The local high school volleyball scene is alive as all five squads now have at least a few matches out of the way. 

Columbia is rolling at 7-0 to start its season, including a tourney championship.

The Eagles opened their 2025 campaign by downing Marquette last Wednesday and Althoff on Thursday in two sets each. 

Columbia then went 5-0 to capture the title of the MICDS Tournament over the weekend in Chesterfield, Mo. The Eagles defeated Blair Oaks, MICDS, Rockwood Summit, St. Joseph’s Academy and then Belleville East in the final.

Claire Sandstrom, an all-stater last season, was selected as tourney MVP for the Eagles. Ava Mathews was named to the all-tourney team.

Sandstrom leads the team in kills with 55. Mathews is tops on the squad with 84 assists.

Samantha Spruill is the leader in service points with 49. Maura Kohlenberger leads in blocks with 19. Ella Horner and Kinley Jany are the top two players on the team in digs.

The Eagles play Thursday at Salem before hosting Wood River this coming Tuesday. 

Waterloo is also off to an impressive start, albeit with a much smaller sample size.

Last Tuesday, the Bulldogs downed Freeburg in three sets, 19-25, 25-23, 25-13. Ellie Day collected her 1,000th career assist in the win.

On Thursday, Waterloo outlasted O’Fallon in three sets despite falling 25-22 in the opening frame.

The Bulldogs hosted Okawville on Wednesday, winning 25-18, 25-23.

Waterloo plays at perennial volleyball powerhouse Mater Dei this coming Tuesday. 

Gibault is 4-4 on the season. 

The Hawks opened with losses to Red Bud last Monday and Belleville East last Wednesday before winning three of five matches at the New Athens Tournament over the weekend. 

On Friday, Gibault lost to Okawville by the score of 21-19, 21-9, then downed New Athens to the tune of 21-19, 21-8.

On Saturday, the Hawks fell in three sets to Wesclin, defeated Lebanon in two sets and downed Marissa in three sets.

In the early going to the 2025 season, Karmon Grohmann is tops in assists, Aubry Thomas leads in digs, Hope Chambers is the kills leader, and Claire Kessler is tops in blocks.

Gibault hosted Metro East Lutheran on Tuesday, winning in two sets, and travels Thursday to Wesclin. 

Dupo opened its fall campaign with a 1-3-1 showing at the Roxana Tournament last week. The Tigers tied Carrollton, lost to Marquette, Jerseyville and First Baptist Academy, and won a match against Madison, 25-14, 25-21. 

In the victory, Izzy Mushaney collected 12 kills, Makenna Chester had 12 points and 11 assists, and Lilly McMannis recorded 15 digs for the Tigers.

Dupo faces Madison again this Wednesday on the road, then plays Thursday at Lebanon, hosts First Baptist Academy on Monday and hosts Marissa on Tuesday. 

Valmeyer is still in search of its first victory of the young season. 

The Pirates also played in the Roxana tourney, going 0-4-1. 

Valmeyer lost to Auburn, Calhoun, Marquette and Piasa Southwestern, but did manage to tie Wood River by the score of 25-18, 20-25.

Kadence Seitz, Maddi Huddleston and Heidi Smith have been the bright spots so far for the Pirates, who host Sparta on Wednesday and host New Athens this coming Tuesday.