(Sugar Grove, IL) - Waubonsee Community College's women's volleyball team never trailed all evening on their way to sweeping the College of Lake County in three straight games. The Chiefs downed the Lancers 25-18, 25-19 and 25-11 to take the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference match in just over an hour. The win moves Waubonsee's overall record to 6-2 and their conference ledger to 2-0.
Kaylee Read got the night started off on the right foot for Waubonsee with a kill from the middle of the net for the first point of the opening game. Not long afterwards Olivia McPherson registered a kill and an ace to put the Chiefs in front 6-3. A few minutes later the Lancers called timeout after Waubonsee surged ahead 9-3. When play resumed Lake County reeled off the next five points to pull within 9-8, but that would be as close as they would get all night. Waubonsee responded by scoring seven of the next nine points, and eventually took a 19-11 lead when Read scored on a right-handed reverse tap from the middle of the net to the right side of Lancers territory. The Chiefs finished off the game one victory highlighted by power spikes from McPherson, Evelyn Martin and Claire Sweeney.
In game two Waubonsee tallied the initial two points and never looked back. A block by Martin put the Chiefs in front at 5-2 before the Lancers scored the next two points to pull within one. However, Lake County was again unable to pull even as Martin finished off a kill from the middle of the net with a perfect assist from Kiara McPherson to make it 6-4. The Chiefs gradually extended their lead to 14-8 capped off by an ace by Olivia McPherson. Once again, after the Lancers called a timeout, they ran off five straight points to get within a point at 14-13. A service error stopped their momentum and Waubonsee pulled away keyed by a pair of power kills by Olivia McPherson and another by Martin on the way to a six-point win.
McPherson then started game three the way she ended game two by elevating high for a power kill to start the scoring. She booked another kill a moment later and twin sister Kiara recorded a service ace shortly thereafter to stake the Chiefs to a quick 3-0 lead. Midway through the game Waubonsee still led by three points 10-7 before taking complete control behind the serving of Kiara McPherson. The Chiefs ran off nine straight points to take a commanding 19-7 lead. Sweeney then recorded a kill at the net and a block two minutes later to make it 23-9. Waubonsee completed the sweep when the Lancers' return shot hit the netting high above the court and fell out of bounds for match point.
Olivia McPherson led Waubonsee with 14 kills, two aces and 15 digs. Martin chipped in with 10 kills, while Kiara McPherson added 30 assists and four aces. Maddie Mueller contributed six kills and 18 digs, and Lydia Sabanish finished with 11 digs. Waubonsee is in action again this coming Saturday, March 20 when they host Heartland Community College in an 11:00 a.m. match. Heartland will then play Parkland Community College afterwards, and Waubonsee will square off against Parkland starting at 4:00 p.m. Due to the on-going Covid-19 safety and health protocols, no fans are allowed to attend the matches in person. However, it will be streamed 'live' on-line via a link on Waubonsee's website www.GoChiefs.com