The 2025 volleyball season has the potential to be an exciting one for Wayne County fans in what is increasingly becoming a hotbed area for high-quality volleyball.
In 1A, Seton Catholic, a semi-state qualifier a season ago, graduated two all-state players, but they return enough talent to recapture the Union (Modoc) sectional and make another deep postseason run.
Competition in the Tri-Eastern Conference this season will be brutal. The Hagerstown sectional will be as well, with no margin for error. Winchester Community, a semi-state team last season, returns intact, but every member of the sectional field is capable of hoisting the sectional trophy.
Defending North Central Conference champion Richmond graduated several key players and will have a new coaching staff, but they still have a nucleus of players that could make some noise in the NCC. They are in one of the strongest sectionals in Indiana. Winning the Pendleton Heights sectional would be a long shot and would require contributions from young players.
1A Cambridge City Lincoln
- 2024 record 5-24
- Head coach: Don Crum
Lack of varsity experience could be a concern for the Lady Eagles. The Lady Eagles had 11 players on their sectional roster last season and three of the 11 graduated, including first-team all-Tri-Eastern Conference performer Samantha Bell and Tahlia Rastbichler, an honorable mention TEC player. But the Lady Eagles, who play a challenging schedule, do return more than 10 players who gained junior varsity experience last season and who could make the Lady Eagles competitive. The top returning players include Reilynn Ferguson, Luna Garcia and Paige Pitcock. Sophomore Ash Lear closed last season strong and might be an impact player as well. The Lincoln gymnasium is undergoing renovation, so home volleyball matches will be played at Western Wayne Elementary, which is located at 810 E. Delaware St. The Lady Eagles will host Connersville in a scrimmage on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and then open their regular season on Monday, Aug. 18, by hosting Rushville before traveling to Seton Catholic on Wednesday, Aug. 20, to play the Lady Cardinals.
1A Seton Catholic
- 2024 record: 26-9
- Head coach: Emily Tremain
Seton Catholic spent most of last season ranked in the top 10 teams in the 1A state poll and went all the way to the Frankfort semi-state before finally falling to Faith Christian. The Lady Cardinals were led by Indiana All-Stars Bryn VanVleet and Bella Cornell, who, between them, hold a multitude of Seton Catholic career volleyball records.
It will be impossible to replace the duo of Cornell and VanVleet. Still, the Lady Cardinals return substantial talent, including sophomores Jolie Scherschel and Taryn Tremain, who might well be the next two Lady Cardinals to earn Indiana All-Star accolades before they graduate. Ten players from the 13-player semi-state roster from a year ago return. The Lady Cardinals will open their season by hosting Northeastern in a scrimmage on Wednesday, Aug. 13. They will open regular-season play on Saturday, Aug. 16, when they travel to Modoc for a round robin match with Union and the International School. They return home on Wednesday, Aug. 20, to host a match with Lincoln.
2A Centerville
- 2024 record: 15-17
- Head coach: Jimmy Basler
Centerville head coach Jimmy Basler always has his team ready to play in big matches. His Lady Bulldogs are two-time defending Wayne County champions and were the sectional runner-up last year. Centerville graduated a lot of talent in Chloe Goodman, Makenna Hartman and Maddie Keen, but it still has substantial proven talent. Ellie Cox, Nellee Holmquist, Abby Sangster, Ava Spears, Aubrey Russell and Camilla Waters will all be impact players. Baylei Hughes and Kami Johnson will also be key contributors.
Coach Basler sees it as an interesting year. “Winchester is the frontrunner in the conference and the sectional,” Basler said. “With Anne Wissel taking over as the coach at Northeastern, I see them as a very strong team, and Brian Dale at Hagerstown always has very good teams.” Coach Basler’s observations are spot on, but Centerville will be right there.
The Lady Bulldogs will open their season by hosting the Centerville Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 16. The field will include Franklin County, Richmond and South Adams.
2A Hagerstown
- 2024 record: 20-9
- Head coach: Brian Dale
Veteran head coach Brian Dale guided his Lady Tigers to the Tri-Eastern Conference title last season, but TEC runner-up Winchester knocked Hagerstown out of the sectional in a five-set thriller and went all the way to the semi-state round. Hagerstown will again compete for the TEC title and a sectional championship, but Dale is not naive about the challenges his team will face both in the TEC and the sectional. “Winchester, Centerville, Northeastern and Union County will all be very good,” Dale said.
The Lady Tigers graduated five seniors last spring, including first-team all-TEC selections Ella Logston, Emma Snodgrass and Rylan Young, but they still return substantial talent and expect contributions from a talented freshman class. Junior Raleigh Doerstler, a two-time all-first team TEC selection, returns along with seniors Elly Cheeseman, Melinda Lindsey, Hallie Pruitt and Bella Thalls and juniors Nora King and Avery Slavin. Freshmen trio Lilah Doerstler, Harper Fisher and Kennedy Romack will be pushing for court time. Bella Tinkle, another freshman, will split time between the varsity and JV.
The Lady Tigers will travel to North Decatur for a scrimmage on Thursday, Aug. 14, before opening regular season play on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Franklin County. The Lady Tigers will return home on Thursday, Aug. 21, to host Morristown.
2A Northeastern
- 2024 record: 15-16
- Head coach: Anne Wissel
Northeastern will have a new coach this season. Anne Wissel has replaced Matt Fisher, who won two sectionals during his three-year tenure as the Northeastern coach. Wissel, a former standout player at Richmond High School, has substantial experience as a volleyball coach both at the high school and college level and will have a talented team to work with. Nine players from last year’s sectional team are expected to return, including first-team all-conference selections Emma Bledsoe-Ryan and Ava Spradling.
The Lady Knights will travel to Seton Catholic on Wednesday, Aug. 13, for a scrimmage before they kick off their season with a trip to Morristown on Saturday, Aug. 16, to join the tournament field in the Yellow Jacket Classic.
4A Richmond
- 2024 record: 17-12
- Head coach: Kevin Ross
Last season, Richmond won the North Central Conference championship, and then head coach Darrell Morken was voted NCC Coach of the Year by his peers. Richmond senior Madison Spradling, junior Jazelle James and sophomore Taylor George were all named first team all-North Central Conference, and seniors Holly Trotter and Shaylon Sexton were named second team all-North Central Conference. Only James is expected to return this season. Richmond High School did not renew Morken’s coaching contract, Sexton, Spradling and Trotter graduated, and George is no longer enrolled at RHS.
Kevin Ross, who served as a Richmond middle school coach last season, has been elevated to head coach and is excited about the team he will have. Jazelle James, a senior, is one of the area’s better players and is a gifted athlete to build around.
James, as well as incoming seniors Nia Jones and Katie Mathena, are all expected to provide leadership. Coach Ross commended the trio.
“Their leadership and attitudes have been great,” Ross said. “They set the tone on and off the court and understand the leadership role they have assumed.”
The Lady Red Devils expect two new faces to be immediate impact players. Freshman Addison Belanga, a tall, hardworking middle hitter, and sophomore Bryah Orr, an outside hitter who did not play last year, will help fuel the Richmond offense. Several members of last year’s 14-player JV roster are also expected to battle for playing time and to contribute to the success of the team.
The Lady Red Devils will open their regular season by joining Franklin County and South Adams in the Centerville Invitational Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16. They will then make a road trip on Monday, Aug. 18, for a match against potential sectional opponent Pendleton Heights before returning home to host Winchester, a semi-state team a season ago, on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
A version of this article appeared in the August 6 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.