(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's volleyball team fell to visiting Moraine Valley Community College in three straight sets by scores of 25-10, 25-13 and 25-19. The Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference leading Cyclones improved to 9-3 overall and 4-0 in conference play, while the Chiefs dropped to 4-8 overall and 2-2 in league action.
The Cyclones jumped out to a 6-2 lead early in the first set. A short time later a teardrop return by Waubonsee's Taylor Greer-Ahmed pulled the Chiefs to within 7-4. However, the visitors scored the next five points to take a 12-4 lead and Waubonsee head coach Megan Kronschnabel called timeout to try and stop their momentum. Unfortunately for the home team it did not work as moments later an ace by Moraine Valley's Mary Zielinski extended the lead to 15-4. A kill by Elaina Evers got the deficit down to single digits as Waubonsee got to within 18-10. The Cyclones then rebounded by reeling off the next seven consecutive points to comfortably take the first game 25-10.
Moraine Valley then picked up right where they left off by scoring the first two points of the second set. Waubonsee answered back as Evers tallied an ace to even the score at 2-all. A block for a point by Colleen Clancy put the Cyclones back in front. It was a lead they never relinquished from that point on as they pulled ahead 8-3 highlighted by a pair of aces by Lily Avelar. Abby Colon momentarily stopped the Cyclones' run with a return for a score to make it 14-5. Moraine Valley held a 10-point advantage at 17-7 until a block by Greer-Ahmed and Chloe Mellman cut the deficit to eight at 17-9. The Cyclones' front row of the 6'0" Clancy, 5'11" Zielinski and 6'0" Kaila Butvilas again asserted themselves to build the lead back up to 22-12. Zielinski then finished off the second game with a power kill from the left side.
The third set started off on a good note for Waubonsee as Gianna Raimondi served up an ace. A long volley was then won by Moraine Valley to knot the score at 3-all. A power slam and an ace by Zielinski staked the Cyclones to a 7-5 lead. Moraine Valley extended its lead to 12-7 before Waubonsee tallied three straight points to get within striking distance. But once more the Cyclones responded jumping in front 17-11. Another kill by Greer-Ahmed and an ace by Colon highlighted Waubonsee's rally as they battled back to within two points at 17-15. Zielinski then made her presence felt once more with back-to-back kills to make the score 20-16. The Cyclones won the game and match when Gracie Horvaky scored on a spike from the left side.
Coach Kronschnabel's crew is set to take the court again this Friday, September 22 when they compete in the two-day Region 4 Crossover Tournament to be held in Waubonsee's Erickson Hall and Field House on the Sugar Grove campus. The Chiefs are scheduled to square off against Carl Sandburg College starting at 11:00 a.m. followed by a match with Kankakee Community College at 1:00 p.m. On Saturday the Chiefs are set to play Illinois Valley Community College at 9:00 a.m. and then Black Hawk College at 3:00 p.m.