The quest for the Northeastern Conference volleyball championship has begun.

Quite frankly, the defending champion Geneva Eagles have been eager to get started.

Coming off a season in which it swept through the conference undefeated, coach Annah Haeseler had the additional blessings of not losing any players to graduation and welcoming back 13 varsity letterwinners this year. That has stamped the Eagles as the team to beat in the final year of NEC competition before they head off to the Premier Athletic Conference and Harvey departs for the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division.

A poll of NEC coaches unanimously appointed Geneva the conference favorite again this year.

“Geneva didn’t lose anybody,” Conneaut coach Paula Ghiz said in sizing up the league.

Geneva features returning first-team Star Beacon Ashtabula County setter Breana Freeman, a senior, and junior outside hitter Taylor Webb. Freeman and Webb were also first-team Coaches’ All-NEC selections, along with senior outside hitter Brittany Powers, a second-team all-county selection.

Also back on the front lines for the Eagles are second-team all-county player Kristyn Pristov, a junior, as well as second-team all-league middle hitters Erica Napier and Autumn Scott, both seniors.

Also in the fold for Geneva are seniors Jen Avsec and Katie Pristov at outside hitter. Junior outside hitters Hillary Hambleton and Rachel Murray are back, as is junior libero and defensive specialist Aimee Jones.

The Eagles (3-0) are off to a fast start, but Haeseler is eager to see them get into league action and playing on a more consistent basis to find out how well they are working together and what issues need to be addressed.

“I think we’re ready to play and get into the league,” she said. “I think the girls are playing pretty well, but we need to develop a routine and get into a rhythm. With the league matches on Tuesdays and Thursday, we’re hoping that will happen.

“We’re tired of seeing each other at practice or going against each other in practice or playing against our JVs. We’re ready to play somebody else.”

The other four teams in the NEC are eager to see how they stack up against the rest of the competition. If the coaches are correct, they’re expecting a real battle for positions immediately behind Geneva.

Edgewood (1-4) was the preseason choice of the coaches to finish second, finishing with 15 points. Conneaut was right behind with 14, Jefferson had 13 points and Harvey finished with eight.

Edgewood is probably the most inexperienced team in the NEC, having lost nine girls to graduation. Coach Dave Jones will lean heavily on seniors Megan Dragon at outside hitter and defensive specialist, Kasi Mercilliott at setter and Lisa Millard at libero and junior Laura Coxe at middle hitter. He’ll be counting on players like senior newcomer Ashley Hunter, junior Brittany Morrison and freshman Ashley Thomas. The Warriors also had the dubious distinction of opening against Geneva on the Eagles’ home court.

Conneaut (8-2) is off to a good start. That puts it just one win from the nine-win plateau it hit last in 2006 with Joe Gerics and equaled in 2004 with current athletic director Dawn Zappitelli. The school record for the Spartans is 12 set in 1994 by the team coached by Janie Olesnanik.