Keota High School will be a busy place Monday night when the Eagles host their annual season opening volleyball tournament. Keota comes into action off of a year where they finished 9-16 overall with a 4-7 mark in the South Iowa Cedar League. The Eagles lost a pair of seniors from last year’s club with Taylor Kindred and Makenzie Jackson finishing as two of the top three for Keota with a combined 169 kills. Back is Madison Scott after 56 kills as a sophomore. The Eagles do return Macie McDonald with her team best 157 assists as a junior last season and Cassandra Swantz is back after leading the Eagle defense as a sophomore with 279 digs.

Hillcrest Academy was 10-22 a season ago with a 3-5 mark in the Southeast Iowa Superconference. They lost five seniors from a year ago including Grace Miller, Norah Yoder, Evelyn Gerber, Esther Hughes and Kyleigh Dolan. Hughes led the team with 177 kills but Vlada Conea and her second best 98 kills are back for her senior year. Norah Yoder was the team leader with 388 assists last season with Malia Yoder back to anchor the defense after a team best 271 digs as a freshman a year ago.

Highland finished 11-15 in 2021, 3-5 in the Superconference. They parted with seven seniors from last year’s team Madeline Peiffer, Emma Soukup, Grace Batcheller, Carson Mellinger, Jalynn Brown, Delaney Gerot and Mackinze Hora. Statistically the Huskies bring back their top dogs on offense after Sarah Burton put up 150 kills as a sophomore and Grace Prybil and MyLei Smith combined for 302 assists as a sophomore and junior tandem. Hora led the team last year with 333 digs, but Burton was a close second with 306.

Lone Tree was 7-21 last season, 2-5 in Superconference play. They too had seven seniors depart after graduation including Alyssa Knock, Ellen Carow, Kayla Dautremont, Kylie Patterson, Chloe Mills, Alivia Hemsted and Lexi Norris. Statistically, the Lady Lions bring back kills leader Riley Krueger after 105 as a junior and top assister Ella Buser with 227 last year. Knock led the team in 2021 with 237 digs, but Krueger was right behind with 227.

Joining these area teams in Keota tonight are English Valleys and Tri-County. A season ago, they finished 5-22 and 3-24 respectively. Pool A includes Keota, Tri-County and Lone Tree with Pool B made up of Hillcrest, English Valleys and Highland. The Eagles meet the Trojans and Hillcrest faces EV to start the tourney at 4:30 with action continuing into the evening in Keota.