Seniors lead Geneva to win

The Batavia girls volleyball was itching for a third game against Geneva on Thursday night.

But the Vikings' seniors would have none of it.

Geneva was a point away from clinching its Western Sun Conference match against the visiting Bulldogs, and it was only fitting that the final collaboration between Jenny Pokorny and Rachel Urbelis was the decisive point.

The two four-year starters for the Vikings were honored with their three fellow seniors before the game, and the dynamic duo polished off Batavia in straight games.

Urbelis powered home the last of her match-high 12 kills off a feed from Pokorny, the Vikings' Valparaiso-bound setter who engineered the squad with 28 assists, as Geneva fended off Batavia 25-18, 25-21.

With the victory, the Vikings improved to 22-8 overall and 12-2 in the conference; Batavia ended it regular season at 19-16, 8-6.

"It was kind of a mutual understanding (between us)," said Urbelis. "I said, 'Jenny, I want that (match) point.'"

"(Urbelis) brings a lot to the team," said Pokorny, on Urbelis' return after missing much of the season with mono. "It's good to have Rachel back. It's my last time playing in this gym, but we finished it off well."

Alexandra Waldie and Betsey York complemented the play of Urbelis and Pokorny, and the senior quartet later inspired the tenacious finishing kills by Lauren Wicinski, one of the Vikings' five sophomores who feasted on the Bulldogs at critical junctures in the second game.

Pokorny had one of her 4 kills to cap a 15-6 first-game run that turned the momentum in the opener for Geneva.

"The difference was Geneva was in-system all night," said Batavia coach Lori Trippi-Payne. "It's pretty hard to beat a team that is playing flawlessly like that."

In the second game, Pokorny had assists on every Geneva kill over the opening 10 points as the Vikings took an early 7-3 lead.

But Batavia fought back behind the emotional play of Northern Illinois-bound captain Kristin Hoffman, playing on a painful ankle injury, and the blocking of Taylor Koncelik.

With Katie Rueffer and Melissa Norville spearheading the Bulldogs' offensive attack, Batavia climbed to within 12-11.

But they would get no closer.

Wicinski added 3 of her second-game 7 kills down the stretch, and Kelsey Augustine brought the Vikings to match point with another Pokorny-fuelled kill.

"We were ready to win out," said Pokorny. "We were excited and really wanted this."