This year’s edition of the Southeast Iowa Super Conference Volleyball Tournament gets underway tonight with pool play, and local teams will be looking to win their way into a top-two spot in their respective group and a spot in the quarterfinals Saturday.
That includes the Highland Huskies, Columbus Wildcats and WACO Warriors, who all take part in pool-play matches this evening at Mediapolis, while the Lone Tree Lions will host group-stage matches with teams that include the Winfield-Mount Union Wolves.
Highland comes in with a 13-8 record, including a perfect 5-0 mark in the Super Conference North. Senior hitter Adeline Krotz has been excellent in the middle for the Huskies, putting up team highs of 114 kills, 18 blocked shots and 24 serving aces.
Sophomore Hailey Brun has been a breakout star for Highland with over 100 kills and 110 digs in her first season as a starter, while senior setter Laney Skelton has been the Huskies’ steady hand, dishing out over 300 assists but also coming up with 49 kills, 86 digs and 20 aces.
Columbus is 3-2 in conference play and 6-12 overall. Jessica Del Rio leads the Wildcats with 79 kills, while fellow juniors Audrey Hoback, Kennedy Woepking and Aracely Garza each have at least 50 kills, 100 digs and 14 aces.
WACO has yet to win a league match and sports an overall record of 5-11. Carlee Lunsford has a team-high 51 kills as well as 14 aces, while fellow sophomore Brenna Graber has put up 43 kills and 112 digs.
Lone Tree is also 5-11 and still winless in the Super Conference North this season. Senior Cate Sexton has 50 kills and 23 blocks for the Lions and has a great partner in the middle in junior Alyson Ford, who has racked up 30 blocks of her own.
Winfield-Mount Union has had plenty of success so far this season, winning three of their four conference matches and sitting at 8-4 overall. Junior Kellee Milks had been one of the Wolves’ top outside hitters with 88 kills, 135 digs and 14 aces, while freshman Kynlee Buffington has posted 72 kills and 17 blocks in the middle. Super Conference Tournament matches begin this evening at 5 o’clock.