Newton has either won outright or shared the last five Little Illini Conference volleyball championships. The Lady Eagles have already staked a claim to a possible sixth straight crown with an undefeated start to the 2026 season.
Jill Kistner’s team is the lone unbeaten left in the league. Newton defeated Altamont, 2-0, on Tuesday night to improve to 7-0 on the young season. They won in straight sets, 25-10, 25-21. Junior Stella Schackmann helped lead the way with nine kills and four blocks.
Newton opened the season last week with a win over rival Effingham, before heading to Fairfield on Saturday for the Lady Mules Kickoff Classic, a traditional early-season test. The Eagles won the championship there with wins over Cisne, Carmi, the host Lady Mules, and Norris City-Omaha-Enfield.
The only other LIC teams to share a title with Newton since 2021 — Mt. Carmel and Robinson — both won on Tuesday. Mt. Carmel improved to 3-3 on the season with a 2-0 win over Oblong, while Robinson (2-1) won at Chrisman, 2-1.
Robinson coach Sydni Bailey, after her team’s win, said “(We) had a great night and made some really impressive plays offensively. The girls did a great job making smart, aggressive shots in crucial moments.”
The Lady Maroons had three players finish with double-digit kill totals: Lily Brown (with 12), Grace Miller (11), and Eva Brashear (10).
Marshall (1-1) absorbed its’ first loss of the season on Tuesday with a 2-0 loss at Teutopolis, which is now 3-0, with all three wins over LIC schools (also wins over Casey-Westfield and Olney).
