Volleyball season preview

This is part of a series of fall sports previews for area high schools. Information was provided by each coach. Not all coaches responded.

Advance

Coach: Kimberly Aggertt

Last season: 26-7-1, district champions

n Returning starters: Dana Williams, sr., middle hitter (341 kills); Nicole Tropf, sr., middle hitter (168 kills, 87 aces); Kaci Cooper, jr., right/outside hitter (73 kills); Leslie Rainey, jr. (261 assists, 97 percent serving); Alicia Broshuis, jr., setter, outside hitter (179 assists, 74 kills); Nikki Kennedy, sr. (44 kills).

Noteworthy: Second in SCAA Tournament, SCAA regular season champs, top eight in SEMO Classic; Williams and Tropf led team in blocks.

Bell City

Coach: Erin Hoffman

n Last season: 22-5, second in district and conference

Returning starters: Sarah Scherer, sr. (220 digs); Katie Goodman, sr. (98 digs); Whitney Abner, sr. (454 assists); Katie Niemczyk, jr. (259 kills, 166 digs); Amber Hepner, jr.; Sarah Metcalf, sr. (123 digs).

n Key returning players: Emily Burch, jr. (injured last year); Tori Boren, jr.; Andreia Wondel, soph.; Kaneka Jenkins, jr.; Amy Green, sr.; Sophia Camara, jr.Central

Coach: Maile Gannon

Assistant coach: Nicole Rhinehart

n Last season: 3-20-2

Returning starters: Erica McDowell, sr., outside hitter; Chelsey Oliver, sr., outside hitter; Julie Underwood, sr., outside hitter; Andrea Niswonger, sr., setter

n Key returning players: Jessica Johnston, jr., middle blocker; Elizabeth Day, jr., outside hitter; Tasha Valleroy, sr., setterChaffee

Coach: Holly Slavings

Assistant coach: Shawn Nix

n Last season: 6-12

Returning starters: Samantha Hendrix, sr.; Natalie Townsend, sr.; Lindsey Everett, sr.

n Key returning players: Chandra Wood, sr.; Sydney Eubank, jr.Jackson

Coach: Nancy Ellis

Assistant coaches: Jackie Haines, Janelle Pope

n Last season: 24-10-2, district champs

Returning starters: Linden Hahs, sr., outside hitter (three digs/game, 97 percent serving); Molly Hartmann, jr., middle hitter (1.5 kills/game, 1.5 blocks/game); Katie Loos, sr., setter (1.6 digs/game, 91 percent serving); Rebecca Martin, sr., outside hitter; Malerie Goodman, sr., outside hitter; Shay Priester, soph., middle hitter; Jodie Gipson, soph., setter.

n Key returning players: Jennifer Ferrell, sr., setter/defense; Charity Seyer, sr., outside hitter; Laura Johnson, sr., setter/defense; Kylie Werner, soph., middle hitter.Leopold

Coach: Leanne Huffman

Assistant coach: Stacey O'Hare

n Last season: 34-2-3, Class 1 state champ

Returning starters: Tasha Thele, sr., outside hitter; Toni Eftink, sr., outside hitter/defense; Wendy Vandeven, sr., setter; Melissa Stroder, sr., outside hitter; Lori Vander Mierden, jr., middle.

n Noteworthy: Thele was all-district, all-conference; Vandeven was all-district, all-conference, all-region, all-state; six juniors, five of whom started on last year's 22-2-2 junior varsity team, will contribute to the team.Meadow Heights

Coach: Kami Green

Assistant coach: Kristi Hayes

n Last season: 17-13, lost to Leopold in district championship

Returning starters: Chelsea Bollinger, sr. (117 kills); Jenna Ellis, sr. (98 kills); Heather Thele, sr. (40 aces); Chasity Wilfong, jr. (198 digs).

n Key returning players: Jasmine Sewill, sr. (injured last season); Julie Hahs (80 kills). New Salem

Coach: Leah Poole

Last season: 15-8, third in MCSAA state division, second in conference tournament

n Returning starters: Sarah Jordan, sr.; Mackenzie Jones, jr.; Holly Jordan, jr.; Mary Poole, soph.; Whitney Nanney, soph.; Kaylan Turner, fresh.; Sarah Green, fresh.; Laura Poole, eighth; Whitney Woods, eighth.

Noteworthy: All players, plus two new freshmen, return from last year's lineup.

Notre Dame

Coach: Tara Stroup

n Assistant coaches: Andrea Burford, Jen Vangennip

Last season: Lost to Borgia in sectional game

n Returning starters: Sommer McCauley, sr. (114 kills, 371 assists, 111 aces); Laura Browne, jr. (166 kills, 105 blocks); Emily Beurhle, sr. (70 kills, 50 blocks); Valaree Rutherford, sr. (60 kills, 91 aces); Kristen Boos, sr., defense (103 digs); Amanda Dirnberger, sr., defense (117 digs).

Key returning players: Kelsey Scheeter, jr.; Rachael Weidenbenner, jr.; Amanda Essner, jr.; Alison Essner, jr.; Lauren Essner, jr.; Amber Karnes, jr.; Lauren Mehner, jr.; Lauren Beussink, jr.; Ashley Dix, jr.

Oak Ridge

Coach: Whitney Baer

n Assistant coach: Lindsay Thomas

Returning starters: Vicki Moll, jr.; Cassie Lundwig, sr.; Hailey Ponder, jr.; Erin Hahs, jr.; Kelsey Schaper, jr.

n Key returning players: Amanda King, so.; Cheryl Berkbeigler, jr.; Alisha Hobeck, jr.; Whitney Roberts, jr.Perryville

Coach: Linda Buerck

Assistant coach: Ashley Seabaugh

n Last season: 8-21-3

Returning starters: Lisa Pecaut, sr., setter; Casey Moll.

n Noteworthy: Pecaut was first team all-district and all-conference, all-region, Jeffco Conference MVP, and second team SE Missourian; Moll was second team all-district, and honorable mention all-conference and SE Missourian.Scott City

Coach: Laura Ort

Assistant coach: Kristen Nausley

n Last season: 24-7, district champ

Returning starters: Kacie Cartwright, jr. (three kills/match, one ace/match, seven digs/match, 85 percent serving)

n Key returning players: Amanda Raines, sr.St. Vincent

Coach: Cynthia Buerck

Assistant coach: Matt Barnard

n Returning starters: Allison Prost, sr.; Sierra Paulus, jr.

Key returning players: Whitney Guth, sr.; Meghan Comte, sr.

Woodland

Coach: Amanda Broshuis

n Key returning players: Jenna Greer, sr., middle hitter; Kyla Hahn, sr., defense; Siara Roberts, sr., left-side hitter; Dana McCain, sr.; Kandice Abner, sr.; Uloike Seeburg, sr., setter; Amanda Abner, jr., setter; Mindy Massa, jr., right-side hitter/setter; Sarah Watson, jr., left-side hitter/defense.

Noteworthy: Six seniors, three juniors, and some occasional junior varsity players make up the squad.

Zalma

Coach: Katrina Nenninger

n Assistant coach: Tobi Layton

Last season: 13-14

n Returning starters: Melissa Fish, sr., outside hitter; Cindy Hovis, sr., middle hitter/middle defense; Sheila Fish, soph., middle hitter.

Key returning players: Misty Moit, jr., setter; Sasha Riney, jr., setter; Dena Mayberry, jr., outside hitter.

-- From staff reports