Girls volleyball: Jacobs stays hot, wins 3rd straight
Jacobs volleyball coach Gary Granell likes the direction his Golden Eagles are headed with only one match remaining before the end-of-season Fox Valley Conference Tournament starts up next week.
"We had some early bumps, but I think we've got things figured out now and I really like our chances in that tournament," Granell said. "I don't think there's any team we can't play with and any team we can't beat."
On Tuesday, Jacobs stayed hot with a 27-25, 15-25, 25-21 FVC win over Cary-Grove - the team's third straight victory since a 2-3 start.
The Eagles (5-3, 5-3 FVC) will look to up their winning streak to four Thursday when they host Crystal Lake South in their final match before the tournament, which begins Monday.
"This win was monumental," said Jacobs junior outside hitter Ireland Van Stone, who smashed six kills, including the match winner. "I can't tell you the last time we beat Cary-Grove. Last [season], we came close, but came up a little short. I know the entire team is ecstatic to get this win. It really means a lot."
After splitting the first two sets, Jacobs held a comfortable 21-14 lead in the third when C-G (4-4, 4-4) made a late push - fueled by a pair of aces from libero Alexes Koenig and two hitting errors on Jacobs' side.
Still holding a 21-18 lead over C-G, Granell called a timeout and rallied his Eagles one last time.
"I just told them, 'Don't play scared.' If you've got to swing, go up and do it, because [C-G] is going to be swinging right back at us," Granell said. "[We] deserved to get this win. [We] fought hard, and it's been a long time since we beat Cary-Grove. I'm glad it was tonight."
Jacobs outside hitter Maggie Wallenberger, the team's only senior, came out firing out of the timeout and put down two of her match-leading 18 kills to fire up the Eagles' bench. The Southern Illinois commit also added an ace in the final scoring burst for Jacobs.
"We've never beaten them since I've been here," said Wallenberger, who also recorded two blocks. "Cary-Grove is just a really smart team - they always know what to do and when to do it. Even when we were up, we had to keep our cool and stay in the driver's seat."
Wallenberger felt like her team lacked communication early in the season.
That's no longer the case.
"In the beginning, we were kind of quiet on the court and watching, standing around a lot," Wallenberger said. "But everyone's been talking more, and I think that's what's been helping. We're picking each other up."
Granell thought Wallenberger shined in big spots.
"She got big kills when we needed them," Granell said. "We've been having a lot of trouble getting the ball on the net in transition - picking up tips and rolls. When we do get the ball to her, she's able to put the ball away. And that's great, because we have to score when we have those opportunities."
Meredith Giustino led the Eagles on defense with 12 digs and tacked on three aces, and Kate Wilson also had three aces. Rachel Kaczorowski controlled the offense and passed 1,500 assists in her varsity career Tuesday night.
For C-G, outside hitter Julia Rice tallied eight kills, middle blocker Tricia Kennedy had five kills and three blocks, and Koenig had three aces.