#10
NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL | QUINCY
Regional Titles: 24
District Titles: 7
Sectional Titles: 18
State Final Trophies: 10
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 9/4
1977-A: Chicago St. Mary 2, Notre Dame 1 30-1
1978-A: Notre Dame 2, Tolono Unity 1 32-0
1980-A: Notre Dame 2, Elmhurst IC 1 34-0
1983-A: Riverton 2, Notre Dame 1 36-4
1998-A: Notre Dame 2, Kansas 1 33-10
1999-A: Normal U High 2, Notre Dame 1 32-11
2001-A: Breese Mater Dei 2, Notre Dame 0 27-16
2011-2A: Notre Dame 2, Chicago Christian 1 29-9
2017-2A: St. Thomas More 2, Notre Dame 1 33-9
State Final Coaches: Bill Starkey (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1993), Rhonda Jensen (1998, 1999, 2001), Christine Stephens (2003), Rich Meyer (2011, 2017)
First Team All-State Players: 1982 – Caren Kemner.
QND: Quincy Notre Dame has not qualified for the state volleyball tournament this decade, but if history is any indication the Lady Raiders will soon add to their collection of 10 state trophies because they qualified in every previous decade since the 1970s. Their first state trip came in 1977 when Bill Starkey coached the Lady Raiders to a 30-1 record, the only loss coming against Chicago St. Mary of Perpetual Help in the Class A final. In 1978, Starkey’s crew was even better, going 32-0 – the second unbeaten team in IHSA history and the first champion with a male coach – after topping Tolono Unity in the final, 20-4, 20-17. “The first two matches here, we were terrible,” Starkey told the media. “We were so nervous. It’s a wonder we got to the final. It’s a real credit to the girls that they still won.” Making the all-tournament team were Karen Heinze and Debbie Lawrence. Notre Dame played in Class AA in 1979, but with the help of 6-foot-1 freshman Caren Kemner still went 27-4 to reach the Elite Eight. Kemner & Co. returned to the Class A ranks in 1980, finishing 34-0 after downing Elmhurst Immaculate Conception in the final, 15-4, 15-10. Kemner and Barb Nutt made the all-tournament team. “She’s really a blue-chipper,” Starkey said of Kemner, who had a 25-inch vertical jump. “She’s big and coordinated.” Kemner went on to play in the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Olympics. A member of the US National team for 15 years, she also played professionally in Italy, Brazil, and Japan. As a senior, she led a third-place state squad to a school-record 45 wins against just two losses, giving her a four-year record of 145-8. After 1994, Starkey stepped down as coach with a 20-year record of 500-176. In 1998, Notre Dame won its third crown, topping Kansas in the final, 2-15, 15-7, 15-13, to finish with more losses than any previous Class A champion at 33-10. “Every match, we learned something new,” said Coach Rhonda Jensen. “No matter what I asked them in practice, they would do it. If I asked them to run through a brick wall, they would give me a funny look and say, ‘here goes nothing.’” The Lady Raiders’ most recent title in 2011 – with Hall-of-Famer Rich Meyer serving as coach – saw them rally past Chicago Christian, 21-25, 26-24, 25-21, as Kristen Gengenbacher supplied a Class 2A title match record 28 assists. Another Notre Dame standout was 6-0 Krista Ridder, who notched 500 career blocks to rank sixth in state history. She was part of a 27-11 state-qualifying squad in 1993 and later played at Illinois State University.
Caren Kemner Feature Story: Click here
#9
BELLEVILLE WEST HIGH SCHOOL | BELLEVILLE
Regional Titles: 24
District Titles: 4
Sectional Titles: 18
State Final Trophies: 4
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 2/2
1990-AA: Belleville West 2, Lockport 0 38-1
1991-AA: Belleville West 2, Crystal Lake South 0 38-1
State Final Coaches: Larry Betz (1976), Charles Rodman (1977, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004)
First Team All-State Players: 1989 – Marnie Triefenbach; 1990 – Marnie Triefenbach; 1991 – Marnie Triefenbach; 1995 – Sarah Emke; 1996 – Lindsay Rust; 1998 – Nicole Panzau; 2000 – Christina Archibald, Erin Noble; 2001 – Katelyn Panzau; 2002 – Katelyn Panzau; 2004 – Lauren DeGirolamo; 2011 – Emily Becker.
Belleville West: Any historical reference to Belleville West volleyball must begin with Marnie Triefenbach. The 6-foot sensation led the Maroons to their only Class AA state titles in 1990 and 1991, going 38-1 each season. In 1991, Triefenbach was named the USA Today National Player of the Year. Her 1,127 career kills briefly stood as the national record. A six-rotation player with a heavy, top-spin serve, Triefenbach also finished with 225 career blocks before heading to Stanford where she was part of two NCAA championship teams. “It’s hard to imagine that there is anyone as good as Marnie,” Belleville West coach Charles Rodman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “She took things to other levels.” Belleville West’s other state trophies were for third in 2004 (37-6) and fourth in 1976 (23-4). The Maroons’ 16 state berths rank fourth in state history and rank first among public schools. However, no school has lost more Elite Eight matches than Belleville West’s 12. Between its trophy-winning seasons of 1991 and 2004, the Maroons lost in the quarterfinals six straight times. That slump ended with a win over Sandburg in 2004 with help from 6-1 Lauren DeGirolamo, who later played at LSU, and 6-0 Truman State-recruit Melissa Keck. That 2004 triumph was more than just another win to Rodman, who said, “It’s special just because volleyball is an important part of my life and an important part of the lives of these kids, but it’s more important because these are the kinds of athletes and students that I love to coach.” The Maroons went on to lose to Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge in the semifinals before topping Downers Grove South for third. In 2000, the Maroons’ 38-3 Class AA Elite Eight team was led by 6-1 Indiana-recruit Christina Archibald, who had 307 kills, and Duke-recruit Erin Noble, who had 344 kills. In 2002, 5-11 setter Katelyn Panzau had 821 assists for a 37-4 state team before going on to play at South Carolina and Missouri State. Panzau’s older sisters, twins Nicole and Sarah, starred for a 32-8 Elite Eight squad in 1998. Rodman ended a 28-year Hall-of-Fame coaching career after the 2004 season with an 815-164-2 record that ranks 17th for wins in state history. “The joy of the sport is playing,” he said after his final match. “Sometimes we forget the fun part because we are worried about wins and losses.” Since Rodman’s last victory, the Maroons have advanced beyond the regionals four times, but no further. During the blizzard-delayed 1976-77 state tournament, Belleville West opened with a win over Shelbyville before falling to Oak Lawn and Barrington to finish fourth. “It’s a shame we don’t get to play that type of competition all year,” Coach Larry Betz told the Belleville News-Democrat. In 2011, 6-0 Emily Becker ended her career with 1,003 kills to rank third in school history.
Read about how Charles Rodman's understated approach led to West's vball ascension: Click here
#8
UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL | NORMAL
Regional Titles: 24
District Titles: 1
Sectional Titles: 16
State Final Trophies: 7
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 3/2
1994-A: Breese Mater Dei 2, U High 0 36-4-1
1999-A: U High 2, Quincy Notre Dame 1 37-5
2000-A: U High 2, Wheaton St. Francis 0 41-1
State Final Coaches: Lois Wisniewski (1987, 1988, 1992, 1994), Char Lehnen (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000), Michael Bolhuis (2017, 2019)
First Team All-State Players: 1995 – Rebecca Dady; 1997 – Jenny Rohren; 1999 – Ogonna Nnamani; 2000 – Ogonna Nnamani; 2002 – Njideka Nnamani; 2021* – Kendall Burk; 2022 – Lily Barry.
(*) – denotes pandemic-shortened spring season.
UHIGH: For a program that has made state trips every decade from the 1980s to the 2010s, it is nevertheless easy to pinpoint the golden age of Normal University High School volleyball as being 1999 and 2000. Those Class A state championship seasons showcased Ogonna Nnamani, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter who could touch 11 feet high thanks to a 36-inch vertical jump. Nnamani was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2000 and went on to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2004 and 2008. She also played on two NCAA championship teams at Stanford before playing professionally in Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Turkey, Italy, and the Czech Republic. She helped U High go 149-15 while nabbing four state berths. In the 1999 state final, a 15-10, 12-15, 15-9 triumph over Quincy Notre Dame, Nnamani had 21 kills, one shy of the tourney record. “The adrenalin gets in your eyes,” she told the media while describing the last point after which she joined a jubilant pile of crying teammates. In the 2000 state final against Wheaton St. Francis, Nnamani had 18 kills in a 15-11, 15-13 win to push her career total to 1,421. “I was impressed by her ability to move her hitting where she wanted,” said St. Francis coach Peg Kopec. Nnamani’s setter, Anne Butts, went on to play at Kent State after notching an IHSA record 3,408 career assists, a total that has since slipped to third in state history. U High’s title teams had an experienced coach in Char Lehnen, who had coached Riverton to the 1983 Class A crown. She went 308-30 from 1995 to 2000 with the Pioneers. Among the stars on Lehnen’s 37-3 state team in 1997 was Jenny Rohren, who finished with a then-state record 2,705 career assists before playing at Valparaiso and Illinois State University. U High’s climb into the state’s upper volleyball echelons began in 1984 when Lois Wisniewski became coach. The Pioneers were a humble 2-18 in 1985, but on that roster was 5-9 freshman Lisa Raimondi, among the program’s first club players. Raimondi and U High improved to 14-9 in 1986 and made the program’s first state appearance in 1987, placing fourth in Class A at 25-8-1. As a senior in 1988, Raimondi’s 26-6 team again made the Elite Eight and she made the all-tournament team. After a 26-9-1 state trip in 1992, U High moved up to second in 1994, going 36-4-1 following a 15-2, 15-8 loss to Breese Mater Dei. Those 1994 Pioneers were led by 6-2 sophomore Rebecca Dady, who later played at Georgia. She finished with a state-record 1,651 career kills, a total that has since slipped to 10th. Following Nnamani into the professional volleyball ranks were setters Taylor Bruns and Val Nichol, who were Pantagraph Area Players of the Year in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Bruns went on to play at South Carolina before playing professionally in Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Finland, and the USA. After starring at Purdue, Nichol played professionally in Germany and Poland. U High’s most recent Final Four visits under Hall-of-Fame coach Michael Bolhuis came in Class 3A where it finished third in 2017 (29-11) and fourth in 2019 (33-8). Bolhuis stepped down as coach prior to the 2024 season after going 229-57 over eight years that included six regional titles and four sectional crowns.
Ogonna Nnamani's Midwestern Work Ethic Set Course For Success On & Off The Court: Read Feature Story
#7
BREESE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL | BREESE
Regional Titles: 21
Sectional Titles: 11
State Final Trophies: 9
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 5/3
1996-A: Breese Central 2, Mt. Pulaski 0 36-3
2005-A: Breese Central 2, Columbia 0 34-9
2006-A: Hartsburg-Emden 2, Breese Central 1 36-7
2007-A: Breese Central 2, Hampshire 0 33-8
2010-A: Chicago Christian 2, Breese Central 1 30-12
State Final Coaches: Diane Marsh (1992), Jim Cook (1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013)
First Team All-State Players: 1996 – Lea Beckemeyer; 1997 – Amy Heimann; 2005 – Sarah Barth; 2006 – Laura Budde; 2007 – Laura Budde; 2011 – Taylor Voss; 2013 – Madison Timmerman.
Breese Central: When it came to creating volleyball glory for Breese Central, no coach did more than Jim Cook, whose 1995-to-2012 tenure produced three state titles, 14 regional crowns, nine sectional titles, and eight of the school’s nine state trophies. Cook went 612-212 with the Cougars after going 102-67-1 between 1986 and 1993 at Trenton Wesclin. His 714 career wins rank 28th in state history. In 1996, Cook guided a 36-3 squad to Breese Central’s first Class A title as Amy Heimann and 6-foot-1 Lea Beckemeyer were named to the all-tourney team. That squad’s six seniors finished with a four-year record of 99-8. Their final win was a 15-6, 15-7 decision over Mount Pulaski. Breese Central’s 1996 title was the fourth straight for the town of Breese (pop. 3,500), which had seen Breese Mater Dei prevail in Class A in 1993, 1994, and 1995. “It’s great for Clinton County,” Cook said after the 1996 final. “It shows what kind of volleyball we play down there.” Prior to the introduction of a four-class system in 2007, the best team in Breese could usually expect a lengthy post-season run as the two state powers took turns knocking each other off in the regional or sectional. The past 17 seasons the two schools have been in different classes five times. Breese Central’s other state titles came in Class A in 2005 (34-9) and 2A in 2007 (33-8). In 2005, it was an all-Cahokia Conference final when league runner-up Breese Central won, 25-12, 25-17, over league third-placer Columbia (conference champion Freeburg was in Class AA that season). Brittany Schrage led the victors with 10 kills to help negate the 11 kills of 6-2 Saint Louis University recruit Sammi McCloud of Columbia. Setting for the Cougars was 5-10 Southeast Missouri State-recruit Sarah Barth, who had 523 assists. “We were so on,” Cook told the media. “We tried to keep the pressure on them.” In 2007, Cook became the sixth coach in state history to win three titles when his Cougars downed Hampshire in three sets. The only remaining starter from 2005 was senior Lauren Budde, who shared the team lead in kills at 11 with classmate Jessica Hemann, the reigning state high jump champion. Both were part of a 36-7 state runner-up squad in 2006. “You expect the seniors to step up,” Cook said after the 2007 final. “All the seniors have talked about it all the time. It was time to just put up or shut up and we put up.” Cook’s other state trophy winning teams took second in 2010 (30-12) and third in 1999 (35-8), 2011 (33-9), and 2013 (36-6). Helping the Cougars make state trips in 2010 and 2011 was 6-0 Taylor Voss, who had 117 kills as a junior and 349 as a senior.
Read about how the Breese Central culture helped shape Kim Rahar's coaching career: Read here
#6
DOWNERS GROVE SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL 
Regional Titles: 20
District Titles: 3
Sectional Titles: 14
State Final Trophies: 10
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 7/3
1992-AA: McAuley 2, Downers Grove South 1 36-6
1993-AA: Lockport 2, Downers Grove South 0 38-5
1994-AA: McAuley 2, Downers Grove South 0 35-8
1996-AA: Downers Grove South 2, McAuley 1 36-7
1997-AA: McAuley 2, Downers Grove South 1 37-6
1999-AA: Downers Grove South 2, Althoff 0 36-5
2002-AA: Downers Grove South 2, Barrington 0 38-4
State Final Coaches: Judy Griesheim (1992, 1993), Denise Lazzeroni-Kavanaugh (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002), Colleen Reagan (2004)
First Team All-State Players: 1982 – Kathy Griesheim; 1983 – Gwen Zemaitis; 1992 – Tracy Black, Terri Zemaitis; 1993 – Tracy Black, Terri Zemaitis; 1994 – Tracy Black, Tracey Marshall; 1995 – Tracey Marshall; 1996 – Liz Ortegel; 1997 – Chantel Reedus; 1998 – Chantel Reedus; 1999 – Michelle Chatman, Lindsey Filkins; 2000 – Shannon Parker, Michelle Chatman; 2001 – Meghan Macdonald, Shannon Parker; 2002 – Meghan Macdonald; 2003 – Jackie Simpson; 2004 – Jeannette Abbott.
DGS: It’s safe to say many high school volleyball programs would love to swap histories with Downers Grove South, whose glory days, alas, took place more than 20 years ago. The Mustangs’ light never burned brighter than during an 11-year stretch that ended in 2002 and brought three Class AA state titles and four runner-up efforts among nine trophies total. Downers Grove South’s ascension to state prominence began in 1992 when Judy Griesheim coached a 36-6 team to second in Class AA behind Chicago Mother McAuley. In 1993, Griesheim’s 38-5 group, led by all-staters Terri Zemaitis and Tracy Black, took second again behind Lockport. After Denise Lazzeroni-Kavanaugh became coach, her 35-8 squad of 1994 earned yet another runner-up finish behind McAuley. In 1995, Lazzeroni-Kavanaugh’s 39-4 crew dropped to third before winning the school’s first state title in 1996 by a score of 15-12, 10-15, 15-13 over McAuley to finish 36-7. The Mustangs’ go-to-girl in 1996 was senior Tracey Marshall, who was named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. She later led Illinois to two NCAA appearances as the first African-American scholarship player in Fighting Illini history. Marshall was ranked among the top 100 players in state history by Illprepvb.com along with fellow Mustangs Jeannette Abbott, Meghan Macdonald, and Jackie Simpson. Before placing second in 1997 at 37-6, Lazzeroni-Kavanaugh addressed the issue of high expectations. “Every year we have a different team and they don’t dwell really on the past,” she told The Daily Herald. “They really look toward the future.” The 36-5 state title team of 1999 included 6-0 Florida-recruit Michelle Chatman and 5-10 Illinois-Chicago-bound Lindsey Filkins, who helped beat Belleville Althoff in the final, 15-8, 15-5. The star setter of the program’s 39-3 state third-place squad in 2000 was Cincinnati-recruit Shannon Parker, who finished with 2,908 career assists, the 17th most in state history. Abbott, Macdonald, and Simpson all played for the 38-4 state championship team of 2002 when Macdonald was named the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. She later played at Illinois while Abbott went to Clemson and Simpson to Wisconsin. Prior to the 2002 state tourney in which the Mustangs topped Barrington in the final (15-13, 15-11), Lazzeroni-Kavanaugh said, “Our goal every year is to shoot for a state championship.” After that match, Lazzeroni-Kavanaugh ended her nine-year Hall of Fame coaching career with a 324-51 record before becoming Downers Grove North’s athletic director. Downers Grove South’s 10th and final state trophy came in 2004 for fourth, capping a 37-6 season. Since then, the Mustangs have seen 15 seasons end in the regional, three in the sectional, and one during a pandemic.
Denise Kavanaugh took DGS from Cinderella to Unstoppable Force: Read here
#5
JOLIET CATHOLIC ACADEMY | JOLIET
Regional Titles: 22
District Titles: 2
Sectional Titles: 16
State Final Trophies: 14
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 7/3
2003-AA: JCA 2, Barrington 0 39-2-1
2008-3A: JCA 2, Burlington Central 0 39-3
2009-3A: JCA 2, Breese Mater Dei 0 41-1
2010-3A: Breese Mater Dei 2, JCA 1 34-8
2014-3A: Wheaton St. Francis 2, JCA 0 25-17
2015-3A: Woodstock Marian 2, JCA 1 26-13
2019-3A: Sterling 2, JCA 0 26-15
State Final Coaches: As Joliet St. Francis – James Kelly (1986), Connie Smyder (1987); As Joliet Catholic Academy – Kathy Major (1998), Christine Scheibe (2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019), LaKisha Cameron (2021, 2022).
First Team All-State Players: 1986 – Mary Penosky; 1990 – Missy Sartorelli; 2001 – Samantha Tortorello; 2003 – Maggie Karges, Allie Quigley; 2006 – Kelly Murphy; 2007 – Kelly Murphy; 2008 – Gina Vera; 2009 – Annemarie Hickey; 2010 – Lainey Wyman; 2012 – Morgan Reardon; 2014 – Mary Murphy.
JCA: Only four schools have made more state tournament appearances than Joliet Catholic Academy’s 15 and only three have won more state trophies than the Angels’ 14 (including the school's first trophy in 1986 under the school's original St. Francis Academy namesake. The all-female St. Francis combined with all-male Joliet Catholic to form JCA in 1990). While JCA has won district or regional titles in each decade since the 1970s, its greatest success started in 2001 when it began a streak of 15 straight regional championships. That era – with Christine Scheibe as coach – brought JCA all of its state titles in 2003, 2008, and 2009. That span also featured some of the greatest players in state history, including 6-foot-2 Kelly Murphy, who later helped win the 2016 Olympic bronze medal and the 2014 FIVB World Championship gold medal. In 2007, Murphy was the Gatorade National Player of the Year and then starred at Florida before playing professionally in Italy, Japan, and China. In 2003, the Angels won their first Class AA title, topping Barrington in the final, 26-24, 25-18, to finish 39-2-1. “When it went to extra points,” Scheibe told the media, “I had confidence in these girls to hang on and never give up.” Her stars included 5-10 hitters Allie Quigley and Maggie Karges. Quigley, who had a school-record 515 kills in 2003, went on to play pro basketball in the WNBA and overseas while Karges later played at Bowling Green. The Angels won back-to-back Class 3A titles in 2008 (39-3) and 2009 (41-1) with help from 5-8 Annemarie Hickey, the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year who later played at Wisconsin. Another 2008 standout was setter Gina Vera, a Butler recruit who finished with a school-record 1,631 career assists. In the 2008 final, JCA topped Burlington Central, 25-19, 25-14. “I knew from the very beginning we had something special with this group,” Scheibe said. In the 2009 final, the Angels stretched their winning streak against in-state schools to 46 by downing Breese Mater Dei, 25-20, 25-23. “In all honesty, anything less than a state championship with this team this year would have been a disappointment for us,” said Scheibe, whose squad won 84 of 88 sets that season, the only loss coming against Louisville Assumption of Kentucky. Scheibe ended her 21-year Hall-of-Fame career in 2021 with a 602-198-10 record that places her 47th for wins in state history. Other stars included setter Samantha Tortorello and Morgan Reardon. The 2001 Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year, Tortorello later starred at Penn State. In 2012, Reardon, who later played at Loyola, finished with 1,002 career kills to rank third in school history. In 2014, Kelly Murphy’s sister, Mary, had 327 kills for a 25-17 state runner-up squad before going on to Western Michigan.
WNBA Star Allie Quigley's Championship Work Ethic Started at JCA: Read here
#4
MOUNT PULASKI HIGH SCHOOL | MOUNT PULASKI 
Regional Titles: 33
District Titles: 2
Sectional Titles: 23
State Final Trophies: 12
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 10/2
1988-A: Wheaton St. Francis 2, Mt. Pulaski 1 41-1
1989-A: Mt. Pulaski 2, Hoopeston-East Lynn 0 43-0
1996-A: Breese Central 2, Mt. Pulaski 0 33-9
2002-A: Wheaton St. Francis 2, Mt. Pulaski 0 40-3
2003-A: Wheaton St. Francis 2, Mt. Pulaski 0 38-5
2004-A: Wheaton St. Francis 2, Mt. Pulaski 0 37-6
2007-1A: Mt. Pulaski 2, Rockford Keith 0 27-14
2009-1A: Lanark Eastland 2, Mt. Pulaski 1 30-12
2011-1A: Dakota 2, Mt. Pulaski 0 26-16
2012-1A: Rockford Keith 2, Mt. Pulaski 1 33-9
State Final Coaches: Donna Dulle (1988, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012)
First Team All-State Players: 1988 – Tina Rogers; 1989 – Tina Rogers; 2002 – Bethany Dulle; 2003 – Bethany Dulle.
Mt. Pulaski: The only picture that could paint a thousand words about Mount Pulaski volleyball would be a portrait of Donna Dulle. Her 1981-to-2019 stint as coach produced a 1,128-389 record, 14 state trips, 10 state trophies, and two state titles. Dulle has upped her career record to 1,189-399-1 after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Tri-Valley. Only Peg Kopec’s 1,248 victories are greater in state history. It was Kopec’s Wheaton St. Francis squad that denied Dulle state titles in 1988, 2002, 2003, and 2004. St. Francis also handed the Lady Toppers a state semifinal loss in 1997. Besides winning state crowns in 1989 and 2007, Mount Pulaski was the highest finishing public school in its class six other times (1989, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2012). The state record of eight runner-up finishes belongs to the Lady Toppers. A Hall of Famer, Dulle routinely schedules large-school powers to toughen her teams, which are known for stellar passing. That trait really paid off in 1988 when 6-foot-3 junior Tina Rogers led the Lady Toppers to a 41-1 record, the only loss coming against St. Francis in the Class A final, 15-7, 14-16, 15-8. In 1989, Rogers was unstoppable as Mount Pulaski went 43-0 and won its first Class A state crown over Hoopeston-East Lynn, 15-5, 15-7. “We had hoped we could stop Tina,” lamented Hoopeston-East Lynn coach Beth Carpenter. “It’s almost impossible. The ball comes in so fast. She’s unbelievable.” Rogers had a Class A tournament record 27 kills in a three-set semifinal win over Elmhurst Immaculate Conception and 21 in the final. The 1989 Champaign News-Gazette Player of the Year, Rogers finished with state records for career kills (1,504) and blocks (670) before playing at Illinois. Mount Pulaski made a run of four consecutive state trips beginning in 2001 when Dulle’s daughter, Bethany, helped a 35-8 team place third her sophomore year. Then came three straight state runner-up showings with help from 6-0 left-handed setter Mallory Clements, who later played at SIU-Edwardsville. The first state title awarded when a four-class system was introduced in 2007 went to Mount Pulaski, which finished 27-14 in Class 1A after topping Rockford Keith, 25-22, 25-22. “Our serve receive went very well,” Dulle told the media. “The ball moves a lot in the arena, and we were able to control it.” The 2007 Lady Toppers featured a balanced quartet of hitters led by 6-0 Christina Stoll. Another big name in Mount Pulaski history belongs to 6-3 Maddy Davis, who hit .530 and averaged 4.9 kills per game for a 25-15 sectional championship team in 2015 before playing at Louisiana Tech.
Grassroots Movement Led Mt. Pulaski To Become State Volleyball Power: Read here
#3
MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL | BREESE
Regional Titles: 34
District Titles: 4
Sectional Titles: 27
State Final Trophies: 19
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 24/8
1987-A: Mater Dei 2, Riverton 0 32-3
1993-A: Mater Dei 2, Colchester 1 39-3-1
1994-A: Mater Dei 2, Normal University 0 38-0
1995-A: Mater Dei 2, Huntley 0 41-1-1
2001-A: Mater Dei 2, Quincy Notre Dame 0 35-7-1
2009-3A: Joliet Catholic 2, Mater Dei 0 35-7
2010-3A: Mater Dei 2, Joliet Catholic 1 41-1
2011-3A: Mater Dei 2, Woodstock Marian 0 39-3
2019-2A: Decatur St. Teresa 2, Mater Dei 0 31-10
2023-2A: Mater Dei 2, Elmhurst IC 0 33-6
State Final Coaches: Fred Rakers (1978, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010), Chad Rakers (2011, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2023)
First Team All-State Players: 1994 – Laura Haselhorst; 1996 – Kendra Haselhorst; 2000 – Amber Heimann; 2001 – Tricia Winter; 2011 – Brooke Schulte; 2014 – Madi Haake; 2019 – Jessie Timmermann; 2021 – Tori Mohesky; 2023 – Alyssa Koerkenmeier.
Mater Dei: Teams frequently strive for success by fostering a family atmosphere. The Rakers family did its part at Breese Mater Dei where Fred Rakers founded the volleyball program in 1976. He went 1,046-200-7 and won six state titles over 35 years before handing the coaching reins to his son, Chad, who went 382-94-5 and won two state crowns before retiring after 13 seasons in the spring of 2024. Fred Rakers, who never had a losing season, and his son combined for 1,428 wins, the third most in state history and all the victories in school history entering the 2024 season. Their eight titles place Mater Dei third for most IHSA crowns. Both men are Hall of Famers. The Lady Knights made their first state trip in 1978, going 22-7 for fourth in Class A during Fred Raker’s third year as coach. In his 12th season and fifth state trip, his 32-3 squad captured Mater Dei’s first Class A crown with a 16-14, 15-3 win over Riverton in 1987. “It’s about time,” he said as he entered the media room after the final. “I guess the fifth time is a charm.” That 1987 team had uncanny depth. “I look at it like we have nine starters,” Fred Rakers said. While 23 years separated Fred Rakers’ first and last state titles, his most successful stretch was an unprecedented run of three straight crowns in 1993 (39-3-1), 1994 (38-0), and 1995 (41-1-1). The 1994 squad is among just 11 unbeatens in state history. It contributed to a 56-match winning streak – the fourth longest in state history – that included 10 wins in 1993 and eight in 1995. The streak was halted by rival Breese Central. “I told the team it’s just one loss and it doesn’t mean the end of the season,” said Fred Rakers, who lost his battle with cancer in 2013 at age 68. With a population of 4,641, Breese has won 11 state titles thanks to the Lady Knights and three-time champion Breese Central, located two miles from Mater Dei. More success may be around the corner for Mater Dei, which returns most of its 2023 Class 2A state championship team, which finished 33-6 following a 25-21, 25-22 win over Elmhurst IC Catholic in the final. “We played some inspired volleyball, and this was a true team effort,” Chad Rakers told The Breese Journal. Among the 2024 returnees for new coach Cortney Walker, who was an assistant coach for Chad Rakers, is 6-foot-6 all-stater Alyssa Koerkenmeier. Illprepvb.com ranked Brooke Schulte among the top 100 players in state history. She helped win state titles in 2010 and 2011. A DePaul basketball recruit, Schulte had 311 kills as a senior. In the mid-1990s, sisters Laura and Kendra Haselhorst led Mater Dei before playing at Illinois and Illinois State, respectively. In 2001, 6-2 SIU-Edwardsville-recruit Tricia Winter led a 35-7-1 state title team with 296 kills. Twenty years later, 5-11 Eastern Illinois-recruit Tori Mohesky set Mater Dei records for kills in a season (460) and career (1,071).
The Mater Dei Way: Click here to read
#2
ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL | WHEATON
Regional Titles: 39
District Titles: 1
Sectional Titles: 29
State Final Trophies: 21
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 16/14
1988-A: St. Francis 2, Mount Pulaski 1 36-6-1
1991-A: St. Francis 2, Shelbyville 1 40-2
1992-A: St. Francis 2, Mendota 0 36-8
1997-A: St. Francis 2, Kansas 0 39-4
2000-A: Normal University 2, St. Francis 0 39-4
2002-A: St. Francis 2, Mount Pulaski 0 35-8
2003-A: St. Francis 2, Mount Pulaski 0 40-3
2004-A: St. Francis 2, Mount Pulaski 0 34-9
2006-AA: St. Francis 2, Rockton Hononegah 0 41-2
2007-3A: Crystal Lake Central 2, St. Francis 0 38-4
2012-3A: St. Francis 2, Richmond-Burton 0 37-5
2013-3A: St. Francis 2, LaSalle-Peru 0 39-3
2014-3A: St. Francis 2, Joliet Catholic 0 38-4
2015-4A: St. Francis 2, Glenbard West 0 39-3
2022-3A: St. Francis 2, Nazareth Academy 0 30-12
2023-3A: St. Francis 2, Lincoln 1 34-8
State Final Coaches: Peg Kopec (1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), Lisa Ston (2022, 2023)
First Team All-State Players: 1988 – Stacey Kammes; 1989 – Nikki Kozak, Sara Skryd; 1990 – Sara Skryd; 1992 – Amie Lotarski; 1993 – Shalini Job; 1994 – Shalini Job; 1995 – Christie Landry; 1996 – Christie Landry; 1997 – Erin Byrd, Shannon Melka; 1998 – Erin Byrd, Katie Virtue; 2000 – Erin Virtue, Marian Weidner; 2001 – Melissa Markowski; 2003 – Amy Palash; 2004 – Kiley Fister; 2005 – Kate Rodriguez; 2006 – Megan Boken; 2007 – Michelle Kocher; 2008 – Kelsey Robinson; 2009 – Kristen Kelsay, Kelsey Robinson; 2010 – Meg Vonderhaar; 2012 – Maddie Haggerty; 2013 – Maddie Haggerty, Molly Haggerty; 2014 – Molly Haggerty, Dani Messa; 2015 – Molly Haggerty, Dani Messa; 2019 – Anna Calcagno; 2023 – Addy Horner.
St. Francis: Any discussion of the greatest high school volleyball programs in Illinois history must include Peg Kopec. She’s merely the winningest coach with 1,248 victories against 260 losses and two ties during two stints at Wheaton St. Francis (1974-85 and 1987-2015). No coach has won more titles than Kopec’s 12 (seven in Class A, one in Class AA, three in Class 3A and one in Class 4A). The Hall of Famer also guided the Spartans to two runner-up finishes, four thirds, and one fourth. St. Francis continued its winning ways under Coach Lisa Ston by landing titles in 2022 and 2023 to give them 14, the second most in state history behind Chicago Mother McAuley’s 17. The Spartans entered the 2024 season with 1,487 all-time wins, second most in state history to McAuley’s 1,602. In 2015, Kopec decided to retire in August but didn’t reveal it until after winning her last title and first in 4A. “I did not want to tell anybody earlier because then it would have been about me and it’s always been about (the players),” Kopec told the media. “When I first started, what I really wanted to do was give the kids memories and I think that’s what I’ve excelled at.” When Illprepvb.com named its top 100 players in state history, St. Francis had the most honorees with six: Kelsey Robinson, Molly Haggerty, Michelle Kocher, Amy Palash, Megan Boken, and Sara Skryd. A 2024 Olympic team member, Robinson ended her prep career in 2009 with a school-record 1,122 career kills before playing at Tennessee and Nebraska. Haggerty hammered more than 1,400 career kills as part of four title teams (2012-15) which combined to go 153-15 before she signed with Wisconsin. Kocher paced St. Francis to the Class AA state title in 2006, the Class A crown in 2004, and a 3A runner-up finish in 2007 before starring at Texas. Palash keyed Class A champions in 2002 and 2003 before playing at Valparaiso and Illinois. Boken sparked Class A champs in 2004 and 2006 before playing at Saint Louis University. Another 2004 star was Kiley Fister, who had a school-record 149 aces before going to Iowa. In 1991, Skryd, a Long Beach State-recruit, helped a 40-2 team win a Class A crown. She was a Chicago-Sun Times Player of the Year as were Christy Landry (1996) and Marian Weidner (2000). Still playing for the Spartans in 2024 is 6-3 Wisconsin-commit Addy Horner, the 2023 Champaign News-Gazette Player of the Year, who has been part of back-to-back state championship teams.
Tradition Never Graduates From St. Francis Volleyball: Click here to read
#1
MOTHER MCAULEY SCHOOL | CHICAGO
Regional Titles: 41
District Titles: 3
Sectional Titles: 35
State Final Trophies: 26
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 29/17
1977-AA: McAuley 2, Queen of Peace 0 32-0
1980-AA: McAuley 2, Oak Park-River Forest 1 36-0
1981-AA: McAuley 2, Sandburg 0 40-0
1982-AA: McAuley 2, Glenbard West 0 48-0
1983-AA: Glenbard West 2, McAuley 0 39-4
1984-AA: McAuley 3, Palatine 0 37-4
1985-AA: McAuley 2, St. Charles 0 39-2
1987-AA: McAuley 2, Oak Park-River Forest 0 36-4
1992-AA: McAuley 2, Downers Grove South 1 39-2
1994-AA: McAuley 2, Downers Grove South 0 40-3
1995-AA: McAuley 2, Crystal Lake South 1 42-1
1996-AA: Downers Grove South 2, McAuley 1 41-2
1997-AA: McAuley 2, Downers Grove South 1 35-8
2000-AA: McAuley 2, Barrington 1 38-5
2004-AA: McAuley 2, Prairie Ridge 1 41-2
2007-4A: Naperville Central 2, McAuley 0 34-8
2013-4A: McAuley 2, Benet 0 40-2
2016-4A: McAuley 2, Minooka 1 40-1
2021-4A: Metea Valley 2, McAuley 1 35-7
2022-4A: McAuley 2, Benet 1 39-3
2023-4A: McAuley 2, Benet 1 38-4
State Final Coaches: Donna Smith (1977), Mary Anne (O’Neill) Malone (1980, 1981, 1982), Nancy (Wichgers) Pedersen (1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004), Jen DeJarld (2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023).
First Team All-State Players: 1982 – Maura Cullen, Eva Murray; 1983 – Kathy Burns, Laurie Caraher; 1984 – Traci Broadway; 1985 – Traci Broadway, Janet Moylan, Maureen Skalitzky; 1986 – Traci Broadway, Jennifer Rees, Tricia Tadin; 1988 – Sue Wronski; 1989 – JoAnna Collias; 1990 – Molly Maloney, Nikki Valentine; 1992 – Michelle Battistella, Cherri Hughes; 1993 – Jen Bell; 1994 – Mary Coleman, Jeanine Szczesniak; 1995 – Ryann Connors, Katie Schumacher; 1996 – Nancy Bell, Katie Schumacher; 1997 – Nicole Kacor; 1998 – Meg Griffin*; 2000 – Megan Griffin, Katie Kozak; 2001 – Megan Griffin, Katie Kozak; 2002 – Cheryl Kay; 2003 – Amanda Kenny; 2004 – Caitlin Balsam, Jennifer Kozlarek; 2005 – Kate Corbett; 2006 – Kim O’Brien; 2007 – Carli Weiler; 2008 – Desiree Aramburu, Kelly Griffin; 2010 – MaryKate Styler; 2012 – Courtney Joyce; 2013 – Ryann DeJarld, Courtney Joyce; 2014 – Ryann DeJarld; 2015 – Kayla Caffey, Jane DeJarld; 2016 – Nancy Kane, Charley Niego; 2017 – Charley Niego; 2021 – Gigi Navarrete, Ellie White; 2022 – Gigi Navarrete, Ellie White; 2023 – Sam Falk, Ellie White.
Mother McAuley: No school has set a standard for volleyball excellence higher than Chicago Mother McAuley, an all-girls school of 1,700 students, which has won a state-record 17 championships. Since 1974, the only other Illinois programs to win more were Elmhurst York in boys cross country (23) and Hinsdale Central in girls tennis (20) and boys tennis (19). In the 49 volleyball seasons since 1974, the Mighty Macs set records for most regional titles (41), most sectional crowns (35), state trips (29), and state trophies (26). Entering the 2024 season, McAuley also held the state record for all-time wins at 1,602, 115 more than the next winningest program, Wheaton St. Francis. Plus, the Mighty Macs own the state record for consecutive victories at 135, a streak that stretched from Nov. 18, 1979 until Sept. 16, 1983. McAuley was in transition in 1983 when Nancy Wichgers Pedersen took over as coach from Mary Anne (O’Neill) Malone, who had won three straight Class AA state titles. “There’s no way I could pass up an opportunity like this,” Pedersen told the Chicago Tribune. “This is every coach’s dream to come in and take over a team that could win the state title.” McAuley took second in 1983, but Pedersen went on to win nine state titles, the second most in state history. The Hall of Famer retired after winning her last state title in 2004, having gone 789-110 over 22 years. “I couldn’t have written a better ending,” she told the media. Among McAuley’s star-laden alumni was 6-foot-2 Katie Schumacher, whose 28 kills in the 1996 Class AA final stood as the record for 21 years. She later starred at Penn State where she is currently the head coach. Other standouts were Ellie White, Charley Niego and Chicago Sun-Times Players of the Year Eva Murray (1982), Michelle Battistella (1992), Jeanine Szczesniak (1994), Ryann Connors (1995), Desiree Aramburu (2008), and Ryann DeJarld (2014). DeJarld, who keyed the 2013 state title team, was coached by her mother, Jen, before setting dig records at Notre Dame. A two-time Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, White helped McAuley go 127-16 and finished with 1,712 career kills in 2023 to rank fifth in state history. Now playing at Michigan, White twice had a 4A state tourney record 23 kills in a match. McAuley’s record winning streak stood at 124 when Murray graduated in 1983. She went on to become the University of Texas all-time assist leader. Before playing at Notre Dame and North Carolina, Niego swatted 470 kills for her 40-1 state title team in 2016. Heading into the 2024 season, Jen DeJarld is already a Hall of Famer thanks to her 629-112 record over 19 seasons to go with four titles and nine state trophies.
(*) – The 1998 team’s Meg Griffin was not the Megan Griffin, who starred in 2000 and 2001.
#19
JACKSONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL | JACKSONVILLE
Regional Titles: 21
District Titles: 2
Sectional Titles: 14
State Final Trophies: 3
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 1/1
1988-AA: Jacksonville 2, Hersey 0 39-2
State Final Coaches: Larry Sample (1988, 1992, 1997, 1998), Gary Hickox (2012)
First Team All-State Players: 1988 – Missy Aggertt, Susie Green; 1989 – Missy Aggertt; 1990 – Missy Aggertt; 1991 – Missy Aggertt; 1992 – Julie Manker; 1993 – Jennifer White; 1994 – Kay Kiesow; 1996 – Mia Perry; 1997 – Mia Perry; 1998 – Emily Beckwith; 1999 – Michelle Lynch, Emily Beckwith; 2000 – Michelle Lynch; 2001 – Ashley Grubb; 2012 – Jaelyn Keene; 2013 – Jaelyn Keene.
Jacksonville: The most success in Jacksonville volleyball history came with Larry Sample as coach. His first team in 1979 went 12-10 and his second 11-12. Then came 19 consecutive winning seasons including 10 30-win and eight 20-win campaigns. Sample coached Jacksonville from 1978 to 1999 and then Chatham Glenwood from 2006 to 2009 to finish with a 673-160 record that places the Hall of Famer 33rd in state history for career wins. The highlight of Sample’s career was the 39-2 Class AA state championship season of 1988 when the Crimsons became the first downstate winner in the large-school division, topping Arlington Heights Hersey in the final, 19-17, 15-7. That victory was Jacksonville’s reward for having begun a club volleyball program four years earlier to go with its star-generating junior high program. “A few years ago, Chicago schools had the jump on us in open ball,” Sample told the media. “We’re gradually catching up with them just like Chicago is gradually catching up with California.” Leading the Crimsons in 1988 were all-tournament honorees Susie Green, Cheryl Carter, and Beth Foster. Carter’s 293 career aces rank sixth in state history. Another 1988 standout was 5-foot-8 freshman Missy Aggertt, who became the first four-time Champaign News-Gazette first-team all-stater before playing at Florida. Aggertt set school career records for kills (903), assists (1,075), blocks (281), and hitting percentage (.388). Sample also brought teams to the state tournament in 1992 (38-2) and 1997 (35-6), but he didn’t win another trophy until his 34-7 squad of 1998 took third. That team was notable for having 10 underclassmen. “We overcame a lot this year and we gained a lot of experience being here,” Sample said. The Crimsons’ 37-2 team of 1999, which reached the Sweet Sixteen, was led by 6-2 Emily Beckwith, whose 170 blocks pushed her school career record to 577. Jacksonville’s only other state trip came in 2012 under Coach Gary Hickox when the Crimsons went 30-10 and took fourth in Class 3A. Leading the way was 6-2 junior Jaelyn Keene, who set a still-standing 3A state tournament single-match record with 23 kills in a semifinal loss to Richmond-Burton. She finished with 1,355 career kills before starring at Illinois State University. She also played one season of sand volleyball at Alabama-Birmingham. Another all-time great was Michelle Lynch, who was ranked among the top setters in the nation coming out of high school in 2002 and later played at Nebraska. Helping Lynch shine in 2001 was 5-11 ISU-recruit Ashley Grubb, who finished with 997 career kills, a school record at the time.
#18
HARTSBURG-EMDEN HIGH SCHOOL | HARTSBURG
Regional Titles: 21
Sectional Titles: 10
State Final Trophies: 5
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 4/1
2006-A: Hartem 2, Breese Central 1 38-4
2014-1A: Keith Country Day 2, Hartem 0 30-10
2018-1A: Newark 2, Hartem 0 36-5
2023-1A: Galena 2, Hartem 0 33-8
State Final Coaches: Lisa Miller (1982), Jennifer Hayes (2004, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2023)
First Team All-State Players: 1996 – Molly Meeker; 2006 – Abby Olson; 2017 – Anna Hayes; 2018 – Anna Hayes.
Hartsburg-Emden: With enrollments that fluctuate between 60 and 90 students, Hartsburg-Emden faces a David-versus-Goliath situation in most volleyball matches. Just like David, the Stags often exploit the advantages of being small as well as the drawbacks hampering larger opponents. Bigger usually means better in volleyball, but Hartsburg-Emden has shown it depends on what is measured. The Stags usually spend more time with each other and their coach than opponents do. Hall-of-Fame coach Jennifer Hayes begins training players as fifth graders. Eight years later, they can challenge the best, which they did and more to win the 2006 Class A state championship, capping a 38-4 season. All told, the Stags have made seven state trips, six with Hayes as coach. Her 2006 team knocked off defending champion Breese Central in the final, 21-25, 25-22, 25-23. Breese Central, which had beaten the Stags in the 2005 semifinals, was the third consecutive school with more than 600 students to lose to Hartem in 2006. “I knew we could do it,” said Hayes, who had seen as much when her seniors won Illinois Elementary School Association state titles as seventh and eighth graders. The 2006 season was the last before a four-class system arrived in 2007, a situation Hayes turned into a motivational tool. “Before the game, I told the girls, ‘this is our last shot with 1A and 2A the way it is,’” she said. “You’ll never (again) have a chance to show what we can do with a two-class system. It doesn’t matter the athletes you have to choose from, it matters the athletes that you have. I have the best athletes anybody could ask for and I wouldn’t want any others.” Among those athletes was 5-foot-11 Illinois State softball recruit Abby Olson, who had 18 kills in the final while 5-11 Natasha Johnston and 5-10 Sara Behrends added 14 and 11 kills, respectively. Setter Jillyn Cross chipped in 35 assists. In 2006, the Stags had 1,337 kills, the sixth most in state history. Hayes later coached Hartem to 1A runner-up finishes in 2014 (30-10), 2018 (36-5), and 2023 (33-8). Among her stars was her 6-1 daughter, Anna, who was the Sports Performance VBC/Illprepvb.com Player of the Year in 2018 and later played at Memphis. Anna Hayes’ 1,807 career kills rank fourth in state history. With her, the Stags went 118-33. Heading into the 2024 season, Jennifer Hayes’ 29-year record at her alma mater is 768-283, which ranks 21st in state history for career wins.
#17
LOCKPORT TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL | LOCKPORT
Regional Titles: 25
District Titles: 2
Sectional Titles: 11
State Final Trophies: 5
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 2/1
1990-AA: Belleville West 2, Lockport 0 34-9
1993-AA: Lockport 2, Downers Grove South 0 40-3
State Final Coaches: Julia Hudson (1984, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999)
First Team All-State Players: 1985 – Andra Dystrup; 1992 – Jennifer Peterson; 1993 – Nicole Peterson, Jennifer Peterson; 1994 – Tara Pasch; 1996 – Stephanie Jackson; 1997 – Stephanie Jackson; 1998 – Ashley Ritter; 2002 – Taylor Studzinski.
Lockport: After taking four previous teams to the state tournament, Coach Julia Hudson – with help from all-state twins Nicole and Jennifer Peterson – led Lockport to the promised land in 1993 as the Porters went 40-3 en route to their lone Class AA state title. Hudson would advance three more squads to the state tourney, but never match the glory of 1993. The Hall of Famer ended a 21-year stay at Lockport in 2011 having posted an 857-371-3 record. She picked up another 106 wins at Evansville North in Indiana before retiring in 2019 having pushed her career win total to 963. Only six Illinois coaches have won more. Hudson’s 1993 team, which went 40-0 against in-state competition, saw Nicole Peterson named the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year. “We felt all along we were the best team in the state,” Hudson said. “We just didn’t verbalize it to anyone.” In the 15-9, 15-4 title match win over Downers Grove South, Lockport’s Tara Pasch had a team-high seven kills while Amy Lemerman had five kills and two blocks. In 1990, the Porters carried high hopes into what became a 34-9 state runner-up season. “We have five kids with state experience,” Hudson said of Dawn and Lisa Troutman, Brandy Moran, Tracy Hocutt, and Pam Porto, who had played for Lockport’s state runner-up softball team the previous spring. “These kids know pressure really well.” Helping them shine in volleyball was 6-foot-3 Angie Propp, who later played at Georgia Tech. “When you’ve got a 6-3 kid that puts up a pretty good block, it makes it easier to play defense around her,” said Hudson, whose team couldn’t overcome a Marnie Triefenbach-led Belleville West squad in the final, losing 15-3, 15-3. Lockport’s other state trophies were for third in 1984 (41-4) and 1991 (39-4), and fourth in 1996 (34-9). The 1984 squad, led by 6-0 Mary Jo Waddell, topped Chicago Bogan in the quarterfinals before eventual-champion Chicago Mother McAuley avenged a regular-season loss to Lockport in the semifinals. The Porters then bested Downers Grove North for third. In 1991, playing for third had extra meaning when the opponent turned out to be perennial power McAuley, which fell to Lockport, 15-12, 15-9, as Jill Waddell provided a match-high 14 kills. In 1996, the Porters lost the third-place match to fellow South Inter-Conference Association West member Palos Hills Stagg, 15-13, 15-4. Lockport’s star in 1997 was Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year Stephanie Jackson. The Porters’ most recent state berth came in 1999 when their 27-14 campaign ended in the quarterfinals. In 2002, 6-0 all-stater Taylor Studzinski, an Oregon State recruit, had 383 kills to push her three-year total to 828.
#16
STEWARDSON-STRASBURG HIGH SCHOOL | STRASBURG
Regional Titles: 21
District Titles: 6
Sectional Titles: 13
State Final Trophies: 9
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 5/1
1984-A: IC Catholic 3, Stew-Stras 2 33-3
1985-A: Lisle 2, Stew-Stras 0 37-1
1986-A: Stew-Stras 2, Easton 0 33-0
2013-1A: Rockford Keith 2, Stew-Stras 0 28-13
2017-1A: Seymour 2, Stew-Stras 0* 34-7
(*) – in co-op with Windsor.
State Final Coaches: Jarielle Harner Winkleman (1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986), Cathy Wenthe (1993, 1994, 1995), Ronda Schlechte (2013, 2017)
First Team All-State Players: 1984 – Laura Bush; 1985 – Laura Bush; 1986 – Laura Bush; 1990 – Cathy Koontz; 1994 – Melissa Beitz, Tammy Vonderheide; 1995 – Melissa Beitz, Tammy Vonderheide; 2017 – Megan Schlechte.
Stewardson-Strasburg: Stewardson-Strasburg is a perfect example of a “volleyball school.” The Shelby County institution, which had 122 students in 2023, offers five sports for girls and five for boys. The volleyball program, however, has made 11 state trips while all the other sports combined have made three. Long known as the Comettes, Stew-Stras formed a sports co-op with Windsor in 2015 and became the Hatchets. During the first 21 years of the IHSA state volleyball series, it was the Comettes who made eight state trips, none better than the Class A state championship run of 1986. That 33-0 squad, the eighth chronologically among 11 unbeatens in state history, was coached by Jarielle Harner Winkleman. Her star was 5-foot-9 Laura Bush, who could touch 10 feet high with help from a 74-inch wingspan. Bush went on to play at Illinois after turning down offers from UCLA, Stanford, Ohio State, and Pacific. Bush helped Stew-Stras win 37 straight matches in 1985 and 36 straight across 1986 and 1987. Both streaks rank among the 15 longest in state history. In 1986, Bush hit a robust .558. “You won’t see a more dominating player than Laura Bush in Class A,” her coach said. “You might think she is compiling these statistics against weak opponents, but she does it at the same clip on the state level.” In the 1986 final, Stew-Stras downed Easton (enrollment 62), 15-7, 15-6, after winning its semifinal over Lisle, the team that had given the Comettes their only loss during the 37-1 state runner-up campaign of 1985. Winkleman’s other state runner-up was the 33-3 team of 1984 which lost the only five-set final in state history to Elmhurst Immaculate Conception. She also coached third-place teams in 1978 (32-2) and 1979 (33-2). After 14 years as coach, Winkleman stepped down prior to the 1988 season never having had a losing season en route to a 349-49 record. Sadly, she passed away in 2018 at age 65. Another successful volleyball era arrived with Coach Cathy Wenthe, who made three straight state trips ending with a 37-4 third-place finish in 1995. Winning ways resumed in Class 1A not long after Ronda Schlechte became coach in 2011 as she guided teams to second in 2013 (28-13) and 2017 (34-7), and third in 2016 (35-6). In the 2013 final, the Comettes fell to Rockford Keith, 25-18, 25-17. In 2017, the victor was Payson Seymour, 25-12, 27-25. Schlechte’s biggest star was her 5-11 daughter, Megan, who still holds the Class 1A state tournament record for kills in a match with 29 against Durand in the 2017 semifinals. Megan Schlechte went on to play for Lewis University.
#15
ST. CHARLES EAST HIGH SCHOOL | ST. CHARLES
Regional Titles: 32
Sectional Titles: 13
State Final Trophies: 7
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 3/2
1985-AA: McAuley 2, St. Charles 0 34-7
2001-AA: St. Charles East 2, Sandburg 0 41-2
2008-4A: St. Charles East 2, Benet 1 38-4
State Final Coaches: Shirley Fasbender (1985, 1986), Jennifer Kull (1998, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2022)
First Team All-State Players: 1985 – Lisa Vitali; 1992 – Colleen Miniuk; 1995 – Jerilyn Hattendorf; 1996 – Jerilyn Hattendorf; 1999 – Brooke Dodson; 2000 – Lauren Harks; 2001 – Dani Nyenhuis, Sarah Vitali; 2003 – Stacy Vitali; 2008 – Laura Homann; 2011 – Meghan Niski; 2018 – McKenna Slavik.
St. Charles East: St. Charles High School has roots in the IHSA going back to early 1900's and became St. Charles East in 2000 when the district opened a second high school (North). The Saints began winning volleyball regionals in 1983. By 1985, the school had its first state trophy as Coach Shirley Fasbender’s 34-7 squad placed second in Class AA after falling to Chicago Mother McAuley in the final, 15-7, 15-7. Fasbender’s crew returned to the state tourney in 1986, finishing fourth at 32-6. A 12-year state tournament absence followed before second-year Coach Jennifer Kull returned St. Charles to the 1998 Elite Eight with 5-foot-9 Brooke Dodson leading the way to a 34-7 record. Dodson signed with Kentucky before transferring to Northern Illinois. In 2000, St. Charles North opened, and St. Charles became St. Charles East. A year later, the Kull-coached Fighting Saints went 41-2 en route to their first Class AA state title. Leading that 2001 squad, which included nine seniors, was 6-0 Dani Nyenhuis, a North Carolina recruit who had 14 kills in the 15-12, 15-12 title match win over Sandburg. Her teammates included 6-1 Penn State-recruit Kim Holm, 6-2 Indiana-bound Ashley White (who transferred to Pitt), and 6-1 Purdue-recruit Sarah Vitali. “They all play club all year round and that’s huge,” Kull said. “They are game smart. We are a tall team, but we’re athletic and get the job done.” After going 29-13 for third in Class 4A in 2007, St. Charles East expected a rebuilding year in 2008, but instead earned title No. 2, finishing 38-4 by upsetting No. 9-nationally ranked Lisle Benet and its six Division I recruits in the final, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19. Junior Caroline Niski, who had a team-high 16 kills in the final, said, “We knew we were the underdogs and had absolutely nothing to lose.” Syracuse-bound setter Laura Homann added 28 assists for the Fighting Saints, giving her 1,065 for the season, the eighth most in state history. A key freshman in 2008, Meghan Niski led a 35-7 third-place state squad in 2011. She finished with 1,277 career kills before becoming a four-year starter at James Madison University. Setting her up for prep success was Western Michigan-bound Erienne Barry, whose 2,722 career assists between 2009 and 2013 rank 14th in state history. A star from the 2016-18 era was 6-1 McKenna Slavik, who became a record-setting setter at Clemson. In 1992, Colleen Miniuk, a 6-0 Stanford recruit, was the Champaign News-Gazette Player of the Year after averaging 4.4 kills per game on .453 hitting. In 2022, Kull retired as coach after leading the 33-9 Fighting Saints to fourth in 4A. The Hall of Famer’s 779-323 record ranks 20th in state history for career wins.
#14
EASTLAND HIGH SCHOOL | LANARK
Regional Titles: 23
Sectional Titles: 8
State Final Trophies: 5
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 4/3
2008-A: Eastland 2, A-C Central 1 39-3
2009-A: Eastland 2, Mt. Pulaski 1 40-2
2015-A: Eastland 2, Cissna Park 0 40-1-1
2016-1A: West Prairie 2, Eastland 1 30-10-1
As Lanark: District Titles: 2, Regional Titles: 3.
State Final Coaches: Kristy Pierce (2003, 2008, 2009, 2015), Mallory Clements (2016)
First Team All-State Players: 2016 – Makenzie Fink.
Eastland: With a coaching record of 941-206-10, Kristy Pierce ranks eighth in state history for career victories. It took 22 years of persistence before she advanced a team to the state tournament in 2003. She started her career with 73 wins at Shannon, which consolidated in 1986 with Lanark to form Eastland where she won 868 more matches before retiring after the 2015 season. The Hall of Famer’s .818 winning percentage across 33 seasons produced 19 regional titles. In 2008 and 2009, her assistants included her husband, Jim. In 2009, Pierce’s oldest daughter, Kelsey, also served as an assistant while the team’s senior captain was Pierce’s youngest daughter, Karissa. “They have been a part of volleyball for a long time,” Pierce said of her daughters. In 2003, Pierce and Eastland went 36-7 for fourth in Class A. That team was led by 5-foot-9 Chelsey Bunyer, whose 235 blocks that season rank 15th in state annals. History shows Pierce was just getting warmed up as she went on to secure 1A state crowns in 2008 (39-3), 2009 (40-2), and 2015 (40-1-1). Among public schools, only Freeburg has won more state titles than Eastland, which shares second with Downers Grove South, Breese Central, Stewardson-Strasburg, and LaGrange Lyons. Eastland’s 2008 squad, which only had two seniors, earned the school’s first title in any sport by downing A-C Central, 25-22, 21-25, 25-23. “This is the best defensive team I’ve had in 27 years,” Pierce told the media. In the 2009 final, the Cougars topped Mount Pulaski, 25-15, 26-28, 25-17. That Eastland team and the 2008 squad were led by Courtney Blair and Hope Linker. In 2010, the 6-foot-1 Blair finished with a state-record 634 career blocks while Linker ended with 2,998 career assists, the seventh most in state history. Roughly 70% of Eastland’s roster played for No Limits Volleyball, a club coached by Pierce. “I developed this club for the multi-sport athlete who has other demands in other sports,” she said. Eastland returned to the Final Four in 2015 behind 6-1 junior Makenzie Fink, who had a 1A tourney record 24 kills while leading the 40-1-1 Cougars past Cissna Park in the final, 25-16, 25-16. The 2016 Cougars, coached by former Mount Pulaski star Mallory Clements, finished second in 1A at 30-10-1 after falling to Sciota West Prairie in the final, 26-28, 25-21, 25-21. Fink had 676 kills that season, the fourth most in state history. Her 1,553 career kills rank 17th all-time. Another prominent player in Lanark history is Nancy Cassons, who notched 133 aces across 22 matches in 1978 to rank 10th in state history.
#13
FREEBURG HIGH SCHOOL | FREEBURG
Regional Titles: 21
District Titles: 6
Sectional Titles: 11
State Final Trophies: 7
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 4/4
1979-A: Freeburg 2, IC Catholic 1 34-4
1982-A: Freeburg 2, IC Catholic 0 38-3
2008-2A: Freeburg 2, Tolono Unity 0 37-5
2009-2A: Freeburg 2, Chicago Christian 1 38-2
State Final Coaches: Mary Anne Downen (1977, 1979, 1980, 1981), Sue Merker (1982, 1983), Lesa Bolt (2008, 2009)
First Team All-State Players: 2008 – Andrea Bolt; 2010 – Chelsi Hummert.
Freebiurg: In a sport that rewards height, the Lady Midgets of Freeburg have loomed large, winning four state titles, the most of any public school. When a two-class system was introduced in 1977, Freeburg made its first state trip and began its collection of seven state trophies by placing third in Class A with a 31-3 record. Two years later, Coach Mary Anne Downen guided a 34-4 squad to the school’s first title with a 20-10, 6-20, 20-11 win over Elmhurst Immaculate Conception. That 1979 team, led by the strong hitting and serving of sisters Julie and Cindy Mueller, thrived by employing a variety of offenses. “It keeps the team sharp,” Downen explained to the Belleville News-Democrat. “The players don’t get flat doing the same thing all the time. The more we change, the better the girls seem to do.” Later, Julie Mueller did quite well for Illinois State University where she earned All-American honors. “She’s got a super vertical jump and a natural snap in her arm,” Downen said. “But those are things that aren’t taught.” Downen resigned as coach in the spring of 1982, but four starters returned in the fall for new coach Sue Merker to again best Elmhurst Immaculate Conception in the Class A final, 15-7, 15-5, capping a 38-3 season. “On the first day of practice, I had them write their goals, and winning state was everybody’s No. 1,” Merker told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Freeburg’s route to the title included a semifinal win over Mendota, the team that had beaten the Lady Midgets in state play in 1980 and 1981. In 2008, Freeburg ended a 25-year state tourney drought, topping Tolono Unity in the Class 2A final, 25-16, 25-16, to finish 37-5. “We’ve never had the cohesiveness that we do this year,” said senior setter Krystin Wahlig. The Lady Midgets defended their crown in 2009, finishing 38-2 after downing Chicago Christian in the final, 25-19, 24-26, 25-17. Freeburg’s only losses that year were to Breese Mater Dei and St. Louis Cor Jesu Academy. Making it a tall order to beat Freeburg in 2008 and 2009 were 5-foot-11 Chelsi Hummert, 6-2 Kayleigh Cox, 6-0 Colleen Yarber, 6-0 Lucy Balch, 6-1 Kelsey Robinson, 6-0 Kelsey Mueller, and 5-9 Sam Kassing. Keeping the ball alive in 2008 was libero Andrea Bolt, who had 517 digs. The daughter of Coach Lesa Bolt, Andrea Bolt later played at Saint Louis University. Like other state volleyball powers, the Lady Midgets enjoyed the benefits of generational talent. Hummert’s mother, Jenny, the program’s assistant coach in 2008, had played for Freeburg’s 1979 and 1981 title teams. While Freeburg, which has an enrollment of 663, has had most of its success in Class A and 2A, its latest regional title in 2023 came in Class 3A.
#12
IC CATHOLIC PREP | ELMHURST
Regional Titles: 26
District Titles: 4
Sectional Titles: 18
State Final Trophies: 9
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 8/3
1979-A: Freeburg 2, IC Catholic 1 22-6
1980-A: Quincy Notre Dame 2, IC Catholic 0 23-4
1981-A: IC Catholic 2, Mendota 0 37-4-1
1982-A: Freeburg 2, IC Catholic 0 38-6
1984-A: IC Catholic 3, Stew-Stras 2 31-8
2013-2A: IC Catholic 2, Edwards County 0 32-5
2022-2A: Genoa-Kingston 2, IC Catholic 0 33-2
2023-2A: Mater Dei 2, IC Catholic 0 36-4
State Final Coaches: Jean Field (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1993, 2013), Nancy Kerrigan (2022, 2023)
First Team All-State Players: 1988 – Eileen Shannon; 1989 – Kristin Henriksen, Kathleen Shannon; 1990 – Kathleen Shannon; 1992 – Maureen Shannon; 1993 – Lauren Burny; 2023 – Ava Falduto.