We continue to look at some of the area’s top volleyball teams as they start practices this week. Both Oakville and Eureka are looking for another outstanding season after both fell just short of making the Missouri State High School Activities Association state tournament last season. Both teams fell in their district finals.
Lucas Allen returns a solid core group for Oakville this season and will look to their leadership to claim another conference championship. Allen was very impressed with the team’s work over the summer and is excited about what the fall will bring.
Eureka will also strive to win another conference title as Jodie Fowler welcomes back nearly all her starters from last season. With three of her players already making verbal commitments to further their careers, the Wildcats will look to make a deep run in the state tournament.
Oakville Tigers
- Head Coach – Lucas Allen
- A record at school – 62-13-1 in fourth season
- Conference – Suburban Red
- 2021 record – 21-8
- 2021 highlights – Won the Suburban Conference with a perfect 8-0 record before falling to Cor Jesu in the MSHSAA Class 5 district final 3-0.
- Starters Returning: Tess McConnell, Sami Simokaitis, and Addie Czuppon
- Returning players: McConnell is returning for her fourth year as a starter on varsity while Simokaitis is entering her third year starting varsity.
- McConnell led the Tigers last year with 242 kills and had a team-high 64 blocks while Simokaitis added 154 kills and 49 digs. Czuppon returns after having 94 kills in the 2021 season.
- Players to Watch: Besides our returning starters, we have a solid group returning from last year’s team.
- Season Outlook: “I believe we will be very competitive this year,” stated Allen. “I look forward to seeing how much the girls will push themselves and each other as the season gets underway. I’m excited to see what they bring this year as they get more chances to perform.”
Key Games:
- Friday, August 26 vs Cor Jesu
- Friday, September 16 at Eureka
- Tuesday, September 27 at Lafayette
Photo Credit – Oakville High School
Eureka Wildcats
- Head Coach – Jodie Fowler
- Record at school – 88-26-3 in four years
- Conference – Suburban Yellow
- 2021 record – 30-4
- 2021 Highlights – Won the Suburban Yellow with a perfect 6-0 record before falling to Lafayette 3-2 in the MSHSAA Class 5 district final.
- Starters Returning: Abby Holt, Juliette Myrick, Mia Berg, Olivia Hasbrook, Dana Grib, Jenna Cubbage, Caroline Keathley.
- Returning players: “All of the above returners have put in a great offseason work with weight/strength training programs and club volleyball programs so I’d expect all to have great seasons!”, stated Fowler.
- Abby Holt had 183 kills and 207 digs last season while Mia Berg added 162 kills and was second on the team with 50 blocks. Juliette Myrick handed out a team-high 513 assists with Caroline Keithley handing out 416 helpers last season.
- Players to Watch: “You never know who’s grown (and how much) in the past 7 months. Hard to say who is a “player to watch”. I sure hope they’ve all grown a bunch,” said Fowler.
- Season Outlook: “Hard-nosed defense, total team chemistry, and an unpredictable offense will be key to our success this season,” stated Fowler. “We’ve put together a strong schedule and will be playing teams from all over the state, constantly be looking to improve. With this schedule, we’ll have no other choice!”
Key Games:
- Friday, August 26 vs Borgia
- Saturday, October 1 vs Eureka Tournament
- Friday – Saturday, October 14-15 at Ozark Grand Slam Invite
Jim Powers has been covering prep sports in the St. Louis area for 15+ years and a part of the Missouri State High School Activities Association Championship Broadcasts for the past 11 years. Powers is also a part of the Fox 2 Verlo Mattress Prep Zone Friday nights at 10:10 during the football and basketball seasons. If you have a prep sports story, please contact Jim at japowers2421@yahoo.com. Follow Jim at @hssportscaravan
