Top-Seeded 4A Teams Heading into Regionals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The road to the Illinois State tournament starts this week. The first matches will take place on Monday, though the majority of teams will take the court for the first time on Tuesday, October 24th. The road to the Redbird Arena is several weeks long, and teams are primed and ready to get going. Here are the top-seeded 4A teams!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Oak Park-River Forest</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team is absolutely stacked with talent. They are led by setter [player_tooltip player_id='135953' first='Kinsey' last='Smith'] (Davidson), who has 835 assists this season and over 1,800 career assists. Kinsey runs a very fast offense and feeds her hitters. Pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='135950' first='Grace' last='Nelson'] (Kansas) is absolutely dominant. She has 402 kills, 323 service receptions, 206 digs, and 47 aces. Her energy on the court is electric. [player_tooltip player_id='288631' first='Gabriella' last='Towns'] is a physically powerful middle who gets the job done on offense and defense. [player_tooltip player_id='323931' first='Samantha' last='Shelton'] is an emerging star for this program. She is only a sophomore and already is a key weapon on offense for this team. Other noteworthy athletes include senior libero Keira Kleidon and junior pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='288652' first='Phoebe' last='Shorney']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Joliet West</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Joliet West has only dropped three matches this entire season. They are undefeated at home and only lost one match in conference play. They are explosive, fast, and massive at the net. Senior pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='136611' first='Ava' last='Grevengoed'] (Northern Illinois) is explosive and is averaging 5.6 kills per set. Middle hitters Peyton Darguzis and [player_tooltip player_id='323948' first='Faith' last='Jordan'] are dominant blockers. This team has two setters, senior Taylor Brenczewski and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='483418' first='Julia' last='Adams'] who both run a fast and balanced offense. Libero Olivia Baxter is so fun to watch. She is fast, dynamic, and reads very well on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Winnetka (New Trier)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New Trier had a perfect run in conference play and is 25-6 overall this season. They played some of the top teams in the state and in the Midwest. I could not find film or stats; however, I hope to see them play in person this season!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Benet Academy</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Benet Academy is 33-2 this season. They boast some of the top players not only in the state but also in the country. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='288647' first='Aniya' last='Warren'] (Indiana) is simply incredible to watch. She is averaging 4.9 digs per set and has 353 digs this season and over 200 service receptions. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='323932' first='Carolyn' last='Tarnow'] is dominant in the middle. She is nearly unstoppable, hitting 0.366 with 225 kills and 44 blocks. [player_tooltip player_id='288646' first='Gabriele' last='Stasys'] (Yale) leads the team in blocks (63) and is one of the top offensive weapons on the team. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='251333' first='Ellie' last='Stiernagle'] is nothing short of amazing, with 708 assists in her sophomore season. She plays with a high volleyball IQ and has near-perfect placement and tempo. [player_tooltip player_id='311413' first='Audrey' last='Asleson'] (Colorado) is another key player for Benet Academy, currently second on the team in kills. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mother McAuley</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a team I cannot wait to see play. They handed Wisconsin powerhouse and reigning state champion DSHA their only loss of the season so far and have only dropped five matches the entire season. Senior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='135954' first='Ellie' last='White'] (Michigan) dominates all six rotations. She is averaging 5.2 kills per set and has 418 kills this season alone. Freshman Peyton Heatherly is having an incredible start to her high school career, with 602 assists so far this season and 170 digs. [player_tooltip player_id='135946' first='Samantha' last='Falk'] (Loyola) is one of the best liberos in the state and keeps even the toughest balls alive. She has over 500 digs this season and is also one of the top servers on the team. 6'1" middle blocker Keria Ohse has over 100 blocks, as does 6'3" [player_tooltip player_id='311939' first='Ellery' last='Rees'] (Alabama).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Edwardsville</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a senior-heavy team that has great chemistry on the court. Hanna Matarelli leads the team in the back row with nearly 500 service receptions and 300 digs this season. Not much gets past Hanna. She also leads the team in aces. Megan Knobeloch is a talented setter who moves the ball around well and feeds all of her hitters. [player_tooltip player_id='311935' first='Sydney' last='Davis'] gets a lot of touches on the ball. She has 214 digs, 278 kills, and 381 service receptions so far this season. She is a key player for Edwardsville. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='734077' first='Addie' last='Reader'] and sophomore Ciara Cunningham are efficient in the middle, and each put up a massive block. Ciara is hitting 0.292, and Addie has 68 blocks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Barrington</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barrington has not dropped many matches this season, and those they have come at the hands of top-ranked opponents. [player_tooltip player_id='136595' first='Jenna' last='Meitzler'] (Iowa) is a leader and energizer on this team. She sets and hits and finds ways to contribute to every play. Jenna has 248 assists, 225 kills, 57 blocks, and 39 aces. [player_tooltip player_id='239882' first='Gwen' last='Adler'] (Seton Hall) is another talented setter on this team. She has 446 assists and is smart and savvy with her sets. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='411029' first='Molly' last='Kozak'] is well-rounded. She puts up great balls in out-of-system plays and runs the back row efficiently. Middle-blocker [player_tooltip player_id='136599' first='Berkeley' last='Ploder'] (Georgetown) is absolutely dominant in everything she does. She is a crucial piece of this talented team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Libertyville</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Libertyville is another senior-heavy team that has several key players. Pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='135986' first='Hannah' last='Fleming'] dominates in all six rotations. She leads the team in kills, service receptions, and aces. [player_tooltip player_id='135989' first='Jaimie' last='Marquardt'] (Iowa) seems to fill multiple roles on the team. She leads the team in assists and digs, a hard stat to achieve. Pin hitter Stella Meyer is also an impact player and has 158 kills this season and over 250 service receptions. Middle hitters Lily Evans and Kylie Hughes are strong in the middle. Lily is hitting 0.281 this season and leads the team in blocks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->