鈥淵ou can feel your teammates just getting like more hyped and like louder, and it's just the energy just keeps going up after that,鈥 Lafayette's Peyton聽Dolly said.
- Joe Harris | Special to the Post-Dispatch
鈥淲e all are just so happy to be here, and we're just getting stronger as a team as we go,鈥 Marquette sophomore Camille聽Plunkett said.
- Joe Harris | Special to the Post-Dispatch
Read about some of the 最新杏吧原创 area's top high school girls volleyball players as the season gets under way.
- Joe Harris | Special to the Post-Dispatch
The Red Knights senior competed in the Under-20 World Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore.
- Joe Harris | Special to the Post-Dispatch
Columbia won the Class 2A state championship last season with a 39-1 record and returns several key players from that effort.
- Joe Harris | Special to the Post-Dispatch
Lafayette seeks fifth successive title. Incarnate Word hungry for more. Script flip at Mater Dei.
- By Joe Harris | Special to the Post-Dispatch
Witherspoon, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter who has committed to Nebraska, is one of the most high-profile volleyball recruits ever to come out of the 最新杏吧原创 area.
Haffner was one of 10 coaches in all sports throughout the country to earn the coach of the year honor.
Lafayette junior Shaye Witherspoon is the Post-Dispatch All-Metro girls volleyball player of the year.
Read about the 最新杏吧原创 area's top high school girls volleyball players and their accomplishments throughout the 2025 season.
Columbia senior Maura Kohlenberger said: 鈥淚f you put your heart into it, and you put in the effort and you stay determined the whole time, you can do it.鈥
The Eagles finished the season with a program record of 39 victories.
Columbia (38-1) will play in the championship match at 1:55 p.m. Saturday against Bloomington Central Catholic (36-5).
"We're going into this with the right mindset," Columbia senior libero Ella Horner said.聽
Columbia (37-1), which has won 23 successive matches, will face Rockford Christian (34-5) in a semifinal match at noon Friday at Redbird Arena in Normal.
鈥淭his is, I think, one of the most improved teams from start to finish of the year,鈥 Lafayette coach Zach Young said.聽
Elena Ruble said: 鈥淚t's just been so fun and I don't regret anything.鈥
"It's only going to get tougher from here, but we're not letting off the gas," senior setter Addison Nenninger said.
"They鈥檙e rated No. 1 in the state for a reason,"聽Nashville coach Josh Konkel said.
鈥淚t means everything to us,鈥 Kate Rubel said.
Lafayette (39-1) will face Lee鈥檚 Summit North (30-7) in the championship match at noon Friday.
ST. JOSEPH聽鈥 Incarnate Word volleyball coach Shane Weber may have assumed a new role on Thursday聽鈥 team mechanic.
鈥淚 just think smiles are contagious, and when you show a smile, like everyone else smiles, and it just gets everyone involved and excited,鈥 Elena Ruble said.
Hermann (19-13-2) will be seeking its 16th state championship and first since 2021.
Incarnate Word junior Bailey Hensgens admitted she and her fellow returners may have had some extra motivation heading into this volleyball season.
The teams will meet in the sectional title match at 6 p.m. Thursday.
鈥淏elleville East played phenomenal,鈥 Edwardsville coach Heather Ohlau said.
Several 最新杏吧原创 area teams are in the hunt for trips to the Illinois girls volleyball state tournament.
Incarnate will play Lee鈥檚 Summit North (29-7) in the Class 5 semifinals at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph at noon Thursday.
Winners of quarterfinal matches Saturday advance to the state semifinals next week in St. Joseph.
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Check out some of聽the best performances produced by 最新杏吧原创 area high school athletes last week.
Check out the first Post-Dispatch Athletes of the Week for the 2026-27 school year!
最新杏吧原创 area high school athletes brought home the gold and made a lot of history last week.