EDWARDSVILLE - The girls' volleyball team at Metro-East Lutheran High is feeling optimistic about having a successful 2025 season, as preseason practice is now underway.
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Practice started Monday at Hooks Gym for the team, and the team enjoyed a record turnout of players for the three teams in the program, as the Knights look to improve from a 7-27 record in 2024.
"I think things have been going excellent," said MEL Head coach Jenna Ward during a break in practice this past Thursday afternoon. "We've had a record number of girls trying out for the three teams, freshman, JV, and varsity. Most everyone was here over the summer, working hard, working out. So, we came in ready to go this week."
Ward has high hopes, goals, and aspirations for the Knights during the new season.
"For sure," Ward said. "We have everyone returning, except for the one senior that graduated last year, so everyone knows the game plan, they know what to do, and they've been working really hard this summer so that we can compete this year.'
Once again, there's only one senior on the team - middle hitter Avery Simaytis - and junior Annika Jenkins - are among the returnees to the Knights, as they seek to compete in a very good Gateway Metro Conference, Other players who return tot he fold include Leighton Buzick-Favell, Caitlyn Hardage, Tahlea Heard, Claire Houck, Taylor Maack, Kaitlyn Peterson, Izzy Snyder, and Alexis Stock.
And the schedule is a tough one, as well. The Knights open up with three straight matches at home, against Hillsboro, Collinsville, and Alton, before having a day off next Thursday, then compete in a tournament over the weekend to get started. The non-conference matches include dates against Civic Memorial, Granite City, Roxana, Greenville, East Alton-Wood River, and Litchfield, along with conference teams Father McGivney Catholic, Centralia Christ Our Rock Lutheran, Belleville Althoff Catholic, Marquette Catholic, and Maryville Christian.
The goals and aspirations are pretty much straightforward for the Knights.
"Our goals are definitely to be towards the top of the conference," Ward said, "we'd like to win 20-plus games. Those are our big goals. The little goals are just to keep improving every single match."
The Knights are looking to improve in a very good Gateway Metro Conference this season, which is becoming a very good small school conference.
"We have a really tough conference," Ward said, "and we actually got bumped up to (Class) 2A this year. So we know that the postseason is going to be even tougher. So we're just trying to get ready for that, and trying to get ready for a higher level of play this year. We've been 1A forever, and they (the IHSA) bumped us up this year."
Ward thinks that the Knights are primed for a big season this year, and feels good about her club's chances.
"I think that we are starting at a starting point higher than we ended last year," Ward said. "So we're just looking to improve every single day, every single match this season. We've got one senior (Simaytis) who's stuck it out all four years with us. We're really excited to have her playing middle this year. We know she's going to be a powerhouse, and then our center, Annika, has also been playing with us for a while. She's just moved up in the ranks, and we're looking forward to leading the team this year."
