Copyright Shaw Local Enewspapers
The 16th-ranked Sauk Valley Community College volleyball team has a chip on its shoulder for the postseason this year. After receiving a No. 1 seed but falling short of qualifying for the NJCAA Division II National Championships last season, the Skyhawks are looking to have a better run this time around. They got off to a good start on Wednesday night after sweeping 14th-seeded Triton College 25-18, 25-11, 25-17 at home in the Region 4 quarterfinals. After a sluggish start in the opening set, third-seeded SVCC (27-12) got out to a 10-1 lead and put together its best set of the evening. “First set, we always come out a little slow,” Kenna Wubbena said. “We told ourselves, we don’t want to play a game that close in regionals, we’ve got to make sure that we’re playing our best to get ready for this weekend to hopefully make it to nationals.” The Skyhawks play sixth-seeded Kankakee on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Madison College. The District B championship is Sunday at 2:30, with the winner advancing to nationals at Alliant Energy Center in Cedar Rapids on Nov. 19-22. Wubbena said getting some tough serves helped get the middle set off to a good start. “When we get on those big runs, it helps bring your energy up,” she said. “And to be honest, I think energy wins games, and so that’s what works for us when we’ve got a lot of energy. “That’s when we’re scoring a bunch of points.” Wubbena said the team thought it could get through the regional without a problem as the No. 1 seed last season. It did not work out that way. They also did not receive an at-large bid despite being ranked eighth. “This year, coming in as the three seed, we know we’ve got work to do,” she said. “And we don’t want to fall short again.” Sauk Valley would face second-seeded Morton College in the district championship if there are no upsets. Morton is ranked 25th. “Going through that, we’re not taking anything for granted,” Jess Johns said. “I think we do like where we are seeded at.” Johns said Wednesday’s middle set showed what the team can be capable of when things are clicking. “I think that’s probably one of our best sets of coming together,” she said. “Everyone was on, every position. Passing was great, setting was great, blocking was great.” Johns and Wubbena each had 11 kills and five digs. Denali Stonitsch had 19 assists and seven digs while Miraya Pessman had 14 assists and seven digs. Kailee Williams had 10 kills and Madyson Tichler had five blocks. Carli Kobbeman led the team with 11 digs. Moving forward in the postseason, the Skyhawks know they can’t overlook any team. “Treat every game like it could be your last,” Johns said. Wubbena said this year’s team has a lot of diversity. Players with backgrounds in multiple sports can also play different positions on the volleyball court. “We’ve got strong hitters all around. Our defense is great,” Wubbena said. “We’ve just got a really well-rounded team. Everyone contributes.”
