L-P plays ‘as good as we’ve played’ in first set in sweep of Sycamore

In the first set Tuesday, everything was clicking for the La Salle-Peru volleyball team.

The second set wasn’t as dominant, but the Cavaliers never trailed as they beat Sycamore 25-8, 26-24 in an Interstate 8 Conference match in La Salle.

“I thought the first set we played very, very well,” L-P coach Mark Haberkorn said. “That’s probably as good as we’ve played all year. We were clicking offensively and defensively. There wasn’t one phase of the game I would say we struggled. Everything seemed to be smooth as can be. The second set we’d go up and they’d make a run at us then we’d go up and they’d make a run at us. It was a very competitive set all the way through. We just couldn’t seem to get that one big run. Give credit to Sycamore, they played very hard.

“Things were so easy in set one. We struggled just a little bit in set two. It’s the time of year where we need to play two or three sets at a high level with regional right around the corner.”

In the first set, Emma Jereb went on a seven-point service run - which included two thunderous kills by Aubrey Duttlinger - to push L-P’s lead to 11-3.

The Cavs closed on a 12-1 run, including a six-point ending surge at the service line by Jereb that included two kills by Anna Riva and a block and a kill from Ava Currie.

“The first set we came out really strong,” Currie said. “I think our energy and determination to win (was key to the first set).”

L-P was dominant in the middle as Currie slammed down a team-best seven kills and had two blocks, while Kelsey Frederick had a kill and a team-high three blocks.

“A lot of teams don’t go to the middle,” Haberkorn said. “We go to the middle a lot. With (Currie) and Kelsey, we’re fortunate to have two good middles. That just makes everybody else have a lot easier time on the offense.”

The Cavs took the lead right out of the gate in the second set and never trailed, but it was tied four times and L-P never led by more than five points.

L-P reached match point up 24-20, but the Spartans rallied with two kills by Khiara Thomas, an ace by Eleanor Klacik and an L-P error to tie it at 24.

“I think the first set we were very lax and not intentional with every time we touched the ball, but I thought the second set we were more intentional that we sideout out of serve receive faster, not allowing them to pump as many points as we let them do in the first set,” Sycamore coach Jennifer Charles said. “I think we had a sense of urgency. I think we were playing low and we needed to play high. We just needed to expose some of their weaknesses and we were able to do that in set two.”

After Sycamore tied the second set at 24, the Cavs went to Currie twice.

The senior middle pounded a kill down straight to the floor untouched then slammed a kill off a Sycamore block to end the match.

“It’s kind of scary when it’s that close, but when you get the last point, it’s always such a rewarding feeling,” Currie said.

Riva had five kills, Duttlinger had five digs, four kills and two blocks, Jereb finished with 12 points, seven assists and six digs and Carly Garretson contributed 13 points and seven assists for L-P (22-2, 6-1 I8), which plays at rival Ottawa on Thursday.

For Sycamore (8-16, 3-5), Kylie Walsh put down seven kills and Thomas had six.

“I thought Kylie Walsh had a fantastic night,” Charles said. “We had her switch positions going from the right side to outside and kind of stepping into that leadership role because we lost our other senior outside (Ava Carpenter). She did a very good job of working her shots and staying present on the floor.”