Sauk Valley beats LLCC 25-22, 30-28, 25-20

LLCC defeats John A Logan 17-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-21

LLCC defeats Kalamazoo Valley  27-25, 18-25, 25-18, 25-21

GAME ONE:

LLCC was upended in straight sets by Sauk Valley to start Saturday as the squad's tendency to make errors cost the team badly.  LLCC started with three runs of errors in the first set, falling behind 20-11 before a Natalie Bates ace brought the team close at 16-20.  LLCC got to within 22-24 and after a Sauk Valley timeout, the Loggers were called for being out of rotation while serving, costing the team set point.  In the second set, LLCC started fast with a Taylor Thomas serving run and an Ashley Melton ace, building a 15-6 lead before errors helped the Skyhawks close it to 18-16 and then catching LLCC at 23.  As it went to overtime, LLCC shanked a freeball that proved the key play in the 30-28 loss.  In the third set, a long run of errors put the Loggers in a hole though they were able to claw back to a 14-all tie on an Ashley Webb ace before four more errors helped open a 5-point margin that proved the eventual difference.  "39 unforced errors, out of rotation at set point, and shanking a freeball.  What's disappointing is the time we spent this past week about the importance  of not making runs of consecutive errors and then we come out and have seven streaks of 3-plus errors in a row.  You can't beat a good team like Sauk that way.  Heck, you can't beat bad times that way," Coach Dietz said after the match.  "Until we minimize the unnecessary errors, we're going to continue to struggle."

**

GAME TWO:

Lincoln Land faced D-1 John A. Logan in its second of three contests Saturday at Cass Gym.  LLCC came out slow in the first set, permitting the Volunteers to rip off four quick aces and open a 6-pt lead that the Loggers could not close to fewer than three at 11-14.  Four consecutive LLCC errors opened the margin to seven and it finished as a 25-17 loss.  The second set saw Lincoln Land build an 8-4 lead behind the hitting of Ashley Melton before four more errors brought the game to a tie.  John A. Logan took a 15-13 lead before they suffered their own run of unforced errors that helped LLCC take a 21-16 advantage, finishing the match with a Molly Ashbaugh ace and Kennedy Bauer kill for the win. 

The third set saw the two teams exchange points to 13-13 when LLCC's blocking opened a 2-point margin, permitting the Logger defense to control the ball and get it to Ashley Melton for 5 of her 11 kills.  LLCC won the set 25-23.  In the fourth set, the Loggers opened up a 6-2 lead with a Bauer ace and a Melton ace in the next rotation before Logan tied it at 8 after a run of three Logger miscues.  Logan's block denied LLCC's attack twice, giving Logan a 15-14 lead.  Lincoln Land caught the Volunteers at 18, taking the lead on a Mary Hill ace.  Molly Ashbaugh picked up her second ace to make it 23-20 and the Loggers finished the 25-21 victory with a kill from Mary Hill.

After the match, Coach Dietz was shaking his head, "I think anyone's who's coached would empathize with this—I hate girls."  He laughed, "We started a bit slow, but after the first set, we started doing some good stuff and put pressure on them, making them give us the ball back and we took advantage of that.  We changed a couple things up and Tiffany [Sunderlin, LLCC assistant coach] suggested we adjust some stuff on our defense and it meant a good match for Molly Ashbaugh—she was really fearless with her serve."

GAME TWO STATS:
Vs. John A Logan
Digs: Bates 17, Hill 13
Aces: Ashbaugh 2, 5 tied w/1
Blocks: Plush 2, 3 tied w/1
Assists: Volk 38
Kills: Black 12, Melton 11

**

GAME THREE:

LLCC got no rest as they immediately played Kalamazoo Valley Community College.  The two teams played a close first set with neither team able to take more than a one point lead until a Jakya Pealer ace at 23-22 put LLCC up by two.  After a missed serve, it went to extra time with the Loggers winning on a KVCC swing into the net.  "It won't show in stat totals, but Jakya was big for us," Coach Dietz said.  "Kate [Volk] took a shot to the face and wound up with a bloody nose.  Jakya came in, cool as a cucumber, ran the offense, got us the win when we could've been frazzled and held the fort until Kate recovered."

The second set saw Kalamazoo Valley open with three aces en route to a 5-0 lead.  LLCC couldn't close the gap at any point and after a three error run opened it from 13-8 to 16-8, that effectively proved the margin for the loss as LLCC fell 25-18.  In the third set, Volk returned for Lincoln Land and after a Ashley Melton-Volk block and three KVCC errors, LLCC was able to open a lead that expanded to five at 13-8 after a Natalie Bates ace.  Consecutive aces by Kennedy Bauer made it 20-13 and the two teams traded points the rest of the way for an LLCC win.  In the deciding set, Lincoln Land ran into its season-long affliction with errors, losing a 10-9 lead with six consecutive unforced errors, falling behind 15-10.  Rather than give up, LLCC scored a kill by Annika Black and after two KVCC errors took the lead 18-17.  Kalamazoo Valley tied it at 20 on an LLCC ball-handling error, but freshman Ashley Webb went on a serving run that took LLCC to a 24-21 lead before Annika Black put down the final point of the contest."

GAME THREE STATS:
Vs. Kalamazoo Valley
Digs: Volk 16, Ashbaugh 13, Hill 13
Aces: Hill 4, Bauer 2
Blocks: Eaker 2, Pealer 1, Bauer 1
Assists: Volk 27, Pealer 11
Kills: Melton 10, Hill 9

LLCC is in action on Sunday at 1pm for a Region 24 triangular with Spoon River and Rend Lake.

LLCC record: 17-10

NEXT: SUNDAY 1pm vs. Spoon River, 5pm vs. Rend Lake