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Aurora Christian
Coach: Mayra Johnson
2023 record: 20-10-2, 4-3 Metro Suburban Blue
Top athletes: Madalynn Johnson, OH/RS/DS, sr; Hope Wagner, OH/RS, jr.; Breanna Hard, S, jr.; Ashlyn Aseltine, L, jr.
Worth noting: The Eagles last season eclipsed the 20-win mark for the first time since 2018 and hope to go even further in their fourth season under Johnson. Wagner, who led the team in kills with 269 and serving aces with 62, and Johnson, who led the team with 164 digs and had 163 kills and 41 aces, will continue to lead the front line. Johnson is entering her fourth year on varsity. They’ll be paired alongside Hard, who broke out her sophomore season with 62 aces and 434 assists. With Aseltine expected to lead the backcourt and freshman Gabriella Cotto taking on the role of main blocker for graduate Jada Haymon, coach Johnson is hoping this will be the year in which the Eagles take home a regional championship after falling just short in each of the past two seasons.
“A goal for Aurora Christian this year is to make it once again to the regional championship game and take it this time,” Johnson said. “Four of the returning key players have played now for two years in a row with each other and have great chemistry as teammates. ACS has key players in all positions and we are expecting an electric and fun season.”
Batavia
Coach: McKenna Kelsay
2023 record: 12-25, 2-5 DuKane Conference
Top athletes: Teagan Rokos, L, sr.; McKenna Bremner, S, sr.; Hallie Crane, OH, sr.; Morgan Raiser, S, so.; Delaney Wik, DS, so.
Worth noting: The Bulldogs return a strong core from a season ago after graduating only four seniors. Batavia looks to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2017. Returning in the backcourt is Rokos, who led Batavia with 315 digs, and Wik, who was third on the team with 123 digs and also led the team in aces with 26. At the net, Bremner returns as a dual threat after leading the team in assists (211) and kills (210) last season. With Raiser proving to be a solid setter in her freshman season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bremner get more chances at the net this year.
“Last year we were super young so the returners now have more experience under their belt and have shown some really great strides,” Kelsay said. “I can’t wait to see them come together and start to get into the groove that we know they can play with.”
Burlington Central
Coach: Julia Smagacz
2023 record: 20-16, 7-11 Fox Valley
Top athletes: Leah Freesemann, OH, sr.; Brianna Gritzman, L, sr.; Tiernan Naus, S, so.; Haidyn Schatz, OH, jr.; Emily Maramba, RS, sr.; Peyton Strout, MH, jr.
Worth noting: The Rockets return all but two of their players from last season, which bodes well for them to improve on their eighth-place finish in the Fox Valley Conference. Freesemann, who’s committed to play at Campbell next season, led the Rockets with 224 kills last year and will look to be a force at the net alongside Schatz and Maramba. Gritzman will look to control the backcourt again after leading the conference in digs (425) while also leading Central in aces (44). The only major change will be at the setter position after losing Ashley Arceo, but Naus will fill in well after seeing plenty of quality playing time during her freshman season.
“Having lost only two impact players to graduation, our core is still strong,” Smagacz said. “We have effective weapons at all three hitting positions and an incredibly reliable defense. We are looking to improve upon last year’s conference and postseason finishes.”
Geneva
Coach: Lauren Kosecki
2023 record: 24-13, 5-2 DuKane Conference
Top athletes: Sam Vanda, RS, sr.; Fiona Turnbull, MH, sr.; Lillian Hallahan, OH, sr.; Annabel Stevenson, OH, sr.; Bridget Feichter, S, sr.; Sophia Broderick, L, sr.
Worth noting: After recording their best full season under Kosecki since they made it to the supersectional in 2016, the Vikings return a good majority of their key role players in an attempt to win their first regional title in eight years. Geneva’s main strength will come from its frontcourt, even after losing Charlotte Potvin to graduation. Vanda, first on the team with 214 kills, Hallahan, third with 177, and Turnbull, fourth with 159, will lead the attack while Feichter sets the pace after recording 550 assists last year. Broderick will be expected to step in and lead the defense at libero after Reilly Day graduated.
“We are returning several key players and adding competitive new ones,” Kosecki said. “This is a fun group to coach and I am looking forward to seeing what they accomplish this year.”
Kaneland
Coach: Cynthia Violett
2023 record: 27-11, 8-2 Interstate Eight
Top athletes: Morgan Beam, MH, sr.; Audrey Peters, OH, sr.; Kayli Loonam, RS, sr.; Abby Carter, S, jr.
Worth noting: The Knights were one of only two area teams to win a regional title last year after defeating Montini in straight sets in a 3A regional championship match, but it’ll be a little harder to repeat the feat this season. Kaneland graduated 10 seniors, including Kane County All-Area first team honoree Mia Vassallo and second-teamers Rosie Karl and Sophie Knazur. Beam, who is the only returning starter from last year, will be one of the main focal points of the offense. She enters the season recovering from an arm injury suffered during the offseason. Violett expects players such as Peters and Loonam to step up.
“Kaneland will be a young but strong conference contender after graduating 10 seniors,” Violett said. “As always, the hopes and expectations are to make it to the regional championship game.”
Rosary
Coach: Kate Scafidi
2023 record: 10-24, 3-3 Girls Catholic Athletic Conference
Top athletes: Clare McEniry, RS, sr.; Molly Lambert, S, sr.; Lily Caruso, S/RS, sr; Sarah Wessels, DS/L, sr.; Reese Gilla, MB, sr.; Sarah Nierman, MB, sr.
Worth noting: Scafidi is entering her first season as head coach with the Monarchs with a senior-heavy team that is looking to finish above .500 for the first time since 2019. McEniry will look to be the main contributor at the net after putting up 260 kills, 171 digs and 31 service aces a season ago to earn a GCAC White Division All-Conference selection. Caruso, 153 kills and 37 aces, most likely will be the second option. Lambert also returns after putting up 445 assists and 34 aces. Scafidi said the team may surprise in the GCAC this season.
“I’m thrilled to be back at my alma mater as head coach and there’s no better group of players than the one Rosary has this year,” Scafidi said. “They’re driven, passionate and wildly talented and they’re going to fight tooth and nail to win out from start to finish. They’re a very senior group, so we started preseason leaps and bounds ahead and it shows.”
St. Charles East
Coach: Kate McCullagh
2023 record: 9-26, 3-4 DuKane Conference
Top athletes: Kaleigh McQuillen, MH, sr.; Morgan Tapson, OH, sr.; Claire Trask, S, sr.; Avery Smith, DS, sr.; Kaylee McInnis, OH, jr.; Sofia O’Sullivan, MH, sr.
Worth noting: After the Saints came away with a fourth-place conference finish to cap the coaching career of longtime coach Jennie Kull in 2022, they struggled to find their footing in their first season under McCullagh but still managed to pull off some wins to finish fifth in the conference. With key players such as McQuillen and McInnis returning with a year of experience under their belt and a good batch of newcomers coming in, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Saints start to get back to their winning ways sooner rather than later.
St. Charles North
Coach: Lindsey Hawkins
2023 record: 23-14, 6-1 DuKane Conference
Top athletes: Haley Burgdorf, OH, jr.; Mia McCall, S, jr.; Sidney Wright, MB, jr.; Meg Kalenowski, L, sr.
Worth noting: Despite losing eight seniors to graduation last season, the North Stars return a roster that has more experience than what was expected at the beginning of last year because of numerous injuries. Leading the charge will be a trio of juniors – Burgdorf, McCall and Wright. Burgdorf, who committed to Penn State in July, is expected to take a bigger role this season after leading the North Stars with 344 kills, a 42% kill percentage, 190 digs and 30 blocks a season ago. McCall slid into the setter role perfectly last season with 408 assists to go along with 36 aces and 47 digs. Wright asserted herself at the net after leading the team with 47 blocks. Kalenowski takes over the libero role after filling in for an injured Jackie Ruder for most of last season. Hawkins is expecting the four of them, along with a young supporting cast, to help the North Stars to their 21st straight winning season.
“All four of these returners had to step up in a big way and shoulder much of the load for most of last season. That situation has definitely given these players a lot of experience leading already, which is good because their supporting cast is quite young this year,” Hawkins said. “We are looking forward to being very competitive this year and seeing the fruits of all the hard work these girls have put in during the club season. They are a very talented group, so fitting all the pieces together these last two weeks has been very fun. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish.”
St. Francis
Coach: Lisa Ston
2023 record: 34-8, 5-2 Girls Catholic Athletic Conference
Top athletes: Addy Horner, S, sr.; Emma Delaney, MH, sr.; Dylan Kokkinos, DS, sr.; Jenna Glaudel, S, sr.; Mackenzie Krzus, S/RS, jr.
Worth noting: After successfully defending their Class 3A state title for the first time under Ston with a three-set victory over Lincoln in the championship match, the Spartans enter the 2024 season with some work to do if they want to make it three state championships in a row. St. Francis lost 10 players to graduation, including outside hitters Anna Paquette and Shay McMillen, as well as support in the back in libero Catherine D’Orazio. Fortunately, they still have one year left with two-time MVP and Wisconsin commit Horner, who’s expected to be the focal point of the team once again. She finished her junior campaign leading the Spartans in kills (267), kills per set (3.2) and hitting percentage (34%), while also adding 50 aces, 258 assists and 75 blocks. Ston knows that getting back to the state title game will be challenging, but with veterans such as Delaney and newcomers Kokkinos, Glaudel and Krzus supporting Horner on the court, anything can happen.
“Despite losing 10 seniors, we are excited to begin the season anchored by senior Addy Horner. A four-year varsity starter, Addy will be taking on a much larger role for us this season and is welcoming the opportunity to lead,” Ston said. “Our team has a great mix of experienced returners and enthusiastic newcomers who will make an immediate impact on the team in a variety of different ways. These girls are prepared to rise to the challenge, fully aware of what it takes to succeed.”
West Aurora
Coach: Brandon Vicory
2023 record: 13-22, 3-8 Southwest Prarie
Top athletes: Maureen Pokryfke, OH, sr.; Taylor Baratta, MH, sr.; Sydney Wagner, OH, jr.; Ella Maxwell, S, jr.; Lexi Jacquez, L, sr.
Worth noting: The last time West Aurora played in the Upstate Eight Conference, it ended with a 7-2 record and a third-place finish in 2018. Six years later, the Blackhawks hope that the return to the conference can help them to their first winning season since 2020. West Aurora has a good base for a turnaround season after returning all but three players from last season, including key players at the net in Pokryfke (Wisconsin-Oshkosh commit) and Baratta (Carthage commit), who led the team in kills last year.
“Being in a new conference, we are in the unknown about the competition of the other teams,” Vicory said. “But hopefully we can compete for a conference title in the Upstate Eight.”
Editor’s note: Aurora Central Catholic did not provide information for the preview.