Seventh-seeded Dixon stuns top-seeded La Salle-Peru 3A Dixon Regional semifinal

DIXON – La Salle-Peru junior Kelsey Frederick ripped a hard spike into the middle of the Dixon defense that appeared destined to be a Cavalier point.

But Dixon junior Leah Carlson popped it up.

“It was just mechanics and the want to win,” Carlson said.

Junior teammate Morgan Hargrave leapt up and slammed the ball onto the L-P side.

“I saw the ball and was just thinking about what I needed to do to get it in,” Hargrave said. “I wasn’t going to play scared.”

Hargrave’s spike found the floor to put an exclamation point on the No. 7-seeded Duchesses’ 25-16, 25-20 upset of the top-seeded Cavaliers in a Class 3A Dixon Regional semifinal Tuesday.

“When the ball was down, it felt great. It really did,” Hargrave said. “I feel like going in people were underestimating us. Coach (Bunyan Cocar) said we’re going to play with house money, we’re going to play loose and we’re going to have fun. And I think we did exactly that.”

The large Dixon crowd erupted, and the Duchesses’ other players rushed off the bench in celebration.

“It was amazing,” Carlson said. “The crowd was the biggest we’ve ever had. The energy was good. Our team morale was amazing.”

The Duchesses (22-14) advance to play No. 5 Morris (19-16-1) in the regional championship at 6 p.m. Thursday. Fifth-seeded Morris defeated No. 4 Sterling 25-21, 25-19 in Tuesday’s second semifinal.

“I expect a battle, but I expect us to play like we did tonight now that we know we can play to this level,” Cocar said. “I expect to win a regional. I think it’s going to be tough. We’re going to scout them, practice [Wednesday] and see what happens Thursday.”

Dixon, which lost in a regional quarterfinal last season, last won a regional in 2022 – also on its home court.

“It’s pretty historic,” Cocar said. “We don’t do this too often. Beating L-P being the seventh-seeded team and them being the one, it took every effort. Every point we had to be very focused. We didn’t have any lulls. Sometimes we build a lead and let the other team back into it, but we were consistent all night.

“I think it was key to just keep the pressure on them. We didn’t let them get on too many runs, where we got a couple from Morgan. We kept going and didn’t relent.”

The Cavaliers bow out at 28-6.

“I thought we played very hard,” L-P coach Mark Haberkorn said. “We battled all the way until the end. Dixon just seemed to pick up everything tonight. Give them credit for their defense. We did a lot of things right, but we just fell a little short.

“The first set they got a lead on us and we had a hard time. We came back, then they made the last run at the end. The second set it was close all the way, and again they made a run. We just couldn’t finish tonight. They got momentum. Sometimes that’s the way the game goes.”

The Cavs scored the first three points of the night, but Dixon rallied to tie it at 4 on a block by Solis Thompson before Makenzie Toms served an ace to give the Duchesses the lead for good at 5-4.

Dixon kept extending the lead until the Cavs called timeout following back-to-back aces by Hargrave that made it 17-11.

But after the break, Hargrave served three more points to make it 20-11. L-P made a late push on two kills and a block by Aubrey Duttlinger, but a service error ended the set.

Neither team led by more than three points in the second set until a serve by Hargrave tipped the net and fell for an ace and a 20-16 Dixon lead, forcing L-P to call its second timeout.

Toms scored a point on a push and Izzy Queckboerner followed with a kill to make it 23-18. The Duchesses hit the ball out on back-to-back volleys before an L-P error and Hargrave’s kill ended it.

“Every ball was a great pass,” Hargrave said. “Our setters were having a great night. Our hitters were too. I think all around we had a great night.”

Carlson had 15 assists, seven digs, four kills and a block for Dixon; Mady Tichler had nine digs, eight kills and a block; and Hargrave had 15 digs, six kills, three aces and a block.

For the Cavs, who had to switch to a 5-1 formation because of an injury to setter Carly Garretson, Duttlinger had 10 kills and nine digs, Emma Jereb had 18 assists, Callie Mertes had nine digs and nine points, and Ava Currie finished with five kills and two blocks.

“Last week we played as well as we played all year, then we had to switch to a 5-1,” Haberkorn said. “We didn’t have a lot of time to practice, but no excuses. Next player up is the way it goes. We adjusted, but it was a night where we got close but just couldn’t finish.”

Despite the early postseason exit, Haberkorn was pleased with the season, which included winning the Interstate 8 Conference and the Springfield Lutheran Tournament.

“We had a tremendous season,” Haberkorn said. “Our girls played hard. I’m proud of our effort tonight and in the season we had. We’re really going to miss our seven seniors. They did an outstanding job this year with their leadership.”

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Dixon’s Madyson Tichler goes up for a kill against L-P Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at the class 3A regional semifinal in Dixon. (Alex T. Paschal)