Sandburg Volleyball Advances to National Tourney for 1st Time
Aaron Frey
Saturday, November 4, 2017 6:39 PM
Athletics, Campus News
Grayslake, IL
For the first time ever, Carl Sandburg College is on its way to the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Championship after the Chargers claimed the Region IV District B title Saturday with a 26-24, 21-25, 25-17, 25-22 victory over 14th-ranked McHenry County in the championship match.
The third-seeded Chargers (25-14), who swept Moraine Valley in the semifinals earlier in the day, advance to the national tournament Nov. 16-18 in Charleston, WVa. Sandburg had never won in its previous six appearances in the Region IV tourney title match, including a runner-up finish last season, but the Chargers dropped just one set over three matches to win their first Region IV championship.
A trio of freshmen led Sandburg’s attack against No. 2 seed McHenry County. Josalyn Owens (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln) delivered a team-best 11 kills. Jordan Price (Fulton, Ill./Fulton) had 10 and Hannah Thompson (Blandinsville, Ill./West Prairie) had nine along with 12 digs and a team-leading four aces.
Emma Derry (Augusta, Ill./Southeastern) had 39 assists in the victory over the Scots, who defeated the Chargers in four sets earlier this season. Libero Adre Vetter (Emden, Ill./Hartsburg-Emden) had 22 digs, and Sam Mayberry (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) led Sandburg at the net with four blocks.
Derry set up Price for a kill on match point to set off a celebration never seen before in Chargers volleyball history.
“They earned every bit of it,” Chargers coach Todd Winkler said. “We played a tough schedule during the regular season to help prepare us for this moment, and they played today like they deserved to be champions. It’s awesome to make history for Carl Sandburg College, and now we’re ready to make some more.”
Sandburg swept through the Cyclones in the semifinals with a 25-21, 25-18, 25-12 victory. Thompson totaled 11 kills and 13 digs in the win, and Vetter had 27 digs as well as a team-high five aces.
Owens put down 10 kills, and Price added nine in the semifinal win. Derry dished out 31 assists, and Mayberry had 3.5 blocks for the Chargers.
The Carl Sandburg College team poses with the Region IV championship trophy and medals after beating McHenry County in four sets to win the Region IV District B tournament Saturday in Grayslake and advance to its first national tournament. Front row (l-r): Camerin Huizenga, Jordan Price, Lexi Strange, Emma Derry, Helena Wyant, Adre Vetter, Haley Stevenson and Kylie Stineman. Back row (l-r): Assistant coach Sara Baker, Aleksa Ladd, Hannah Thompson, Anna Schierer, Grace Ferguson, head coach Todd Winkler, Sam Head, Sam Mayberry, Madison Stewart, Josalyn Owens and assistant coach Rachel Secrist.