(Sugar Grove, IL.) – For the second straight evening Waubonsee Community College women's volleyball team hosted a match. This time it was the highly touted Chapparals of the College of DuPage who came to Waubonsee's Field House. The Chapparals (9-4), ranked in the top 20 in the latest NJCAA Division III poll, swept the Chiefs (2-6) three games to none in a match that featured plenty of fast paced action by both teams. However, the firepower of DuPage proved to be too much for Waubonsee in the end.
The Chiefs recorded the first point to start the match before the Chapparals height advantage quickly came into play. DuPage scored the next four points highlighted by a kill by 5'11" Josephine Becker. Waubonsee battled back to tie it at 5-all on an ace by Tauja Crump. Moments later the visitors pulled ahead 9-5 as a long volley was capped off by a kill from DuPage's Skylar Huffman. From there the Chaps kept Waubonsee at arm's length holding a seven-point lead at 15-8. Another kill by Becker extended DuPage's lead which eventually reached double digits on an ace by Jayde Grant. Kills by 5'11" Megan Daca and another by Huffman finished off the set in favor of the Chaps 25-13.
Again, Waubonsee registered the first point in the second game before DuPage reeled off the next three points. The Chiefs trailed 7-4 before Claudia Johnson served up an ace for the home team. A power kill by Ily Hunt momentarily helped keep Waubonsee within striking distance before the Chaps gradually began to pull away again. A kill by Huffman pushed the lead to 13-6 and prompted a timeout from Chiefs' head coach Steve Kish. Back-to-back aces by Joselyn Roche got the Chiefs within 17-10. A long volley ensued right after which was finished off by Crump with a kill from the middle of the net. Waubonsee got the deficit down to five before the Chaps won another long, action-packed volley. DuPage began to pull away again building their lead up to double digits at 22-12. Becker then registered a kill and a block to give DuPage a 25-14 victory.
Early in game three Makayla McNally scored on a block to knot the score at one. Becker again made her presence felt at the net as she finished off a pair of kills to put DuPage in front 5-2. A minute later Bella Klotz scored on a block and Crump finished off a kill to get Waubonsee to within a point at 6-5. DuPage scored the next two points before Athena Westphal smashed a kill from the left side through the Chaps block. However, DuPage scored the next three points before Westphal again drilled a kill from the left side. It only momentarily halted the Chaps momentum as they surged ahead to take a comfortable 15-8 lead. The Chiefs got no closer than five points the rest of the way as DuPage built their lead up to double digits at 21-11. A kill from the right side by Crump helped get the deficit back down to single digits. Waubonsee battled back to within five at 22-17 on a kill down the left sideline by Westphal. But after a timeout by DuPage head coach Tolis Koskinaris, the Chaps ran off the final three points to secure a 25-17 win and take the match.
Westphal led the Chiefs with seven kills and 10 digs, while Roche booked seven assists, seven digs and two aces. Waubonsee is in action again this coming Saturday, September 14 when they travel to East Peoria to play in the Illinois Central College Invitational. The Chiefs return home to play in the Region 4 Crossover Tournament beginning on Friday, September 20. The two-day tournament, held in Waubonsee's Field House and Erickson Hall Gymnasium, features teams from across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
