The Hillcrest Academy Raven volleyball team gets their season underway Thursday when they travel to Fairfield for their annual quad meet. Hillcrest is coming off of a 2020 season that saw them finish with a 3-19 overall record. In 2020, the Ravens recorded wins over Tri-County, a victory that snapped a 37 match, two-year-long losing streak, and wins over Sigourney and Highland . The Ravens graduated three seniors from that team including Malia Sedlacek, Sophie Marshall and Yani Gutierrez. Hillcrest was led a season ago by Gutierrez with 119 assists. Hillcrest returns their other statistical leaders from last year including Esther Hughes and her 117 kills and 14 blocks and their top two in digs with Grace Miller and Evelyn Gerber compiling 412 total.
The Ravens are under the direction of first year head coach Brandon Statler. He spoke recently on the KCII PM Sports Page about his team and what has him most excited for the upcoming year. “Esther Hughes will play middle, Evelyn Gerber is an all-around player, Nora Yoder will be a setter, Grace Miller is a great competitor and played libero last year. Kyleigh Dolan was injured last season but is back this year. Malia Yoder and Kyleigh Statler are kids I have worked with the last five years on our club team. Lydia Beachy and Erin Bontrager have several years of playing experience. Having five seniors on the team is a great start. That is a lot of leadership. They are a great group, really welcoming to the younger kids. This team has unlimited potential. I really look forward to seeing how they compete.”
Hillcrest was 0-3 in this round-robin last year.
Three other teams will be in Fairfield tonight including the Albia Lady Dees. They were 10-11 last season, finishing 3-3 in the South Central Conference. They went 2-1 at this event last year, falling only to Eddyville-Blakesburg. Albia returns everyone from last year’s team including kills leader Jenna Gronewold with 117, assists leader Emma Wenger with 320, blocks leader Addison Halstead with 22 and digs leader Sophie Waber with 185.
Eddyville-Blakesburg was 2-1 at this event a season ago, losing only to Fairfield on their home floor. The Rockets graduated five seniors including kills leader Brooke Shafer with 168 and digs leader Emalee Davis with 282. They do return their assists and blocks leader from last season Cooper Champoux who posted 223 and 36 respectively as a sophomore.
Fairfield also was 2-1 a season ago, dropping their lone contest on the night to Eddyville-Blakesburg. The Trojans lose three seniors from last year’s squad but bring back all of their statistical leaders with Anna Dunlap at 162 kills in her junior season, Maddie Jones with 252 assists as a freshman, Mallory Lyon with 55 blocks as a junior and Kiya Robertson 248 digs as a sophomore.
Action begins at 5:45 Thursday and continues into the evening at Fairfield High School.