(Sugar Grove, IL) - Waubonsee Community College's women's volleyball team rallied to stun visiting Illinois Central College three games to two. The Cougars (7-7), ranked 19th nationally in the latest NJCAA Division II poll, took the opening two games and seemed to have the match in hand, winning 25-15 and then holding off the Chiefs in game two to grab a 25-23 victory. Waubonsee (8-6) then suddenly got on track in the third set jumping out to a big lead and cruising to a 25-9 win. The Chiefs trailed in the fourth game 19-15 before rallying to pull out a 25-21 triumph and force a decisive fifth set. Waubonsee used that momentum to sprint out to an early lead and win the game 15-6 and take the match.

In the opening game the Cougars scored the first four points before Waubonsee got on the board when Olivia McPherson smakcked a back row kill. A few minutes later Anna Gonzalez scored on a kill from the left side off a pass from the far side by Kiara McPherson to keep the Chiefs in striking distance down 10-5. Waubonsee got to within three points before the Cougars took command and pushed their lead to 19-10. Back-to-back aces by Jordan Weber made it 20-13 to give the Chiefs a momentary glimpse of hope. However, that was as close as the home team would get as Illinois Central prevailed 25-15.

The difference in game two turned out to be service errors as the Chiefs committed six of them. The set was close early on as Weber registered a kill from the middle of the net to get Waubonsee within two points at 5-3. The Cougars began to pull away and grabbed an 11-5 lead after winning the point on a long volley. The Chiefs battled back to pull even at 13-all on a kill by Olivia McPherson, prompting a Cougars' timeout. A see-saw affair commenced after that with neither team having more than a two point advantage. A kill and two aces by Olivia McPherson, and another kill by Gonzalez highlighted the Chiefs' scoring. A spike by Evelyn Martin between two Cougars' defenders staked Waubonsee to a 22-20 lead leading to another Illinois Central timeout. After the pause in play the Cougars rallied to knot the score at 23-all and it was the Chiefs' turn to call timeout. A perfectly placed soft tap return by Illinois Central created a potential game-winning point for the visitors. A moment later Martin's return shot sailed past the end line giving the Cougars the 25-23 win and the upper hand with a two games to none lead.

Game three the Chiefs looked like a different team as they raced out to an early lead, sparked by Olivia McPherson. The 5'5" sophomore registered a kill, a service ace and a thunderous kill from the back row to help Waubonsee take an 8-1 lead. Not long after the Chiefs surged ahead 12-2 as Weber booked a service ace and Gonzalez contributed a block. McPherson then took over scoring four kills to increase the lead to 22-7. Martin then finished off the 25-9 win with a service ace of her own. 

Illinois Central tried to regroup in the fourth game, which was close throughout. An ace by Kaylee Read gave the Chiefs an 8-7 lead before the Cougars bounced back to snag a 13-11 lead on a power kill by Gracie Schultz. Illinois Central took their biggest lead at 19-15 after a service error by the Chiefs. Weber and both of the McPherson twins each tallied a kill from the middle of the net to pull Waubonsee within one at 20-19. A minute later Weber drilled a left-handed spike from the middle of the net down the left sideline, and Olivia McPherson blasted a back row kill to knot the score at 21-all. The Chiefs then took the game as Weber recorded an ace and the Cougars misfired on three straight return shots to give Waubonsee a 25-21 victory.

The Chiefs carried that momentum into the fifth set as Martin started things off with a kill. Kiara McPherson and Weber teamed up for a block and Olivia McPherson smacked a couple of kills to make it 4-1 Waubonsee. Another block by Weber and an ace by Olivia McPherson staked the Chiefs to a 6-1 lead in the deciding game up to 15 points. Waubonsee continued to pour it on as Kiara set up her sister with a beautiful over the shoulder pass from just in front of the scorers table to the middle of the floor, where Olivia rose up and finished off a back row kill to make it 11-4. Moments later the tandem connected once more for another score and Weber registered a block to give the Chiefs a 13-5 lead. Martin then finished off the game just as she had started it with a kill from the right side for a 15-6 Waubonsee win.

Olivia McPherson finished the night with 23 kills, four aces and 17 digs to lead the way. Weber added 10 kills and four aces, while Kiara McPherson was credited with 48 assists and four blocks. Gonzalez chipped in with nine kills and 16 digs, Martin tallied 25 digs and seven kills, and Emalee Wiley registered 20 digs in the winning cause. The Chiefs are not scheduled to play again until next Wednesday, September 15, when they host Prairie State College inan Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference match beginning at 6:00 p.m. Spectators are allowed, but are required to wear masks and adhere to current Covid protocols.