Lengthy winning streaks are hard to come by during the course of a high school volleyball season.
St. Joseph-Ogden High School’s volleyball team pulled one off to the tune of 11 straight victories until sustaining a hard-fought loss on Monday night at home against Tri-Valley.
But coach Abby McDonald’s program didn’t let one loss become two straight losses, with the Spartans winning in two sets at Monticello on Tuesday night in Illini Prairie Conference play. SJO is still unbeaten in Illini Prairie play and controls its destiny as far as a conference title.
SJO (17-5, 5-0 Illini Prairie) will aim to start another lengthy win streak on Thursday night when the Spartans are scheduled to host Salt Fork at 7 p.m. in St. Joseph. Here’s a look at how SJO has fared on the court in the last two-plus weeks:
Rolling by the Sages
SJO hit the road on Tuesday and left Monticello with an impressive 25-11, 25-16 win against the host Sages.
Junior Addison Roesch supplied eight kills, four digs and one ace to lead the Spartans. Senior Shayne Immke wasn’t far behind in the offensive output, balancing nine digs with seven kills.
Add in noteworthy contributions from junior Peyton Williams (five kills, 10 digs) and senior Taylor Hug (19 assists, four kills, five digs) and it all came together for SJO in another Illini Prairie win.
Tough home loss for Spartans
Just like SJO, Tri-Valley has proven to be among the most consistent area volleyball programs in recent memory.
The Vikings proved that by defeating the host Spartans 25-19, 28-26 on Monday night in a nonconference match in St. Joseph.
Hug finished with a double-double of 16 assists and 12 digs, while Immke had nine kills and three digs and Roesch chipped in five kills and two aces.
Win streak hits 11
SJO left Rantoul on Sept. 29 with a comfortable 25-12, 25-11 victory against the host Eagles in Illini Prairie action.
Hug spread the ball out to a number of offensive options, finishing with 17 assists. Among the beneficiaries of her passing was six kills by Roesch and five kills apiece from Williams and Immke.
Spartans rally by Timberwolves
Facing a one-set deficit, on the road, against a team that had already reached 20 wins, didn’t deter SJO on Sept. 28.
The Spartans rallied past host Cissna Park to claim a 13-25, 25-21, 25-16 nonconference victory.
Williams compiled a double-double of 13 kills and 11 digs to spark the Spartans, while Immke finished with nine kills and seven digs. Hug (28 assists, seven digs) and Roesch (four kills, 12 digs, one ace) also had vital contributions.
Hug has double-double in win
The Spartans added another Illini Prairie win to their ledger this season with a 25-16, 25-14 home victory against Pontiac on Sept. 22 in St. Joseph.
Hug wound up with a double-double of 20 assists and 10 digs, while Williams collected a team-high eight kills to go with seven digs.
Immke (six kills, six digs) and Roesch (six kills, seven digs, one block) also provided timely hits and defense in the win.
SJO cruises by rival
A trip to Tolono awaited the Spartans on Sept. 20, and SJO was able to celebrate a 25-20, 25-10 victory against rival Unity in Illini Prairie play.
Roesch supplied six kills, nine digs and two aces to lead the Spartans, while Immke added five kills and seven digs. Senior Mikyla Haley contributed 10 digs and two aces, while Hug handed out 14 assists to go along with seven digs and three aces.
Balance carries Spartans past Marshall
SJO picked up a 25-13, 25-9 home nonconference victory against Marshall on Sept. 19.
Roesch delivered a team-high eight kills along with five digs and three aces, while Williams landed seven kills and two aces.
Immke (five kills) and senior Josey Frerichs (four kills) also provided offense for the Spartans, with Hug (24 assists, three digs) and senior Emma Ward (four digs, two aces) making important plays in the win.
What’s next
A lengthy road trip west to Quincy awaits the Spartans this weekend, with SJO set to compete in the Quincy Invitational on Saturday.
Two more road matches are in store for the Spartans next week once they return from Quincy, with a 7 p.m. Illini Prairie match at Prairie Central next Tuesday night and a 6:30 p.m. nonconference match at Fisher next Wednesday night.
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