By Fred Kroner
In an eight-day span, ending on Monday (Feb. 14), the unbeaten seventh-grade volleyball team from St. Joseph played matches in four counties and won all seven in two-set sweeps.
None of the matches were played at home.
The road trip started on Monday (Feb. 7) when the seventh-graders triumphed at Champaign St. Matthew, 25-10, 25-9. On Tuesday (Feb. 8), the team prevailed at Buckley St. John, 25-8, 25-19, and on Wednesday (Feb. 9), the Panthers posted a 25-12, 25-14 victory at Oakwood.
On Saturday (Feb. 12), coach Jill Lubinski’s team won the championship at the Maroa-Forsyth Tournament.
St. Joseph topped Sangamon Valley, 25-12, 25-6, then overpowered the host school, 25-5, 25-10, before handling Mount Zion in the title clash, 25-12, 25-15.
On Monday (Feb. 14), the Panthers were victorious at Champaign Judah Christian, 25-7, 25-15.
Lubinski’s 14-player squad consists of Lily Ahart, Lizzie Clark, Abby Crider, Hayden Dahl, Madison Farber, Morgan Huls, Maggie Hewkin, Brynn Ikemire, Mia Jones, Alivia Learned, Hadley McDonald, Sophie Schmitz, Addi Stevens and Vivian Sturts.
The seventh-graders are 14-0.
The St. Joseph eighth-grade volleyball team has won five of its last six matches, following a loss on Monday (Feb. 7) at Champaign St. Matthew, 22-25, 25-18, 25-16.
The Panthers then defeated Buckley St John, 25-16, 25-13, on Tuesday (Feb. 8) and Oakwood on Wednesday (Feb. 9), 25-22, 25-14.
At the Maroa-Forsyth Tournament on Saturday (Feb. 12), St. Joseph took runner-up honors.
The team advanced to the finals with sweeps over Sangamon Valley, 25-9, 25-16, and Maroa-Forsyth, 25-21, 25-14, before losing to Mount Zion, 25-6, 25-5.
On Monday (Feb. 14), the eighth-graders captured a 25-22, 25-22 win at Champaign Judah Christian.
Coach Abby McDonald’s 15-player squad consists of McKenzie Atwood, Kylie Barrowman, Lexie Barrowman, Timera Blackburn-Kelley, Addie Brooks, Adelyn Childers, Katie Ericksen, Abby Getty, Amelia Huckstadt, Adalyn Jannusch, Sophia Kasper, Sami Kelso, Ava Midkiff, Kayla Osterbur and Karleigh Spain.
The eighth-graders have an overall 8-6 record.
Both quads return to action on Thursday (Feb. 17) – at home – against Monticello, weather permitting.
