Sectional semifinals in area volleyball featured plenty of area action with seven teams advancing, most notably Normal West and Limestone. Peoria Notre Dame’s boys soccer season ended in heartbreak in a penalty-kick marathon in the Class 2A Kankakee Sectional final.
Check out all the scores and top performers from the day in The Roundup!
In boys soccer
Lemont 2, Peoria Notre Dame 1 (7-6 PK’s): Peoria Notre Dame (21-2-1, 10-0 Big 12) saw a historic season come to an end after a penalty kick marathon that lasted 12 rounds and a 1-1 draw through 100 minutes of play. Lemont struck first in the second half with a re-directed goal but PND’s Braden Pinkston equalized the game not even three minutes later. Irish goalkeeper Max Schmidt made multiple saves to help keep the game level late in regulation and overtime and made two clutch saves in the penalty kick shootout to keep it going after five rounds. Both teams made their next three PK’s, missed the next two and made their 11th before Lemont scored in the 12th round and PND missed to secure the ticket to state.
In volleyball
Normal West 2, Normal Community 0: Normal West (35-3, 10-0 Big 12) breezed to a 25-14 victory in the opening set before fending off rival Normal Community 30-28 in the second set to advance to Thursday’s Class 4A Normal West Sectional championship. Ellie Rink starred for the Wildcats with 13 kills and 12 digs while Avery Feltes matched that dig total and Laine Thompson set up the Wildcat hitters with 29 assists. Normal West will host O’Fallon for a sectional title Thursday while the Iron’s season ends at 29-9.
Limestone 2, Dixon 0: Limestone (29-9, 10-4 Mid-Illini) advanced to the Class 3A Ottawa Sectional Final by beating Dixon 25-14, 25-20 behind a well-balanced effort. Mia Lamberti paced the Rockets with 12 kills and four aces, Bryn Williamson tallied a season-high 13 assists and Khloe Stear finished with 12 digs. Limestone will take on Geneseo for the sectional title on Thursday,
Heyworth 2, Oblong 0: Heyworth (22-12, 6-6 Heart of Illinois) lived up to its billing as the No. 1 seed in its subsectional with a 25-14, 25-14 win over Oblong to advance to the Class 1A Tuscola Sectional title match against Windsor-Stewardson-Strasburg. Lyla Tate had six kills and 10 assists to lead the Hornets while Kyra Denning matched for the team lead with six kills and Ava Riddle posted 14 assists. Kylie Hanslow was strong at the service line for Heyworth with a quartet of aces.
Bloomington Central Catholic 2, Westville 0: BCC (32-4, 9-0 Illini Prairie) throttled Westville 25-12, 25-13 to advance to the Class 2A Monticello Sectional title with Kampbell Niepagen leading the way with a dozen kills. Aubrey Fair notched an additional seven kills and Lauren O’Brien and Makayla Wieduwilt tied for the team lead with eight digs, with the former finishing with 16 assists. The Saints will rematch with conference rival St. Thomas More for the sectional plaque on Saturday.
Normal U-High 2, Chatham Glenwood 0: Normal U-High (35-3, 9-0 Central State Eight) handily dispatched CS8 foe Glenwood 25-8, 25-11 to move on to the Class 3A Mahomet-Seymour Sectional championship against the host Bulldogs on Thursday. Levyn Snow paced the Pioneers victory with 10 kills and eight additional digs while Amanda Freehill put up a team-high 13 digs and three aces. Lola Clayton led the victors in assists with 17.
Geneseo 2, Morton 1: Morton’s bid for a repeat berth at the IHSA State Finals came up short after beating Geneseo 26-24 in the first set, but losing 24-26, 18-25 in the second and third sets. The Mid-Illini champion Potters closed out their regular season with a mark of 28-8.
El Paso-Gridley 2, Orion 0: El Paso-Gridley (29-7, 9-3 Heart of Illinois) put together a late rally to win the first set 26-24 and dominated the second set 25-12 against Orion to set up a match with Erie-Prophetstown for the Class 2A Bureau Valley Sectional title.
Illini Bluffs, 2 Kewanee Wethersfield 0: Illini Bluffs (26-8, 6-1 Inter-County) will play for a Class 1A sectional title after hunting down the Flying Geese 26-24, 25-13. The Tigers will take on Henry-Senachwine for the Class 1A Williamsfield Sectional title on Thursday.
Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin 2, Tremont 0: Tremont fought hard against the Cyclones of SHG but its effort in the sectional semifinals came up short, 23-25, 19- 25. The Turks end their season with a 28-8 record and a regular season Heart of Illinois Conference championship.
Henry-Senachwine 2, Brimfield 1: Brimfield saw its season and hopes of a sectional title berth come up short with a 24-26, 25-19, 25-27 loss to the Mallards in the Class 1A Williamsfield Sectional semifinals. The Indians’ season finishes with an Inter-County Conference title and a 25-5 overall record.
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