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SEC volleyball set for tight title race
Fairfield looks to defend title, Washington, Mt. Pleasant hope to get on top
The Southeast Conference volleyball season is looking like it’s going to be another competitive race to the title.
Fairfield comes into the new season hoping to repeat as conference champions. Meanwhile, Washington and Mt. Pleasant will be hoping to climb the mountain and hoist the trophy.
The trio are also going to have to deal with Burlington, Fort Madison and Keokuk on their quest to the SEC crown.
The Trojans finished last season 8-1 in the SEC, but do lose quite a bit to graduation.
Offensively, just two of the top seven kills leaders return. Good new for the Trojans is the top kills leader in Lilly Bergren is back. She finished with 219 last fall.
Also, Claire Thompson finished with 124 kills. That was good enough to rank the now senior third on the team.
For the first time in awhile, someone not named Maddie Jones will be doing the setting. Jones had over 600 assists last season.
Faith Jones was next in line with 28. Expect her to take the majority of the reps.
Defensively, Bergren posted 245 digs. That was the second most for Fairfield. Isabel McCready and Faith Jones are the next two highest each finishing with over 100 digs.
As for serving, Bergren and Jones are the highest of the returners. Bergren finished with 28 aces, while Jones had 25.
Washington ended the year with a 7-3 conference record and brings back the majority of its core.
On the offensive end, the top three hitters from last season return.
Leighton Messinger leads the way with 343 kills, followed by Ella Greiner (187 kills) and Taylor Miksch (110 kills). The trio were the only Demons to surpass 100 kills a season ago.
Lauren Hinrichsen was one of two main setters for the Demons. With the graduation of Remy Messinger, look for Hinrichsen to take over the helm of assists maker. She tallied 340 total assists in 2023.
On the defensive side of the net, Greiner, Messinger and Miksch all had 200 plus digs.
Greiner led the way with 271, while Messinger posted 250 and Miksch 201.
The top seven servers will be back as well. Messinger led the pack with 43 aces last season. Greiner posted 36, while Hinrichsen and Miksch both had 31. Bella Salazar had 20 as well.
Mt. Pleasant was on the outside looking in last year, closing with a 2-7 SEC record. The Panthers bring back a good amount of their starters and will be hoping to get into the top side of the conference.
Offensively, Myah Starr is back. The now junior finished with a 145 kills in 2023.
Alex Scott and Addison Clark are the next two highest kill returners, finishing with 132 and 77 respectively.
Then sophomore Abby Carthey finished with 420 assists last season as the Panthers main setter.
Defensively, Scott paced the Panthers with 266 digs. Addison Peck had the next highest with 209.
Serving wise, Scott and Starr each ended with 36 and 26 aces last fall respectively.
Keokuk and Fort Madison both ended with a 4-5 record, while Burlington posted a 3-7 final.
Keokuk will be lead by Kendra Boatman, who led the Chiefs with 455 digs in 2023.
Fort Madison’s Mara Smith had the second most assists last season, carding 601.
For Burlington, Annalise Buxton is back. Buxton had the second most kills last fall. Buxton ended with 337. The Grayhounds also get Lily Newell back. She finished with 430 assists.
