September 4, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Stahl, Bigger keep SJO volleyball on roll ahead of final home match

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School gymnasium has treated the SJO volleyball team well this season.

And on Tuesday night, the Spartans will get to keep up their superb regular season — while giving their seniors one last chance to play on their home court — when SJO hosts Olympia at 7 p.m. It’s the final regular-season match in St. Joseph for SJO, which is slated to play at Monticello at 7 p.m. on Thursday and conclude the regular season this Saturday at the Topper Tournament in Mt. Pulaski.

SJO (24-4, 6-1 Illini Prairie) sports a 9-3 record at home this season and has won its last four home matches. All told, SJO carries a nine-match win streak into this week and has yet to lose in October.

The latest wins happened last week, with SJO defeating Fisher 25-7, 25-3 in nonconference action last Wednesday at home and beating Prairie Central 25-12, 25-11 last Tuesday in a road Illini Prairie match in Fairbury.

Senior Katelyn Berry supplied a team-high seven kills against Fisher, while senior Lacey Kaiser, junior Payton Vallee and sophomore Kennedi Burnett each compiling four kills. Senior Emily Bigger handed out 19 assists, while the serving of senior Rylee Stahl (seven aces) and Kaiser (five aces) played a crucial role in the easy sweep by SJO. Burnett chipped in defensively with five digs.

Burnett finished with six kills and eight digs against Prairie Central, while Bigger (19 assists, eight digs, three aces) and Stahl (11 digs) also contributed to the two-set win.

Along with Berry, Kaiser, Bigger and Stahl, five other seniors in Jenna Albrecht, Lindsey Aden, Kenly Taylor, Stephanie Trame and Anna Wentzloff will play their last home match for SJO on Tuesday night.

Once the regular season ends on Saturday for SJO, the Spartans will turn their attention to the postseason. The Spartans are the top seed in the Class 2A Oakwood Regional and will play either No. 8 Oakwood or No. 10 Westville — those two teams are slated to meet at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 in a regional quarterfinal match — at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 in a regional semifinal match.

The regional championship match is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31. Tuscola, the seventh seed, plays Georgetown-Ridge Farm, the 11th seed, at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 in a regional quarterfinal match.

The winner of that match moves on to play No. 4 Monticello at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 in the second regional semifinal match, with the two regional semifinal winners meeting in the regional final.

Banner
Related Posts

Walsh giving back: Former SJO quarterback now an assistant with the Spartans

November 2, 2019

November 2, 2019

Dalton Walsh has grown up around St. Joseph-Ogden High School football. Quite literally. “I remember being a kid and always...

Spartans advance in sectional

June 10, 2021

June 10, 2021

—-ST. JOSEPH—-
There is an adage in baseball that a good offense wins games, but good defense wins championships. It does...

Opportunity for growth is outlook SJO boys’ track and field is taking amid pandemic

April 17, 2020

April 17, 2020

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ track and field team had competed in a few indoor meets in February and...

Going the Distance: Smetzer excels at Western

October 17, 2019

October 17, 2019

Ross Smetzer has goals. The 2016 St. Joseph-Ogden High School graduate runs cross country and track for Western Illinois University...

Armstrong leads balanced offense in win against Pontiac

February 25, 2021

February 25, 2021

Recovering from a tough home loss with a road win is always a good sign.Especially with multiple road games on...

SJO baseball on roll as Haley collects 300th career win

April 10, 2019

April 10, 2019

Some convincing wins have ensued recently for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team. And a historic win happened for...

Making a run: Hug, Frick and Martinie spark SJO girls’ basketball on five-game win
streak

January 30, 2023

January 30, 2023

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball program has made it seem second natureat this point of going on deep...

10 things you don’t know about me… Shawn Skinner

October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

1. What is your favorite food? Italian food  2. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas 3. What is your favorite...

SJO volleyball state preview: In the players’ own words

November 15, 2019

November 15, 2019

Before the St. Joseph-Ogden High School volleyball team plays Breese Mater Dei at noon on Friday in a Class 2A...

SJO girls’ track and field ready for sectional meet on Friday evening

May 10, 2019

May 10, 2019

The first few weeks of a track and field season are sometimes about finding out what runners to slot into...

Burnett, Rose help SJO baseball post three wins

April 22, 2019

April 22, 2019

The past week featured a bit of everything for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team. Solid pitching. Timely hitting....

Brazelton, SJO wrestling off to solid start

December 14, 2023

December 14, 2023

A relatively young St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling team is faring well through the first two weeks of the season. The Spartans...

Altenbaumer, Brazelton spark 19-game win streak for SJO baseball

May 12, 2022

May 12, 2022

Successful seasons have become the norm for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team. This spring is no exception. The...

Meyer, Knott and relays excel for SJO boys’ track and field in Clinton

May 8, 2019

May 8, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ track and field team received wins from two individuals and two relay teams to...

Five key SJO baseball games to watch for in 2019

March 5, 2019

March 5, 2019

The 2018 baseball season for St. Joseph-Ogden High School was another successful one. Under the leadership of coach Josh Haley,...

Comments
Leave a Reply