Lafayette junior Shaye Witherspoon is the Post-Dispatch All-Metro girls volleyball player of the year.
- By Joe Harris | Special to the Post-Dispatch
Read about the St. Louis area's top high school girls volleyball players and their accomplishments throughout the 2025 season.
- By Joe Harris | Special to the Post-Dispatch
Columbia senior Maura Kohlenberger said: “If you put your heart into it, and you put in the effort and you stay determined the whole time, you can do it.â€
- By Joe Harris | Special to the Post-Dispatch
The Eagles finished the season with a program record of 39 victories.
- Chris Gove | Post-Dispatch
Columbia (38-1) will play in the championship match at 1:55 p.m. Saturday against Bloomington Central Catholic (36-5).
- Steve Overbey | Post-Dispatch
"We're going into this with the right mindset," Columbia senior libero Ella Horner said.Â
- Steve Overbey | Post-Dispatch
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.
“This is, I think, one of the most improved teams from start to finish of the year,†Lafayette coach Zach Young said.Â
Elena Ruble said: “It's just been so fun and I don't regret anything.â€
"It's only going to get tougher from here, but we're not letting off the gas," senior setter Addison Nenninger said.
"They’re rated No. 1 in the state for a reason," Nashville coach Josh Konkel said.
“It means everything to us,†Kate Rubel said.
Lafayette (39-1) will face Lee’s Summit North (30-7) in the championship match at noon Friday.
ST. JOSEPH — Incarnate Word volleyball coach Shane Weber may have assumed a new role on Thursday — team mechanic.
“I just think smiles are contagious, and when you show a smile, like everyone else smiles, and it just gets everyone involved and excited,†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.
“Belleville East played phenomenal,†Edwardsville coach Heather Ohlau said.
Several St. Louis area teams are in the hunt for trips to the Illinois girls volleyball state tournament.
Incarnate will play Lee’s 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.
Winfield (19-9-1) advanced to the quarterfinals for the second time and the first time since 1983.
The Colts (23-10-2), have won six of their last seven matches and will host Hannibal (27-9-1) in a quarterfinal contest on Saturday afternoon.
"We were just really trying to put the pedal to the metal and win," Lafayette junior Shaye Witherspoon said.
“Everybody wanted to beat us,†senior Bennett Raterman said. “We were the big team to beat.â€
Here's a primer for St. Louis' top bets to make noise in the Illinois and Missouri volleyball playoffs.
“Just going back, taking a deep breath, resetting mentally, you know, just going back to the basics,†Columbia senior Ava Mathews said.Â
“Belief is a very powerful thing,†Crusaders coach Brice Miller said.
The last time East beat the Tigers was October 5, 2006, when no one on the Lancers’ roster was even born.
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Check out some of the best performances produced by area high school athletes last week.
Check out some of the best performances produced by area high school athletes last week.
Check out some of the best performances produced by area high school athletes last week.