(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's volleyball team opened play in the 2023 Region 4 Crossover Tournament against the highly touted Carl Sandburg College Chargers, who entered the day with a sparkling 14-6 overall record. However, the undersized and underdog Chiefs, who were just 4-8 overall, surprised Sandburg by winning the match three games to one. Coach Megan Kronschnabel's crew took the opening set 25-22 and the second one by a score of 25-23. The Chargers then pulled out the third set 26-24 in a see-saw affair before Waubonsee downed Sandburg 25-18 to win the match. The two-day event, featuring 14 community colleges from across northern Illinois, continues Saturday with 14 matches being played at Waubonsee's Erickson Hall and Field House Complex in Sugar Grove beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Waubonsee booked the first two points of the match when return shots by the Chargers both sailed well past the end line and out of bounds. Three straight blocks by Sandburg's 6'1" Ayla Cannon eventually resulted in a point and tied the score at 2-all. A few minutes later a power kill by Elaina Evers from the right side and a pair of aces put Waubonsee in front 10-6. Another spike by Abby Colon helped the Chiefs maintain their lead at 13-10 before Cannon finished off a long volley with a kill in the middle of the net to make it 14-11. Sandburg eventually pulled even at 17-all and took the lead when 6'0" middle hitter Grace Evans blocked an Evers kill attempt. A carry violation and a perfectly placed return shot by Colon put the Chiefs ahead 20-18 prompting a timeout by Chargers' head coach Todd Winkler. A kill by Colon, set up by Evers, pushed Waubonsee's lead to 22-18 as Sandburg called another timeout. After the halt in play Colon collected another kill as Waubonsee extended its lead to 24-19. However, the Chargers reeled off the next three points to force the Chiefs to call timeout and regroup. Colon then finished off the set with another kill from the right side to give Waubonsee a 25-22 victory. 

After a long volley Sandburg won the opening point in the second set. A smash by Colon down the left side and a monster kill by Evers helped the Chiefs grab a quick 5-1 lead. Moments later a kill by Cannon cut Waubonsee's lead to 7-3. The Chargers' big front line registered several blocks before the Chiefs' 5'6" Tauja Crump tallied a kill with a perfectly placed return shot from the middle of the net for a 10-6 Waubonsee lead. Sandburg battled back to within a point before a thunderous kill by Evers made it 13-9 in the Chiefs' favor. The Chargers rallied to within a point until Evers again scored on a power spike from the middle to give the Chiefs a 17-15 lead. A kill by the 6'0" Lilian Isenhour and a block by Evans pulled Sandburg even at 18-all. However, an ace by Colon and another power kill by Evers staked Waubonsee to a 21-19 advantage. Once again Sandburg clawed back to tie the game at 22. Evers answered with an emphatic kill followed by an ace by Gianna Raimondi to suddenly put the Chiefs in position to take the set and go up 2-0. A minute later Evers made that a reality by powering a spike off the Chargers' defense for a 25-23 triumph.

Evers picked up right where she left off by scoring a pair of kills to begin the third set. Raimondi followed with an ace to quickly give Waubonsee a 3-0 lead. However, a block by Cannon, who entered the day seventh nationally among all NJCAA Division II players in solo blocks, got Sandburg on the board. Colon registered a block of her own moments later to give Waubonsee a 5-3 lead. Taylor Greer-Ahmed then booked a kill from the left side as the Chiefs took a 7-4 lead. Sandburg rallied to tie the game at 7 as a back-and-forth battle commenced. The teams alternated the next seven points before Waubonsee took a 13-10 lead courtesy of a pair of return errors by Sandburg. After the Chargers tied the score once more, Colon delivered another cross court kill before Cannon booked a block to knot the score at 14. A net violation gave Waubonsee the lead momentarily before Sandburg surged ahead 18-15. This time it was Waubonsee's turn for a comeback as the Chiefs tied the game at 19 as Crump avoided the Chargers blocking wall with a fantastic kill to the left corner of the court. After a Sandburg timeout a kill and an ace put the visitors ahead 21-19. Waubonsee quickly tied it with a kill and an ace of their own by Joselyn Roche. Two consecutive blocks and quick reacting return by Raimondi deadlocked the score at 22 as the Chargers called timeout. Following the break the teams traded points as Greer-Ahmed tied it with a kill down the left side. A perfectly placed return shot by Colon just inside the back line gave the Chiefs a 24-23 lead. However, a service error and a mishandled exchange by the Chiefs gave Sandburg the upper hand at 25-24. Colon tied things again with a power kill to keep the game going. Cannon then answered with a power slam of her own and a block by Isenhour ended it to keep Sandburg's hopes alive.

The fourth set began with Waubonsee taking a 3-1 lead early on. Evers elevated for another kill to put the Chiefs ahead 6-4 before Sandburg came back to tie the score at 7-all. A minute later Chloe Mellman recorded a kill to knot the score before Evers put the Chiefs in front with a power kill from the middle of the back row. Waubonsee led by as many as three points before Sandburg came back to tie the game at 13-all. Again, the teams traded points back and forth as they alternated the next six scores. Back-to-back aces by Roche highlighted a quick five-point surge to put the Chiefs in charge with a 20-15 lead. A tandem block by Raimondi and Mellman helped Waubonsee push the lead to 22-16. Moments later Waubonsee got to a potential game and match-point scenario, and Colon finished off the upset victory with a kill for the 25-18 win.

Evers led Waubonsee with 26 kills, 11 digs and four aces. Colon had 20 digs and 15 kills, Raimondi finished the match with 42 assists and 21 digs while directing the Chiefs' attack, and Norah Molitor contributed 16 digs. Coach Kronschnabel's crew was set to took the court later in the day against Kankakee Community College, and knocked off the Cavaliers three games to none. On Saturday the Chiefs (6-8) are set to play Illinois Valley Community College at 9:00 a.m. and then Black Hawk College at 3:00 p.m.