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Article Excerpt
DuPage Valley
Glenbard East
Coach: Marci Maier (second year)
Last year: 10-26, 3-11 (seventh) in the DVC
Postseason: Lost to Wheaton Warrenville South 15-4, 15-8 in the Class AA Wheaton Warrenville South regional semifinals
Key loss: DS Cara Diederich
Top returners: OH Katie Mielke, sr.; S Kassie Soderstrom, sr.; OH Stephanie Iglesias, sr.; MH Stefanie Debrock, jr.; S Sarah Chamberlain, jr.; DS Christine Heim, sr.; RSH Ally Syperek, jr.
Newcomers to watch: RSH/MH Shannon Streets, jr.; MH Jaime Gotham, so.; DS Michelle Burton, jr.
Outlook: After a preseason team-bonding excursion to Devils Lake in Wisconsin, the Rams would like to stick together throughout the season and take a step up from last year. They may not have a lot of club players with loads of firepower, but they will counter with a group of multi-sport athletes with moxie. Returning starters Mielke, Soderstrom, Iglesias and Debrock form the nucleus. There's a good chance the Rams will start the season running a 6-2 offense with Soderstrom sharing the setting duties with Chamberlain. "I basically have my whole team back from last year so I'm pretty excited about the season," Maier said. "We're definitely going to be better than we were last year, but that doesn't always pan out in wins and losses. If nothing else, we're going to have a lot of fun."
Naperville Central
Coach: Brie Ruschke (first year)
Last year: 25-12-1, 10-4 (third) in the DVC
Postseason: Lost to Downers Grove South 15-2, 10-15, 15-7 in the Class AA Naperville Central sectional semifinals
Key losses: OH Meg Eckert, OH Nicole Colaluca, MH Courtney Peters
Top returners: S Jessica Yanz, so.; MH Allison Marshall, sr.; OH Tara Hester, so.; DS Amy Susin, sr.
Newcomers to watch: OH Krissy Houghtlin, jr.; MH Katie Stuart, jr.; OH Jessica Chevalier, sr.; RSH Jami Rubin, jr.; DS Sarah Pollard, so.
Outlook: The Redhawks will have a new look on the court and on the bench. Ruschke replaces Amy Van Eekeren, who stepped down after four seasons for family reasons. Ruschke, 24, is a former two-time all-area player from Downers Grove North who went on to play at Western Michigan and Lewis. She currently also coaches at Sports Performance. Veteran Marshalla and promising young setter Yanz are back, but the rest of the lineup will be different. Keep an eye on Hester, a rising talent who steps into a bigger role this year as the team's top outside hitter. "We're starting over and just learning," Ruschke said. "I've changed probably everything. They're adjusting to a completely new coach. I think it's just our raw athleticism that's going to make us competitive. We're going to develop and get better."
Naperville North
Coach: Ric Krebs (29th year)
Last year: 35-3, 13-1 (first) in the DVC
Postseason: Lost to Downers Grove South 15-3, 15-10 in the Class AA Naperville Central sectional final
Key losses: OH/RSH Courtney Ashley, RSH/OH Andrea Kolwitz
Top returners: OH Katie Bruzdzinski, sr.; MH Taylor Reineke, sr.; S/RSH Lizzie Bazzetta, jr.; S/RSH Chelsea Wisz, sr.; MH Amanda Meyer, sr.; OH Ashley Pappas, sr.
Newcomers to watch: DS Kathleen Bowler, sr.; DS Sara Spearman, sr.
Outlook: The heralded Huskies are loaded with tall talent. Four players have already committed to Division I programs - Bruzdzinski (Michigan), Reineke (Wisconsin), Wisz (Rhode Island) and Meyer (Rutgers). Pappas is expected to join that list, while junior Bazzetta will surely be a Division I player. All six are at least 6-foot with Reineke the tallest at 6-3. Bruzdzinski and Reineke won a national club title playing for Sports Performance this summer while Bruzdzinski also played on the youth junior national team which played in Poland. The Huskies are a serious threat to win the state title. "I don't want to get ahead of ourselves," Krebs said. "I just want to take one part of the season at a time here and just continue to build and try to peak out. The idea is to be peaking at the right time - at end of the season."
West Chicago
Coach: Kris Hasty (10th year)
Last year: 15-20, 6-8 (fifth) in the DVC
Postseason: Lost to Geneva 10-15, 15-10, 15-2 in the Class AA Bartlett regional final
Key losses: OH Lindsay Paulsen, OH Joanna Szeszycki
Top returners: MH Liz Jacques, sr.; S Sammi Kufta, jr.; RSH Dana Hernan, jr.
Newcomers to watch: OH Sinead Walsh, jr.; OH Yajaira Rodriguez, jr.; MH Lathie Norton, sr.; S Kristen Rocha, sr.; RSH Christine Harris, jr.; DS Peggy Saul, jr.; DS Alyssa Claude, jr.
Outlook: It's a rebuilding year for the Wildcats after losing nine players to graduation. Three starters are back, however - 6-3 Jacques, who has committed to Purdue, Kufta, who set the varsity as a sophomore last year, and Hernan. Kufta will team with Rocha to set a 6-2 offense. Unbeknownst to Hasty, Kufta ran everyday with the cross-country team in the summer to prepare for the season. The outside targets will be a pair of juniors in Walsh and Rodriguez. Norton will be the other middle hitter with Jacques. "I feel good about our kids," Hasty said. "They're a great group. They just have to get a chance to work together. I hope we're competitive. That's always my goal - to be competitive in the DVC. I'm hoping that Liz (Jacques) will kind of lead the team."
Wheaton North
Coach: Carole Kristensen (seventh year)
Last year: 25-12-1, 9-5 (fourth) in the DVC
Postseason: Lost to Nazareth 19-17, 15-13 in the Class AA Glenbard West sectional semifinals
Key losses: S/OH Taylor Gerlach, OH Laura Dillon, MH Monica Ferguson, DS Ann Gallo
Top returners: S/OH Maggie Mee, sr.; MH Chrystl McClure, sr.; OH Lisa VanSomeren, sr.; DS Jill...
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