Spartan Volleyball continues down winning road, Golf places fourth, Soccer falls to Monticello

By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com

St. Joseph-Ogden’s volleyball team is more than halfway to its 11th consecutive 20-win season.

The Spartans improved their season record to 12-2 with consecutive non-conference sweeps on Tuesday and Wednesday.

SJ-O, ranked third among teams in The News-Gazette area, topped Danville (5-6) 25-21, 25-23 on Wednesday.

Emily Bigger had 11 assists and Rylee Walsh had nine assists. Eve Owens led the defensive effort with 10 digs and teammate Bree Trimble had eight digs. Offensively, Jenna Albrecht, Emory Ericksen and Payton Vallee all finished with four kills.

Against Paxton-Buckley-Loda (7-4), Walsh put up 10 assists and Bigger had nine in a 25-20, 25-16 triumph.

Trimble led with eight digs and Owens had seven. Ericksen and Katelyn Berry each had four kills.

The next SJ-O match is Sept. 20 at St. Thomas More.

Boys’ golf

SJ-O placed fourth in  Monday’s Champaign County Tournament at Lincolnshire Fields, in Champaign.

The Spartans’ four-player total was 402. Meet champion Rantoul/Paxton-Buckley-Loda ended at 333.

Individually, Payton Grimsley led the Spartans with a 90 and tied for ninth.

Other team leaders were Adam Rose (101), Joey Acton (102) and Tyler Moore (109).

The Spartans play at Villa Grove today.

Co-ed soccer

The Spartans (2-6) were shutout in their Illini Prairie Conference opener, losing a 6-0 decision to Monticello on Tuesday.

SJ-O plays host to St. Thomas More today.

Football

SJ-O will put its 3-0 record on the line Friday with a 7 p.m. home game against rival Unity (0-3).

The Spartans are averaging 31 points per game through the first one-third of the season and have allowed five touchdowns.

SJ-O was ranked 15th in this week’s Class 3A state poll.