Boiler Girls advance at Class 2A IVC Regional
The No. 9 seeded Boiler Girls opened post season play with a 25-16, 25-19 regional quarterfinals win over No. 10 Hall.
Kewanee will now take on host Illinois Valley Central (IVC), the No. 2 seed, Tuesdayat 6 p.m. in Chillicothe.
“We played a pretty consistent match,” said KHS Coach Brea Cinnamon. “We started off a little hesitant, but we were able to take control once we started to swing.”
The Boiler Girls will face a tough IVC team that’s 24-10 and finished second in the Illini Prairie Conference with a record of 8-1. Last year’s team (37-4-1) made their first ever appearance at state championship and went home with the third place trophy.
“IVC has had a very strong program for years,” said Cinnamon. “We know they’ll come out hitting hard and we need to be ready defensively.”
Key hitters for the Grey Ghosts are 6’3″ senior Lizzie Short (MH), freshman Kayt Miller (MH), senior Sage Geltmaker (OH) and senior Etta Wagner (OH). The team’s libero is senior Alexis Webb and the setter is senior Alivia Banter
“Our blockers will have an opportunity to have a very big night if they can get a good read on their hitters,” noted Cinnamon.
“All season long, I’ve said that our team could battle with anyone if we’re at the top of our game (collectively) at the same time. We’re ready for tomorrow night to be the night that it all comes together,” said Cinnamon.
In the win over Hall, the leading hitters for the Boiler Girls were Tejhiana Amos and Emma Ellenberger with seven and six kills, respectively.
Adding three kills each were Jillian Bennison and Avery Yepsen. Damaris Diaz, Macee Pickering Aaliyah Duarte and Yepsen had one apiece.
Setter Avery Yepsen distributed 12 assists and Pickering added six. Yepsen also had four digs, four service points and one block. Pickering had four service points (two aces) and three digs.
Ellenberger had seven service points (one ace), four digs and two blocked shots. Bennison had six digs and five service points. Duarte and Taylor VanWinkle contributed four service points each VanWinkle served up an ace.
Diaz added two digs and one block and Marlee Bates had one dig.
