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Leopold VB could be the team to 'Advance' in 2025
If the Advance High School volleyball program ever appeared vulnerable to other Southeast Missouri programs, this fall may have been THAT season.
The Hornets graduated several seniors off its 2023 MSHSAA Class 1 state championship squad and only returned one senior this fall.
In the end, the Hornets overcame any notion that they would take a step back and advanced to the program’s eighth State Finals and seventh championship game before losing in the title match.
If there is a Class 1 program in the area that has the potential to disrupt the Hornets’ recent run of domination (nine consecutive District titles), it may be Leopold in 2025.
The Wildcats nearly knocked off Advance in the District championship this past season, before falling 3-1, and they have a ton of talent returning for next season.
“They’re the same kids that walk the hallways that you do,” Wildcat coach Heather Jansen said after scaring the Hornet faithful in District play. “The only difference is that Advance has had preceding teams that won.
“They are trying to live up to that just like we’re trying to live up to the next one, too.”
Jansen was recently named the Coach of the Year in the Mississippi Valley Volleyball Conference after leading the program to an unbeaten league record and beating Oak Ridge in the conference tournament title match.
Leopold sophomores Ashtyn Van de Ven and Rylie Schreiner were named to the All-Conference First Team while senior Ava Jansen, junior Piper Lincoln, and sophomore Malia VanderMierden were named to the league’s Second Team.
Van de Ven led Leopold with 88 service aces and 849 assists.
“We have a lot of young talent,” Jansen said. “There are a lot of these girls who are playing in the offseason. They are working in the offseason.
“They may not be playing any club ball, but they are in the gym working in the offseason.”
That showed against Advance in the District championship match.
The Wildcats won the initial set 25-20 and nearly took a 2-0 lead over the Hornets before falling 28-26 in the second set.
“They are doing their time,” Jansen said of the work ethic of her players. “Whether it is with high school coaches or off-campus coaches. They are putting in the time and they are wanting to win.”
That is indisputable.
Over a three-season span (2020-2022), Leopold won a total of 29 matches. However, in the past two seasons, that number has been bumped up to 47 victories with 14 defeats and three ties.
“Kudos to our players,” Jansen said. “I’ll go out and I’ll teach them. I’ll show them what they need to do. But it is their momentum, and it is their talent that leads the way.”
Against the Hornets, Leopold utilized just one senior (Ava Jansen) while Lincoln, Schreiner, VanderMierden, Van de Ven, freshman Jacelyn Vandeven, sophomore Katlyn Arnzen, and junior Brenna Beussink also filled the lineup.
“We’ve got a lot of young talent that is coming,” Jansen said. “And we have talent (already) here that is just going to get better.”