1A Semifinal standouts: Illini Bluff vs. NCOE
Illini Bluff defeated Norris City (NCOE) 25-19, 25-22 Tied in the first set at 1-1, Illini Bluff went on an eight-point spree, jumping out to a 9-1 lead. N.C.O.E. closed the gap to five at 10-15, but never recovered and…
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Continue ReadingIllini Bluff defeated Norris City (NCOE) 25-19, 25-22
Tied in the first set at 1-1, Illini Bluff went on an eight-point spree, jumping out to a 9-1 lead. N.C.O.E. closed the gap to five at 10-15, but never recovered and fell to I.B. 25-19.
The second set was close throughout including a tie at 19 apiece. Illini scored the next two points of an Emma Hicks kill and a Hannah Hicks ace. N.C.O.E. never came back, as IlliniBluff won 25-22.
Illini Bluff moves into the finals against Newark with a six-senior roster. Norris City-Omaha-Enfield moves into the third-place against Athens.
Semifinal Stars
Player, Yr, Ht, Pos, High School
Emilee Bishop, 2020, 5’9, MH, Norris City-Omaha-Enfield For the Fighting Cardinals, Emilee had tied a team-high 5 kills to go along with her 1 service ace and four digs.
Emma Hicks, 2021, 5-10, MH, Illini Bluff
Emma had a team-high .429 hitting percentage with four kills and two digs in the match.
Hannah Hicks, 2020, 5’9, OH, Illini Bluff
Showing how good a player she is, Hannah had a landmark double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs in the match. She also had 1 service ace and 1 solo block to add to her scoring line.
Hollan Everett, 2023, 6’0 MH, Norris City-Omaha-Enfield
Despite an injury, Hollan still put up impressive numbers in the match, with 5 kills and a team-leading .214 hitting percentage. She also added 5 block assists on the night. Hollan will return for three more years as she is a freshman with a huge future ahead of her.
Lacy Pilgrim, 2020, 5’7, S, Illini Bluff
Going out as a senior on a mission, Lacy dished 12 assists, had digs and 1 kill for the Tigers.
Peyton Pollman, 2020, 5’10, S, Illini Bluff
Playing at a high level, Peyton had 13 assists with 2 service aces and 1 kill in the win.
Addie Welsh, 2021, 5-4, MH, Illini Bluff
Despite her size, as a middle blocker, she hit a respectable 364 with 6 kills in the match. She just proves that despite a height disadvantage in the middle, if you move the ball and blocker, good things happen.