Lafayette senior outside hitter Maya Witherspoon is the Post-Dispatch All-Metro girls volleyball player of the year for the second season in a row.
Read about the St. Louis area's top high school girls volleyball players and their accomplishments throughout the 2024 season.
“Proud is an understatement,” first-year Knights head coach Cortney Walker said.
The Knights (37-3) advanced to face Bloomington Central Catholic (35-4) at 1:55 p.m. Saturday in the Class 2A girls volleyball state title match.
Mater Dei (35-3 overall), No. 2 in the STLhighschoolsports.com small school rankings, advanced to the state semifinals where it looks to repeat as state champion.
Mascoutah fell one victory short of a Class 3A state tournament appearance, falling 25-16, 25-27, 25-18 to Mahomet-Seymour in the Class 3A Effingham Super-Sectional.
It was the third successive championship and ninth overall for Lafayette (32-5 overall), No. 1 in the STLhighschoolsports.com large school rankings.
The Lancers won their fourth state title and first since 2017.
The defending state champion Knights (34-3) will face Quincy Notre Dame (36-2) in the Pana Super-Sectional at 6 p.m. Monday.
Mascoutah is one victory away from state tournament berth.
Lafayette will play Ozark (38-3) for the championship at 8 p.m. Thursday. The Lancers are going for their third straight and ninth overall state championship.
“I think that we all worked really hard as a team,” Francis Howell's Danielle Moore said.
CAPE GIRARDEAU — Lutheran St. Charles seniors Katelyn Diani-O’Day and Lacey Zumbehl went down swinging.
The Lancers will play for their fourth state championship and first since 2017 at 4 p.m. Friday.
O'Fallon (24-14) faces Normal West (35-3) for the sectional crown at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Normal West.
The Mississippi Valley Conference rivals meet at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Five area girls volleyball teams play in the state semifinals this week: Francis Howell, Hermann, Lafayette, Lutheran St. Charles and St. Pius X.
“I just know that after losing that third set, that we needed to pick it up, and I'm just going to do everything I can to help,” Avery Helms said.
The Rams, who had a seven-match winning streak snapped, closed their most successful campaign with a 22-10 mark.
“She absolutely loves the game and she wanted to be out there,” Mater Dei coach Cortney Walker said of senior outside hitter Avery Wuebbels.
The Wildcats (29-5-2) won their 17th successive match and will face Francis Howell (26-7) in a quarterfinal contest at 3 p.m. Saturday in Weldon Spring.
“I thought we really took care of the ball well on our side of the net for the most part tonight,” Lafayette coach Zach Young said.
“I just know that we've been working for moments like this all year long,” Francis Howell libero Avery Helms said.
Check out some of the highlights from the opening week of the Missouri girls volleyball playoffs.
Missouri's girls volleyball state tournament is Nov. 6-9 in Cape Girardeau. The Illinois girls volleyball state tournament is Nov. 15-16 in Normal.
Heather Ohlau said: “Coming into this game focused and ready to go, it definitely does build that confidence, knowing that Mater Dei is a phenomenal team.”
WILDWOOD – Most teams would be shaken when finding out its kills leader would be unavailable moments before a big match.
"As a JV player, your dream is to always go and be on varsity and playing state games and playing the big games with those people,” Jefferson's Megan Wood said.
Keeley Skiljan and Maddy Mannebach each put down 10 kills and Emma Keele added eight more for St. Dominic (24-6).
"Always remember where you came from," former St. Joseph's athletics director Michaela Witcher said Saturday. "One of the best schools in the country."
Check out some of the best performances produced by St. Louis area high school athletes last week.
Check out some of the best performances produced by St. Louis area high school athletes last week.
Check out some of the best performances produced by St. Louis area high school athletes last week.