The fifth biggest story to come out of Hillcrest Academy athletics in the last year highlights strides made by the Raven girls athletic programs.

Under first year head coach Brandon Statler, the Hillcrest volleyball team put together a 10-22 overall record, their best since 2018. Their first win came on September 4th with a sweep of Centerville. A four set victory over Louisa-Muscatine September 7th was the first Southeast Iowa Superconference win for the Ravens since October 2018, a string of 17 straight losses. Norah Yoder had 26 assists, Evelyn Gerber 14 digs and Esther Hughes six kills. They would finish with two others against Pekin and Columbus. The Ravens set a pair of school records for the year including season aces and kills per set, while placing five players, Esther Hughes, Malia Yoder, Norah Yoder, Evelyn Gerber and Kylee Statler on All-Southeast Iowa Superconference teams with Hughes and Malia Yoder named first team selections.

On the basketball floor under first year head coach Mitchell Drey. The Ravens were 1-19 on the year. Their victory, a 64-15 blasting of Rivermont Collegiate on December 11th, snapped a string of nine straight losses dating back to 2020. Hillcrest led 35-2 at half and had five players score while forcing 37 turnovers. Esther Hughes had a career high 39 points and Leah Bontrager had 10. The Ravens had three players awarded with All-Superconference spots including Esther Hughes on the second team and Malia Yoder and Leah Bontrager honorable mention.

On the softball diamond, the Ravens broke the longest of all three droughts when Malia Yoder drew a bases loaded, walk-off walk to beat Mediapolis 10-9 on June 2nd in Kalona. The victory over the Bullettes snapped a 40-game losing streak that dated back to 2019. It was also the first for head coach Kent Blossom since his return to the program and the first for the school since their name change from Iowa Mennonite. Leah Bontrager was the winning pitcher and drove in one, Yoder drove in two. Hillcrest would finish the summer with a 4-19 overall record, collecting a second north division win by beating Columbus 9-8 at Mount Mercy in Cedar Rapids and taking down Danville twice by a combined 25-3 score in a pair of meetings. Four players were named All-Superconference including unanimous first team selection Esther Hughes, second teamer Malia Yoder and honorable mentions Grace Miller and Norah Yoder.

Tune in Tuesday when our number four story from last year highlights Jace Rempel and the Hillcrest boys golf team.