has been amazing. She is touching every ball and making amazing saves to keep us in rallies and really frustrate opponents.”

Hawkins added the North Stars are rounding into form at the right time. “I think we have always been a very competitive team this year, but we are really starting to peak and it’s because all cylinders are firing, so I am very excited about where the team is headed,” she said.

Aurora Christian update: The Eagles started the week 24-4 overall and finished in third place in the Chicagoland Christian Conference (5-2). Senior libero Ashlyn Aseltine and senior outside-defensive specialist Hope Wagner earned all-CCC honors, while senior setter Breanna Hard was an at-large all-conference pick and Aseltine earned on the conference MVP honors.

Wagner sits at 317 kills, while sophomore middle Gabriella Cotto has 33 blocks and Aseltine has a conference-best 296 digs to go with 43 aces. Hard has 356 assists. Coach Mayra Johnson said Aseltine is chasing 1,000 career kills, while Aseltine is after 1,000 career digs.

The Eagles are a No. 2 sub-sectional seed in Class 1A.

Batavia update: Bulldogs coach Tom Barry said Morgan Raiser has been the cog that keeps the team going, “whether she is setting or attacking, she keeps us going,” he said.

Barry added senior Sydney Enger has been a force on the right side blocking, “disrupting the opposition’s best hitters and allowing our defense to clean up behind her,” he said.

Batavia, a No. 10 sectional seed, started the week 18-16 and 4-3 in DuKane action. Raiser had 172 kills, 169 assists, 109 digs and 37 aces to start the week, while Ashley Bernal also has been playing well and Delaney Wik has posted 30 aces and has made only 17 errors on 351 serve-receive attempts to go with 163 digs.

“We can do some really good things,” Barry said. “We get better every week and play tough against tough competition. The best teams in our regional gave us really solid rankings because we are able to step up and play against top competition. When we play fast and disciplined, we are a really tough team to beat.”

Burlington Central update: Central started the week 17-13 overall and 7-9 in Fox Valley Conference play. Senior Haidyn Schwartz is fifth in the conference in kills with 179 and fifth in digs (207), while junior Ainsley Wilson is third in the FVC in hitting percentage (.285) and tied for first in blocks (53). Junior Tiernan Naus is fifth in setting assists (293) and junior Lexi Yanez is third in digs (214).

Coach Julia Smagacz noted Wilson recently had 20 kills and 5 blocks across 3 matches at the Vernon Hills quad, while sophomore LaRaiya Cunningham-Duncan had 14 kills across 5 sets at Vernon Hills. Central, which will host a Class 3A regional, earned a No. 2 sectional seed behind St. Viator.

“We are pleased with our seed in the sectional and are looking to make a strong run,” Smagacz said. “The FVC is a very competitive conference, so we feel very prepared for the postseason.”

Geneva update: Coach Lauren Kosecki cited strong recent play from setter Ally Stevenson and outside hitter Emma Peterson. The Vikings were 19-16 overall through midweek and finished tied for second in the DuKane Conference at 5-2. Geneva is a No. 2 sectional seed in Class 3A behind Timothy Christian.

“This team is really starting to connect,” Kosecki said. “We have made huge improvements and are playing well together. This group continues to grow and learn.”

Hampshire update: Hailee Pietryk is averaging just over 16 digs a match for the Whip-Purs (19-14, 5-3 FVC), while Chloe Gollaher averages just over 10 kills a match.

“Hailee has been playing outstanding,” Hampshire coach Noel Soto said, noting Pietryk has made the all-tournament team in the last 3 events the Whips have played in.

Soto, whose team is a No. 1 sub-sectional seed, added setter Olivia O’Hara also is enjoying a strong year. “Olivia has had a great year setting, but has also stepped up when we needed her to go all-around,” Soto said. “She is also a standout defender.”

Soto feels Hampshire is playing some of its best volleyball right now. “It couldn’t come at a better time, right before the playoffs,” Soto said. “The goal is to keep getting better as we wrap up the season and see what happens in the playoffs.”

St. Charles East update: Gianna Gjokaj (libero) and Nora Lang (middle), a pair of sophomores, have excelled in recent times for the Saints (13-20, 3-4 DuKane).

“Gianna has been consistently improving all season and most recently her confidence in her play has helped us stay in matches and get wins,” Saints coach Lynnette Summins said. “Nora has also been consistently improving her play in attacking more aggressively and getting more positive block touches for our defense.”

Kaylee McInnis leads East, a No. 13 sectional seed in Class 4A and a regional host, in kills (319), aces (36) and digs (221), while Ava Romero is tops in blocks (35).

“The month of October has been loaded with matches and tournaments to help us prepare for the postseason,” Summins said. “St. Francis (East’s regional opponent) has many years of experience of winning in the postseason, and it’s going to take our best efforts to challenge them.”

South Elgin update: The Storm, a No. 6 sectional seed in Class 4A, started the week 23-8 overall and were sitting in second place in the Upstate Eight West at 5-1. Alena Amel has been tough in the middle, averaging 2 blocks per match, while coach Jesse Bossenga also lauded the recent work of junior middle Kate Fenner and junior outside Danicka Flucke.

“Kate is improving her attacking range and route running, allowing us to be more dynamic offensively with her in the front row,” Bossenga said. “Danicka played all 5 matches at the Elgin tournament as an outside attacker, providing a consistent attack that pushed us to first place on the weekend.”