Girls volleyball: Jacobs rallies for 3-set win over C-G
It's hard not to notice the excitement coming from Jacobs junior Teagan Van Stone after every point scored for her team.
Even when she's not on the court.
"She's sitting there screaming from the bench trying to make sure they're not getting quiet on themselves," Golden Eagles coach Mike Depa said. "She's a ball of energy and ball of fire out there. When she puts the ball down, she gets excited, and it brings that spark we need.
"Everyone might not be as loud as her, but it makes everyone else a little more loud as well."
Jacobs needed that fire from Van Stone after dropping the first set against Cary-Grove. The Eagles rebounded nicely and put away the Trojans 14-25, 25-22, 25-21 in their Fox Valley Conference match Thursday.
Van Stone led the Eagles (11-15, 8-8 FVC) with nine kills and two blocks. When teammate Yvonne Iskrev put away the final kill, Van Stone was right in the middle of the celebration.
"On the court, there was no negativity," Van Stone said. "It was all positivity. We're kind of tired of being the underdog, and we hate going to three sets. I think we just wanted it more."
Cary-Grove (15-18, 4-12) had the upper hand early and never trailed in the first set, but that quickly changed in the second set.
The Eagles jumped out to a 10-2 lead thanks to strong blocking from Ali Pierre (five blocks) and Iskrev (five kills, three blocks) and battled back after C-G overtook them on an Amelie Dorchies' block to make it 20-19 Trojans. Jacobs scored the next five points and ended the set on a kill by Sara Wasner (five kills).
Neither team led by more than four points in the third set.
Tied at 20, the Eagles rattled off four straight points, getting kills from Wasner, Van Stone and Cassie Gorrity. After a kill by C-G's Erin Wadzinski, Iskrev ended the comeback with a tip, and the Jacobs fan section spilled onto the court.
Kate Wilson had 30 digs for Jacobs, Gracie Breeze had 10 digs and two aces, and Aurora Rodella added 19 assists.
"I just love that we never gave up tonight," Depa said. "We came out there and gave up that first set, but that didn't stop us from stepping up with our energy and stepping up with our play. It's having that drive and playing harder each point that I liked to see."
The Trojans were led by Tricia Kennedy with a match-high 15 kills and three blocks. Isabelle Strader added 23 assists, two blocks and two aces, and Morgan Haslow had 21 digs. Wadzinski tallied five kills and Rothermel had four kills and two blocks.
Cary-Grove coach Patty Langanis felt the Trojans relied too much on Kennedy.
"We started to become really predictable," Langanis said. "We just have to be able to rely on more players than just Tricia. In the first [set], everyone was doing their job. After that, things started to fall apart. [Pierre for Jacobs] started to block really well, l and that kind of took us out of system."
"This was our first match all season where we had our starting lineup all out there. We're excited, but I think we still have to learn how to play together. We've been waiting all year to have a lineup, and I think we just have a lot to work on mentally to close out a match."