Volleyball team continues to roll
By Billy Cruz
Assistant Sports Editor
The volleyball team went 2-1 last week to improve their overall record to an impressive 26-9 on the season and a 7-2 mark in the Arrowhead Conference as of press time.
The team handily defeated Black Hawk East 30-12, 30-14, and 30-18 last Tuesday, before suffering a rare conference loss later in the week to Highland 22-30, 30-25, 30-26, 24-30, and 7-15.
The team did however bounce back from the setback to defeat John Wood 30-20, 30-23, and 30-21 on Saturday afternoon behind a strong performance from freshman Megan Nation as she recorded 10 aces and 26 points in the win for IVCC.
Illinois Valley head coach Laurie Polte admitted her team was not playing up to their capability, but feels they can come around for the regional tournament that begins next week.
"Some nights we go out there and play well and other times we seem to struggle," said Polte, who has recorded 56 wins to date in just three seasons at IVCC.
Along with Nation, Polte has also been impressed with the strong hitting of Dani Zellmer and Lindsey Kling and the performances from Lisa Esmond and Kristin Oberle.
"This year’s team is strong," the coach said, comparing them to last season’s women who were 20-11 overall and 8-2 in the conference. "Our record is already better than last years. We have more people with more all-around skills."
With the region tournament approaching, Polte is not concerned with winning every match, but seeing her team perform well.
"I want to see the girls play well," said the coach. "Winning and losing does not mean as much to me as seeing the team play to their ability and leave every match with their heads held high knowing they played their best."
The women face Sauk Valley in Dixon on Oct. 25, the last regular match of the season. The first round of regional competition begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 30 at IVCC when the IVCC women face Carl Sandburg.