Eagles volleyball seeking to fly further
Published 7:02 pm Monday, August 10, 2026
LIBERTY, Ill. — After a season of improvement, the Liberty volleyball team has been working hard over the summer as the Eagles prepare for their follow-up season this fall.
The Eagles recently competed at the Barry Western tournament last week, which also included Pleasant Hill and Pittsfield.
“The summer is going pretty good,” said Liberty senior middle blocker Claire Obert. “I feel like our team is connecting better, talking and working together.”
Obert also participated in the Quincy University volleyball camp on her own this summer.
As a team, Liberty has been putting in the work with the season quickly approaching.
“We have a lot of hard-working kids that work their butts off to improve,” said Obert.
Earlier this summer, Liberty competed at the John Wood Blazer Fest, as well as the Macomb and Mt. Sterling summer leagues.
“We were able to compete with Western and Pittsfield here at (Western), and also at the John Wood Blazer Fest a couple weeks ago,” said Liberty head coach Aimee Hannel. “So this is the second time we’ve seen them this summer and they’ve been great competition. A lot of back and forth changes in the leads, and just a pretty much even playing field. So it’s really good for our girls to play teams like that.”
Hannel is entering her second year as Liberty’s head coach after previously working at the junior high level.
Last season, Liberty made a seven-win improvement as the Eagles finished 23-11, the best season for the program in 12 years. The Eagles advanced to the Class 1A Rushville Regional championship game before falling to Mendon Unity.
“We had some growth,” said Hannel. “We had a lot of talent and a lot of potential with our underclassmen and with some of those we lost. We graduated our main special back row players, our defensive specialists. So in the offseason, we’ve really had to look at the back row and work on the defense and coverage.”
The players enjoyed the ride last season.
“It was phenomenal,” said Obert. “I was really impressed with how we did.”
With that improvement, the expecations are higher for the 2026 season.
“I would like to win regionals and hopefully go to sectionals,” said Obert. “We would like to make it as far as we can.”
Obert was a first team All-West Central Conference selection last year after compiling 333 kills and 70 blocks.
“Claire led the team last year in kills,” said Hannel. “She’s a strong power hitter in our middle there. Very smart player. She plays volleyball multiple months of the year, so she keeps improving and keeps getting better. She really is a leader on the court on the front row. A big asset to our team.”
As she enters her senior campaign, Obert is taking on more of a leadership role.
“My strong arm is good,” said Obert. “I’m just trying to be a leader and bring some energy.”
A couple of other big pieces for Liberty are the John sisters — senior outside hitter Chandler John and sophomore setter Weslee John.
“They’re fun to watch,” said Hannel. “It’s fun to see their chemistry on the court. You can kind of see they get away with kind of digging at each other. They’re really good at motivating each other, so it’s a very special relationship that helps us.”
The Eagles are counting on big things out of senior outside hitter Andi Mixer this season.
“Andi Mixer is a key player,” said Hannel. “She’s what we call the pickup queen because she sees tips and dumps, and she led the team in digs last year. She sees that ball really well and moves really quick and plays hard all the time. She’s just very hungry for the volleyball, and she’s still growing and learning as a senior.”
Other returners include junior outside hitter Leila Parkhill, junior middle hitter Lydia Bliven, senior outside hitter Karlee Obert, junior setter Riley Fessler and sophomore setter Isabella Shaffer
The Eagles graduated Addison Gibbs, and will have to replace their back row of Ava Heming and Aiyana Torres.
“Every year is different and the dynamic changes,” said Hannel. “Ava was a big energy player for our team last year and was very vocal. We looked to her to lead, so that little spark is missing right now. So we’re going to have to figure out who’s going to be our voice? Who’s going to fire us up when we need it?”
Hannel is working on the best lineup for Liberty as it looks to fill holes.
“They’re all multi-sport athletes,” said Hannel. “So they know how to compete. So it’s neat to watch them year around. Honestly, this group of athletes is fun to watch in softball and basketball as well. So it’s neat to have an opportunity to coach them through volleyball and just be part of their high school story.”
