Fox Valley girls volleyball notes: Geneva’s Stevenson, Burlington Central’s Naus reach 1,000 assists

Geneva girls volleyball setter Ally Stevenson reached a personal milestone recently, notching her 1,000th career assist in a DuKane Conference match against St. Charles North.

Vikings coach Lauren Kosecki noted Stevenson and outside hitter Emma Peterson (90 kills) have gotten off to great starts. “They work well together,” she said.

Aurora Central Catholic update: Despite illnesses in the starting lineup early, the Chargers were 6-3 through their first nine matches. Sophomore right side Natalie Brinka (.353 hitting), senior middle Abby Gambro (.260 hitting), senior outside Abigail Brinka (team-high 47 digs) and junior setter Mia Kenyon (113 assists) lead the ACC charge.

Coach Becky Ramey noted Brinka was leading the team in aces and kills per set, while Kenyon “is running a really poised 5-1 offense wise beyond her years,” she said.

Ramey added Gambro is extremely fast and can jump out of the gym out of her middle position. “Abby is a great defender and her attack is powerful,” she said. “She is a huge threat to the opposition’s defense. She is opening up opportunities for our pin hitters because the opposing block is forced to stay with her or she will get you.”

Burlington Central update: Senior setter Tiernan Naus went over the 1,000-career-assist mark after an 18-assist performance against Hampshire.

Senior libero Lexi Yanez has gone over the 100-dig mark, while freshman outside Lani Akenten was over the 100-kill mark through 15 matches. Central coach Julia Smagacz noted Akenten plays all six rotations and is off to an impressive start, while senior middle and Division I University of Dayton commit Ainsley Wilson was leading the team in blocks, was second on the team in kills (approaching 100), and tied for first in aces, while also hitting .409.

Huntley update: The Red Raiders had a limited schedule to start the season, 6-0 to start the week, and will see the heavy load of their schedule drop in October.

In a limited sample size, sophomore libero Jordyn Borkowski had 34 digs through five matches, while outsides Izzy Whitehouse (31 digs) and Mia Jacobelli (34 digs) also have been active on the passing front for coach Karen Naymola’s squad.

Whitehouse was leading Huntley in kills (37) and aces (13), while Izzy De Leon had 83 setting assists and middle blocker Lucy Watson had 31 kills. De Leon and Whitehouse are team captains.

“When we need a sideout, Izzy De Leon has shown a great ability to find Izzy Whitehouse and put her in a position to score,” Naymola said. “Izzy De Leon also has done an outstanding job of mixing up the offense and spreading the ball around, keeping opposing defenses guessing while getting multiple hitters involved.”

Naymola noted Whitehouse’s beach volleyball experience has given her “an incredibly crafty and creative game on the outside,” she said. “She has a knack for finding ways to score, even when the set or situation isn’t perfect.”

Jacobelli also plays beach volleyball and Naymola said brings that same creativity. “Mia brings a smart, crafty approach to the outside,” she said. “Both players have the ability to see the court differently and find ways to score when the team needs it most.”

Naymola also praised the work of junior Lucy Watson who played primarily on the right last season, and also saw action in the middle. Watson was asked to move back to the middle full-time this fall “and has embraced the challenge and has quickly shown why she is such a valuable weapon for us,” she said.

Kaneland update: Eliza Bruhl was leading the Knights with 64 kills and nine aces, while Emma Brost had 40 kills and 51 digs. “Eliza has started off the season strong offensively,” coach Cynthia Violett said.

South Elgin update: Kate Fenner (just over three blocks per match, including six against West Aurora), libero Bri Decheva and setter Gracyn Dovichi have all been strong to start the season for the Storm, which went 3-1 at the recent West Aurora invitational, the team’s best showing there in the past five seasons.

“Bri has settled into the libero role nicely, quickly picking up the spacing and reads needed to defend the left back after a number of years of being a really solid middle-back defender,” coach Jesse Bossenga said. “Gracyn continues to challenge herself to make difficult sets to put our hitters into advantageous situations.”

Streamwood update: Gionna Terry and Ilana Petrelkis were leading the Sabres in kills, while Emily Mendez was tops in blocks and Sophia Ledezma was the team leader in service aces.

“Gionna and Ilana have really solidified our outside attack after trying some other positions the first two weeks,” Streamwood coach Joanna Sharp said. “Their leadership and energy has picked us up and given the team the lift we needed.”

Mendez is back from a knee injury last year “and is getting back into her normal form,” Sharp said. “After missing last season, she has come back focused and ready to play.”

West Aurora update: Sophomore Paige Werve and senior Natalie Mitchell were leading the Blackhawks in kills, while Mitchell was tops in aces and serve-receive rating.

“Paige has a strong arm and has offered much-needed firepower from the outside and a right side as a sophomore starter,” West Aurora coach Alyssa Farney said. “Natalie is a four-year varsity player and has been a steady hand on serve-receive with a powerful swing to end rallies.”

Senior outside-right side Aiyanah Vega, Farney noted, has stepped up as a leader in multiple positions and has served “as a great role model to the rest of the team as to how to carry themselves as athletes and as people,” she said.