Stand-Out Performances from the IHSA 2A State Tournament

Claire was a huge leader for Rock Falls. She played all six rotations and was dominant in every single one. Claire hit 0.217 in the semifinal match and had 13 service receptions and 13 digs. She got a lot of touches on the ball and made some momentum-changing plays in their tight match against Mater Dei.

Alyssa is 6’6″ and insanely athletic. She moves across the net in explosive movements and puts up a nearly impenetrable block. She also is great in transition and can find ways to terminate on tough sets. She hit 0.300 in the semifinal match and tied to lead the team in kills. In the championship match, she had three blocks. What you don’t see in the stats are the block touches that slowed down opposing hitters and set her defense up for success.

Elyse is a very competitive middle-blocker. She has a huge vertical and a lot of speed across the net. Elyse was named to the Class 2A All-Tournament Team and for good reason. She hit 0.455 with seven kills and three blocks in the semifinal match. In the championship match, Elyse hit 0.333 with six kills and three blocks to help lead her team to their state championship title.

Riley has really clean form and crisp movements. She is quick to the ball and gets a lot of great touches on balls. Riley has good ball control and kept her team alive on some great plays. In the 3rd place match, Riley had two aces and ten digs.

I have had the opportunity to see Ava play club, and it was so fun to see her on the outside at the IHSA state tournament. She was a go-to hitter for her team and really impressed me with her all-around play. In the semifinal match, Ava had nine kills, hit 0.333, had three aces, two blocks, and 11 digs. Ava had 11 kills, two aces, eight digs, and two blocks in the championship match. Ava is an incredibly talented athlete, and I cannot wait to see her play for Penn State next year!

Emily really jumped out at me as an impact player. She was one of the go-to hitters on this talented IC Catholic team. In the semifinal match, Emily hit 0.421 and had eight kills. Emily is an explosive athlete who is well-rounded in all of her skills. She was an impact player this season and will continue to be one through her senior season.