IMSA overpowers LaMoille in Little Ten play

LAMOILLE - LaMoille was able to make some runs against the Illinois Math & Science Academy in each set Thursday at Dean R. Madsen Gymnasium, but in the end the Titans proved too much for the host Lions.

The Titans (18-13) overpowered the Lions early in the first set on the way to a 25-15 win and followed up with 25-16 win in the nitecap for the Little Ten Conference victory.

“Our girls have come a long way throughout the season. Every game it always seems we get better,” sakid LaMoille coach Erin Bennett, a 2015 LHS alum. “There was definitely pros and cons to each game, but all we can do is learn from those mistakes and push forward.”

If Amani Harrington wasn’t serving up aces, Tyra Church was putting down kills to stake IMSA to a 12-1 lead in the opening set on the strength of a 9-0 run and seven aces.

LaMoille’s Grace Kelly ended the IMSA run with a kill and then recorded an ace when the Titans allowed it to drop in, to make it 12-3.

The Titans ran off five straight to take their lead to 17-3 only to have the Lions respond with a 7-0 run.

Senior Claire Lovgren, playing her last match in the Lions’ Den, got the Lions started with a push shot and a kill. Olivia Sadnick served up an ace before Lovgren struck again to bring the Lions within 17-10.

IMSA scored six out of the next eight points and eight out of the final 13 points for the 25-15 win, finishing the set with eight aces.

“They had lots of good serves, lots of good aces, lot of good sets. The digs were there, and that way the setter could set up good passers to their hitters,” Bennett said.

Taylor Wamhoff kept LaMoille (2-24) in the second set following a Lovgren kill with two aces to serve the Lions to a 9-8 lead.

The Titans got two more aces in a 10-2 run to take an 18-11 lead. Lovgren got another kill in, but the Titans served up two more aces on the way to a 25-16 win.

Lovgren finished with a team-high four kills and had nine digs along with Ella Ryan. Also for LaMoille, Sadie Quest had eight digs, two kills and seven assists, Sadnick had eight digs, Grace Kelly had two aces, three kills and three digs, Taylor Wamhoff had two aces and three digs and Chloe Williams had eight digs.

The Lions will return to action in the Class 1A St. Bede Regional at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Putnam County.

“I think everyone’s ready for regionals and move on to the next round hopefully and take it from there,” Bennett said.