Girls volleyball: Coal City, Emma Rodriguez get past Streator in straight sets

STREATOR – The first time Coal City played Streator, in early September, the Coalers had to rally after losing the opening set to score a three-set, Illinois Central Eight Conference victory.

Tuesday at Pops Dale Gymnasium, the Coalers defeated Streator in two sets, albeit in a first set that saw the host Bulldog Spikers fight off seven set points and a second one that saw the teams tied into the 20s of an eventual 25-23, 25-22 Coal City victory.

Junior outside hitter Emma Rodriguez led the Coal City attack with hard-hit kills and multi-point stretches from the service line at all the right times, including a back-row winner during her own second-set service run that put the Coalers ahead by three after the score was tied at 20-apiece.

“I think we came out ready to go, ready to beat them,” said Rodriguez, who finished with 11 kills and eight digs along with each set’s decisive service run. “We showed on the court that we could finish in two strong, and when we started losing points we all just came together and talked it out, and we got where we needed to be.”

Rodriguez led an attack run by an impressive night from dual setters Aubrey Mellen (14 assists, six kills, six digs) and Makayla Henline (10 assists, five digs, two aces). Paige Walker added seven kills and seven digs, while libero Jadyn Shaw tallied 10 digs as the Coalers improved to 16-10-1 overall, 8-2 in the ICE.

“When things are going slow, she speeds up the game for us.”

—  Coal City volleyball coach Pam McMurtrey, on Emma Rodriguez

“Her team depends on her for that sometimes,” Coal City coach Pam McMurtrey said of Rodriguez’s key kills and service points peppered throughout the night. “When things are going slow, she speeds up the game for us.

“It was huge to get the first set. That’s what we’d talked about, because the last time we played [Streator], they got the first set. We just went in headstrong this time, way stronger in the head, and more confident as well.”

Streator was led by Sonia Proksa’s seven-kill performance. Sophia Pence and Mya Zavada added five kills apiece, Aubrey Jacobs had two blocks, Kora Lane had six digs, and libero Rilee Talty had a match-best 12 digs and 18 assists. Junior Emma Rambo, who last week broke the school record for assists in a season, added seven digs.

The Bulldog Spikers are now 16-7-1, 5-5.

“This has been our nemesis lately, digging ourselves a big hole,” Streator coach Julie Gabehart said. “We dug ourselves a 10-point hole at Reed-Custer the other day and came back and almost won it, and then tonight. We just have to find a way to play more consistent ball.

“We are playing some really good points, and then some really ugly points. We just have to find a way to play more consistent, but credit Coal City, too, because they are just very scrappy and hard to put the ball down against.”

Coal City took control of the opening set thanks to a six-point service run from Rodriguez, aided by Streator hitting error. The lead grew to 24-16 before an out-of-nowhere Bulldog Spikers rally that drew the hosts all the way back to 24-23. Proksa toed the service line during the run, with kills coming from Pence and Zavada.

Henline’s only kill of the night ended the comeback, however, and the second set was back and forth until Rodriguez’s aforementioned late run, which also included a Mellen kill, gave the Coalers control. Despite a late kill from Pence, there would be no further match-point rally from the Bulldog Spikers this time, and Coal City left with the ICE season sweep.

Coal City is scheduled to host Wilmington on Thursday. Streator will be back at The Pops on Thursday, hosting Peotone.