The conference season begins Thursday for Little Illini Conference volleyball teams. From the looks of it, this could be one wild championship race.
Paris has the best non-conference record coming in at 10-1. Right on the Tigers’ heel comes Robinson (7-1) and Marshall (6-1). Seven league teams have a .500 or better record. Five of the teams are on a winning streak, Marshall’s five-game streak being the longest. Even defending champion Newton, off to an uncharacteristic 6-6 start, is heating up at the right time, with four wins in its’ last five matches.
Three league matches kick things off on Thursday. Mt. Carmel plays at Marshall, Lawrenceville is at Olney, while Paris hosts Casey-Westfield. The remaining two schools play non-league games on Thursday: Newton hosts Edwards County, and Robinson is at home for Effingham St. Anthony.
Four LIC players are near the top in statistical categories in Illinois, according to Max Preps.
Paris junior Eva Smith is a threat from the service line. She is third in the state in aces with 31. Marshall freshman Lilly Ross is off to an impressive start at the net. She is sixth with a .433 hitting percentage, and is the only first-year player listed in the top 25. Paris junior Kailey Young is 18th in assists, averaging eight per game. And, Mt. Carmel senior Maycee Randall is 20th in blocks at 1.1 per game.
The LIC has an impressive non-conference record of 45-24 .652) to date.
