TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Metea Valley (40-2): Kira Hutson (Florida), a 6-foot-3 outside hitter who won a gold medal with the U.S. U19 national team at the Pan American Cup, is only returning starter for the defending Class 4A state champions. Annabelle Troy, second on team last season with 218 kills, has moved to Colorado. Hutson will get help from 6-1 middle hitter Anna Murphy, who finished in the top 10 at state last spring in the high jump.
2. St. Charles North (24-12): Senior setter Jessica Parker (Elon) will have options in junior outside Katherine Scherer (Maryland) and senior right-side Kayla Davern.
3. Kaneland (34-4): Bre Ebert (Augustana) and Meredith Milz are senior setters who will be the anchors for a young but talented team. Knights went undefeated on the sophomore level the past two seasons.
4. Yorkville (31-6): Foxes had heavy graduation losses from program’s first regional champion since moving up to Class 4A in 2011. Senior setter/hitter Keelyn Muell will provide leadership.
5. Batavia (17-19): Amanda Otten (Bowling Green), a 6-4 setter/right-side hitter who earned honorable mention all-state and All-American honors, will combine with seniors hitters Madelyn Hooper and Claire Ellward to lead the Bulldogs.
6. St. Charles East (19-18): Libero Lia Schneider and outside hitters Kate Goudreau, Lexi Crossen and Julia Ferrandino — all seniors — look to lead Saints in coach Jennie Kull‘s 36th and final season.
7. Oswego (16-15): Young Panthers could be formidable up front with the return of senior middle Kennedy Hugunin, who’s joined by sophomores Sidney Hamaker and Mia Jurkovic and junior Riley Borrowman. All three are 6-foot or taller. Setting to them will be 5-10 sophomore Ava Flanigan.
8. South Elgin (31-5): Defending conference champs dealt a big blow when Iowa commit Alyssa Worden, who had 387 kills, was lost for the season after tearing her ACL this summer. Outside hitters Maddy Shaner and Jazmine Binion need to step up.
9. Newark (32-7): P.J. McKinney takes over as coach of supersectional qualifier, replacing Tonya Grayson, who retired. Returning outside hitters Grace Thrall and Kiara Wesseh will be fed by setter Lauren Ulrich.
10. Jacobs (25-11): Golden Eagles have big shoes to fill with graduation of all-area selections in setter Rachel Kaczorowski, middle hitter Jaclyn Poirier and outside hitter Ireland Van Stone. Senior right-side Sara Wasner and junior libero Gracie Breeze lead the way.
THE 25 PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kaitlyn Aleshire, West Aurora, senior, middle hitter; Claire Allen, Sandwich, senior, outside hitter; Jazmine Binion, South Elgin, junior, outside hitter; Riley Borrowman, Oswego, junior, outside hitter/middle hitter; Vivian Campbell, Oswego East, senior, setter; Lexi Crossen, St. Charles East, senior, outside hitter; Bre Ebert, Kaneland, senior, setter; Sidney Hamaker, Oswego, sophomore, outside/middle hitter; Ashlyn Hickey, Waubonsie Valley, senior, outside hitter; Brooke Hoffman, Burlington Central, senior, outside hitter; Kira Hutson, Metea Valley, senior, outside hitter; Mia Jurkovic, Oswego, sophomore, middle/outside hitter; Bria Lomax, Bartlett, senior, middle hitter; Meredith Milz, Kaneland, senior, setter; Keelyn Muell, Yorkville, senior, setter/hitter; Anna Murphy, Metea Valley, junior, middle hitter; Amanda Otten, Batavia, senior, setter/right-side hitter; Jessica Parker, St. Charles North, senior setter; Maureen Pokryfke, West Aurora, sophomore, outside/right-side hitter; Katherine Scherer, St. Charles North, junior, outside hitter; Lia Schneider, St. Charles East, senior, libero; Maddy Shaner, South Elgin, senior, outside hitter; Lauren Ulrich, Newark, junior, setter; Sam Vanda, Geneva, sophomore, outside hitter; Sara Wasner, Jacobs, senior, right-side hitter.
