Kaneland tops Geneva for 1st time in 19 years
You can't blame any of the Kaneland girls volleyball players who couldn't remember the last time the Knights knocked off Geneva after all, none of them had been born yet.
The breakthrough win for Todd Weimer's program came in thrilling fashion Wednesday night in Geneva where the Knights held off a late Vikings rally for a 26-24, 23-25, 25-22 victory.
Kaneland's theme this year is “Soaring to New Heights. A victory over Geneva certainly qualifies.
“We've been working hard nonstop for six years, said a still-psyched Weimer moments after a festive postgame celebration. “They put everything together. We made some really nice plays, some nice blocks, some nice kills, nice digs just everything.
Kaneland improved to 11-8 while Geneva lost its fifth straight to fall to 15-7. Any previous year this also would have been a conference win for the Knights, now in the Northern Illinois Big 12 while the Vikings have joined the Upstate Eight.
“They moved up and we stayed and just to come back and show them we are still Kaneland and came ready to play is just awesome, said Knights libero Kylie Siebert. “We wanted to show them what we had.
On Volley for Cure night the teams set the tone for how tight the match would be with a back-and-forth Game 1. The game featured 11 ties and 8 lead changes including one stretch of 11 straight points when the lead either changed hands or the other team tied the score.
Geneva came out of that with a 15-14 lead but by the time Taylor Bradbury delivered an ace the Knights held an 18-17 advantage. Kaneland eventually built a 23-18 lead only to see Geneva tie the game at 24 on Riley Sullivan's kill. The Knights kept their composure and closed Game 1 on Jess Lubic's ace.
“This is a really good win for our program, said Kaneland outside hitter Katy Dudzinski, who pounded 6 of her match-high 18 kills in Game 1. “It was a great game, one of the best I've ever played in.
Geneva led throughout Game 2 but never by much. A Knights serving error on game point sent the match to a deciding third game.
Kaneland jumped to a 6-0 lead in the final game and led until a 5-0 Geneva run tied the score at 15-15. Each team had their chances from there, Geneva leading 22-21 until Lubic and Dudzinski put balls away to put Kaneland up 23-22. Two Viking mistakes on the next two points ended the match.
Kaneland's Grace Fabrizius put many of her 14 kills away at key times. Weimer said Lubic's 32 assists might have been a team record while Siebert led the defense with 27 digs.
A night after setting Geneva's record with 27 digs against Batavia, Ashleigh Shain had 23 more. Sullivan (15 kills) led Geneva's attack. Brooke Morphis had 32 assists.
“We are just in a rough part of our season now, Geneva coach KC Johnsen said. “We're not playing as well as we can and we are playing tough opponents who are kind of hitting their stride. Maybe we hit our stride a little earlier.
Barry out: Saints volleyball coach Jennie Kull said Wednesday that sophomore setter Erienne Barry is out for the season with a torn ACL (right knee) suffered Tuesday night in a win over St. Charles North. Barry is supposed to have her surgery in two to three weeks.Stephanie Camper will take over as the Saints' setter the remainder of the season. Craig Brueske