High School Girls’ Tennis
Burlington Notre Dame will stay at home to play Davis County today.
Mt. Pleasant will host Burlington tomorrow, August 13th, at 10 am for their home opener.
Fairfield will face off against Fort Madison on the road tomorrow.
High School Volleyball
Burlington Notre Dame will host a scrimmage tonight with Wapello, Danville, and Winfield-Mt. Union making the trip.
Here’s a quick preview of the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division. Holy Trinity Catholic is hoping to make it four straight years finishing atop the regular season division standings, as they have gone an impressive 21-0 over the last three years against South opponents in the regular season. The Crusaders will attempt to shake off the disappointment of coming one game short of their fifth consecutive state tournament appearance after going 36-7 for the year. Additionally, graduating Presley Myers, who tabbed over 1,000 career kills, will not be easy. Still, Adalyn Kruse, who shared SEISC-South Player of the Year honors with Myers last year, is set to return and will be flanked by Olivia Bendlage as the pair produced over 600 kills. Also returning will be the setting tandem of Calli Kruse and Elizabeth Griffin. Those four will be the backbone of this squad sporting high expectations.
Burlington Notre Dame got back to their 30-win ways last season after dipping under the two previous seasons behind a two-headed senior attack of Addi Brockway and Chloe Wenzel. The pair combined for 604 kills and 119 blocks, while Wenzel led the team with 48 aces. The Nikes were young everywhere else with Ainsley Conrad producing 739 assists in her freshman season and Emma Elmore leading the team in digs with 450, as the libero. Isabella Drew will most likely see an elevated role as an attacker after touting 159 kills last year.
Van Buren County went 5-2 in South play last year with the help of their seniors: Ashlynn Huff (326 kills), Marlee Mertens (241 kills), and Sophia Jirak (707 assists). Daphny Wells will be the only returner with over 100 kills last year, while the team searches for a new libero and setter.
West Burlington, Mediapolis, and Central Lee each went 3-4 in South play last year. The Falcons graduated only three players from last year’s team and return Kaylee Webb, who led the team in kills, blocks, and aces, and defensive specialist Lydia Armstrong. Yet, will need to find a new setter after graduating Baylee Woodsmall.
The Hawks need to replace three key contributors in Taylor Jones, Kenna Sandoval, and Jayden Mueller. However, there was a noticeable youth presence last year, as Brylee Cook finished second on the team in kills as a freshman and Chloee Haigh led the team in blocks.
The Bullettes will essentially be starting over as they graduated eight seniors from last year’s team, including six who played in all 33 matches. Addi Steffener tabbed over 200 digs and 31 aces, while Avery Hollingsworth totaled 24 aces.
Danville will attempt to pick up their first winning season since 2012 and with a more experienced lineup they have a chance. Alivia Bauer is set to return after leading the team in kills and blocks last year, while Brynley Wenig, who was the team’s setter and leader in aces, will now be a sophomore.
New London will be the most intriguing team, as the team graduated only two seniors from last year’s squad. In fact, four of the six main starters for the Tigers were sophomores and freshmen. In a trial by fire, New London’s youth movement could result in a big uptick in production with Kylea Schwenker, Maison Nelson, and Makenna Jacobsmeier expected to lead the way.
High School Cross Country
Holy Trinity Catholic will start practice tomorrow, August 13th, at 8 am in front of the high school.
Danville
The Bears have a couple Fall Sports Parent Meetings scheduled. High school volleyball parents will congregate on Monday, August 17th, at 6 pm in the gym, while junior high volleyball parents will meet on August 26th at 5:30 pm at the junior high gym.
Meet the Players Night
Winfield-Mt. Union will be holding their Meet the Players Night on August 19th following backpack night at 5 pm. The fall sport participants will be announced at 6:30 pm starting with Cross Country.
Southeastern Community College
The women’s soccer team will host Hannibal La Grange University today at 1 pm.
The men’s soccer team will take on Graceland University on Sunday, August 16th, at 3 pm on the road.
The volleyball team will compete in the Opening Weekend Tournament in Rockford starting on August 20th with game one against Elgin Community College at 2:30 pm.
College Football
The University of Iowa offensive line will look to anchor the Hawkeye offense and the confidence is high in that group as a pair of fourth-year starters were placed on the 2026 Lombardi Award watch list, which is given to the college football lineman or linebacker who best embodies the values and spirit of Vince Lombardi, in Trevor Lauck and Kade Pieper.
Pieper, an Athlon preseason First Team All-American, and Lauck, an Athlon preseason Second Team All-American, both started all 13 games last year and earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Third Team, as the group helped the Hawkeyes outrush 9 of their 13 opponents and finished with the Joe Moore Award. Both linemen are also on the Outland Trophy watch list.
For the Wuerffel Trophy watch list, which is awarded to an FBS player who best combines exemplary service with leadership and achievement on and off the field, the University of Iowa fifth-year linebacker Jayden Montgomery and Iowa State’s quarterback Jaylen Raynor each found a spot.
Montgomery has logged extensive community service hours with the Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Safe Haven Animal Shelter, Make-A-Wish, Day of Caring, and at the CommUnity Crisis Services & Food Bank. He made 44 tackles last year and is a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
Despite transferring into the program back in January, Raynor has already spent time visiting local schools and the Boys and Girls Club in Ames, while making hospital visits throughout his career.
This Day in Sports History
1879 – First National Archery Association tournament (Chicago).
1950 – First international game by an NFL team, New York Giants beat CFL’s Ottawa Rough Riders, 20-6 at Ottawa’s Lansdowne Stadium.
1994 – Members of the Major League Baseball Players Association go on strike leading to cancellation of the World Series for only the second time in MLB history (1904); labor dispute.