(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's women's volleyball team made quick work of visiting University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County on Tuesday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The Chiefs (4-12) kept the Warhawks (0-15) winless on the season as they took the match three games to none in the first ever meeting between the two schools. New to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), Rock County is in its' first season as a non-scholarship junior college program. Waubonsee prevailed 25-14, 25-13 and 25-19 in a match that lasted just over an hour.
In the opening game Rock County got on the scoreboard first before the Chiefs took the lead 3-2 on an ace by Athena Westphal. Waubonsee then registered four of the next five points highlighted by a smash at the net by Makayla McNally. However, several miscues by the Chiefs allowed the Warhawks to comeback to take a 10-8 lead. A minute later a service ace by Ella Smykal knotted the score at 10-all. Waubonsee then began to pull away tallying nine of the next eleven points keyed by three aces by Claudia Johnson. A kill by McNally and an ace by Westphal helped the Chiefs get to game point at 24-14. Waubonsee finished off the game as a return shot by McNally rolled over the top of the net and fell in front of two Warhawks.
The Chiefs jumped out to a 3-1 lead to start the second set. Moments later Taylor Greer-Ahmed booked a monster kill to help spark Waubonsee to a 6-3 lead. Madison Marziani-Radomski followed with an ace and Tauja Crump added a kill as the Chiefs quickly built a 10-3 lead. After a Rock County timeout, the Warhawks' Megan Contildes momentarily stopped Waubonsee's momentum as she scored a thunderous kill from the left side. The Chiefs' lead reached double digits as Westphal booked a pair of kills as Waubonsee went ahead 20-8. Rock County's Taylor Levake finished off a long and chaotic volley with a block in the middle of the net as the visitors trimmed the deficit to eight at 20-12. The Chiefs responded and got to game point at 24-13 on an ace by Marziani-Radomski. Bella Klotz then smacked a return shot down the right sideline for a kill to give Waubonsee a two games to none lead.
Westphal started game three off with a power kill for the Chiefs. Another strong kill shot by McNally staked the home team to a 4-3 lead. Rock County led 7-6 before Smykal sparked Waubonsee's comeback with an ace. Westphal booked a pair of kills as Waubonsee built a 14-8 lead midway through the third game. The Chiefs maintained their lead highlighted by a power kill by Greer-Ahmed from the middle of the net off a perfect assist from Johnson. Rock County clawed their way to within three points at 18-15 before Crump found an open spot on the floor with a return tap to the left side. A pair of errors by the Chiefs allowed the lead to dwindle down to two points at 20-18. A kill and an ace by Crump pushed the lead up to 22-18 a minute later. Waubonsee got to match point on a return error by Rock County and finished off the 25-19 win when another return shot by the visitors sailed past the end line.
Westphal paced Waubonsee's attack with 10 kills, two service aces and seven digs. Crump recorded eight kills and also had two aces, while McNally and Greer-Ahmed each registered six kills. Johnson finished with 28 assists, three aces and nine digs. Smykal chipped in with three aces and Marziani-Radomski contributed two aces and 10 digs to the winning cause. Waubonsee is in action again tomorrow evening, Wednesday, September 25 when they travel to Moraine Valley Community College for the first of seven consecutive road matches. The Chiefs and Cyclones (11-0, 4-0), leaders of the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC), are set to square off in Palos Hills beginning at 6:00 p.m. Coach Steve Kish's crew returns to play at home on Wednesday, October 9 when they host Oakton Community College (7-11, 2-2) in an ISCC match also starting at 6:00 p.m.