Scouting Fox Valley girls volleyball

By John Lemon

jlemon@dailyherald.com

Fox Valley Girls Volleyball at a glance

Top teams: St. Charles North, St. Charles East, Huntley, Kaneland, South Elgin, West Aurora, Cary-Grove, Batavia

Top returning players: Loren Alberts, Huntley, sr., MH; Emily Baggot, Bartlett, jr., OH; Kendra Battle, West Aurora, jr., RS; Kaitlyn Beebe, Aurora Christian sr., S; Grace Bickford, Westminster Christian, sr., OH; Maddy Boyer, Batavia, sr., OH; Lauren Greenwood, West Aurora, jr., L; GiGi Crescenzo, St. Charles North, sr., OH; Emma Davine, Geneva, sr., MH; Isabella Diaz, Bartlett, so., MH; Piper Drazek, Geneva, jr., S; Sydney Fedderly, Kaneland, sr., S; Hayley Fisher, South Elgin, sr., OH; Paige Gardella, Rosary, jr., S; Calli Gentry, St. Charles East, sr., OH; McKayla Geraghty, South Elgin, sr., L; Grace Hinchman, Geneva, jr., L; Megan House, Crystal Lake South, sr., OH; Katie Jablonski, Kaneland, sr., OH; Sofia Jahangir, Burlington Central, sr., RS; Taylor Jakubowski, Huntley, jr., S; Julia Johnson, Huntley, sr., OH; Sam Juarez, Batavia, sr., L/OH; Erin Kremer, St. Edward, sr.; Sarah Konovodoff, Rosary, jr., L; Kyla Lannert, St. Charles North, jr., S; Katie Lanz, St. Charles North, sr., S; Evynn Layshock, Cary-Grove, jr., OH/S; Kaitlyn Lomas, Burlington Central, sr.; Jamie Maule, Crystal Lake South, sr., L; Kaitlin Murray, Harvest Christian, sr., S; Chloey Myers, so., OH; Angelina Negron, South Elgin, jr., MH; Zoe Pawelek, jr., L; Madison Pfister, Harvest Christian, jr., OH/MH; Annika Pickard, Rosary, sr., OH; Kendall Richardson, South Elgin, sr., S; Kirsten Rogers, St. Charles East, sr.; Samantha Rossetti, Hampshire, sr., S; Kat Schmidt, Burlington Central, jr., MB; L; Riley Seagren, Hampshire, sr., OH; Kate Selsky, Cary-Grove, sr., L; McKenna Slavik, St. Charles East, sr., S; Jenna Splitt, Cary Grove, so., RS/S; Inga Suceska, Elgin, sr., S/RS; Kitzia Tinajero, Larkin, sr., L; Julianna Vassallo, Kaneland, sr. L; MH; OH.

Dates to circle: Aug. 28: Benet at St. Charles North; Sept. 1: Jacobs Invite, West Aurora Blackhawk Invite; Sept. 15: Wheaton Classic; Sept. 22: Harvest Christian Fall Classic; Sept. 25: St. Charles East at St. Charles North; Sept. 29: Mother McAuley ASICS Challenge, Hampshire Tournament; Oct. 6: St. Charles East Scholastic Cup, Huntley Invitational; Oct. 9: Crystal Lake Central at Huntley; Oct. 13: Plainfield Fall Harvest Festival Tournament, Glenbard East's Autumfest Tournament, Elgin Tournament.

Season skinny: Bartlett coach Katherine Spychala stepped down, leaving JV coach Aimee Riddle coaching both her team and the varsity. Seniors Emilt Baggot and Samantha Martino and juniors Isabella Diaz and Dakota Johnson will try to help make Riddle's hectic schedule a little easier. “We have a number of returning varsity players as well as a group of seven seniors that are natural leaders and have a level of enthusiasm that we have not had in the past,” Riddle said. “Their experience and confidence is something that we are extremely excited to tap into as we begin the season.” Riddle also is excited to see what freshman Madison Hankins can bring to the team...Burlington Central also has a new coach, George Campos, who inherits a team that went 21-15 last year and 11-1 to win the Kishwaukee River Conference but has to replace most of that lineup...At 26-8 last year, South Elgin enjoyed the best season in school history. Coach Joni Plach lost 7 seniors from that team but has 8 seniors on this year's squad. “We have many returning varsity players that are ready to have a season as successful as last year,” Plach said. “They saw what it took to win and are ready to bring that experience back this season.”...Aurora Christian suffered a blow when junior sisters Jenna and Cate Long moved to Florida. Cate Long committed to Clemson during her sophomore year...After finishing 17-20 a year ago, Elgin has its sights set on the school record 20-win mark set in the 1980s behind returnees Inga Suceska, a 3-year starter, Kennedy Venable, Lauren Dimayuga, Simona Simeonova, Emily Graves and Kierra Turpin. The entire 15-player roster are seniors. “The current roster is stacked full of talent and experience and they understand what it takes to win,” Maroons coach Scott Stewart said. “This year's roster is something special. It's going to be a very memorable season on Maroon Drive.” Those seniors beat Larkin, Streamwood, St. Edward, Elgin Academy and Bartlett twice last year...Seniors Sam Juarez (Northern Illinois) and Maddy Boyer (Valparaiso) give Batavia a pair of Division I players to build around. “The new (DuKane) conference will be a huge challenge for us,” said Bulldogs coach Lori Trippi-Payne, starting her 32nd year coaching with a 566-478 record. She also has a pair of 2-year starters returning, seniors Becca Robinson and Melissa Kozak...That new conference, the DuKane, features Batavia, St. Charles East, St. Charles North and Geneva joining Wheaton North, Wheaton Warrenville South, Glenbard North and Lake Park. “It's a really good move because you don't have those blowout matches anymore,” St. Charles North coach Lindsey Hawkins said. “Almost every match is going to be intense. I'm really excited about it.”...With those four schools leaving the Upstate Eight, that also makes the UEC race wide open and also gives the conference a chance to have a more full volleyball slate than the past years when 6 matches decided a conference champion. “I am excited to get back to playing everyone in the conference once for a true conference champ,” Plach said. “With the new teams in the league I think it will be an exciting season.” At least one UEC coach tabbed West Aurora as the team to beat. The junior-dominated Blackhawks still have plenty of experience from a core that moved up and played varsity last year — 8 sophomores and a freshman. That freshman last year, Chloey Myers, earned honorable mention all-conference. “This year, we are focusing on team chemistry while working hard to win close matches,” Blackhawks coach Kevin Mortlock said. “We have our sights set high, and will do everything we can to accomplish our goals.” Interestingly, Kiara and Olivia McPherson are the second set of twins to play for the Blackhawks in the last three years joining Natalie and Gillian Jones in 2016...St. Charles East coach Jennie Kull is excited about her new assistant Matt Caputo. “Matt is a defensive person,” Kull said. “That's his forte. It's nice to have him on board.”...Kull and Huntley coach Karen Naymola both start the season with an advantage any coach would want — a setter among the best in the state. The Saints have Clemson-bound McKenna Slavik and Huntley has Taylor Jakubowski, headed to Seton Hall. “I may be biased, but I think Taylor Jakubowski is the top player in the area,” said Naymola, whose team is the defending Fox Valley Conference champs and only graduated 1 senior. “Her leadership and character on the court is unlike any I have ever coached.”...“She's (Slavik) probably the best setter in the state and at this age in the country,” Kull said. “Clemson got a dynamo. She's really good.”