December 15, 2024
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Girls Volleyball: Yorkville Christian ruled ineligible for playoffs after exceeding limit of regular-season matches

By Joshua Welge

Yorkville Christian celebrates a point during volleyball game between Westminster Christian at Yorkville Christian. Yorkville Christian has been ruled ineligible to play in the IHSA postseason for exceeding the limit of regular-season matches allowable. (Gary E Duncan Sr for Shaw Local)

Yorkville Christian has been ruled ineligible for the IHSA volleyball playoffs for exceeding the limit of 35 regular-season matches in the regular season.

The IHSA notified Yorkville Christian of its ruling in a letter sent to the athletic office on Friday.

IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in the letter that he had concluded that Yorkville Christian competed in 36 contests this season, which exceeds the limit of 35 and is in violation of IHSA By-law 5.322.

On the basis of this information, Anderson said in the letter that Yorkville Christian is required to forfeit the game that exceeded the 35 games, and is ineligible for the postseason. In addition, Yorkville Christian is required to submit a written plan by Nov. 4 detailing corrective measures it will take to make sure the school is in compliance with IHSA By-law 5.000.

The letter further states that under the provision of IHSA By-law 6.010, Yorkville Christian is placed on probation until October 21, 2023.

“At the end of the day it falls on my feet. The unfortunate thing about it is the girls are being punished,” Yorkville Christian athletic director Aaron Sovern said. “That’s the beef I have with it. The [IHSA] is supposed to be about the kids. If anything the school or myself should be punished.”

Yorkville Christian had earned the No. 2 seed in the Sub-Sectional A of the Class 1A Forreston Sectional. The Mustangs, who had a 25-10-1 record during the regular season, were scheduled to play Leland in its regional opener on Monday at Aurora Christian. Leland has subsequently been awarded a forfeit win.

Sovern said he offered to the IHSA to suspend him, and he even offered to submit his resignation to the school board as an alternative to the punishment handed down.

“I was told that ‘Aaron, you can talk all day, but it is what it is.’ It’s a mistake I wish wasn’t made,” Sovern said. “I wanted our girls to have the opportunity to play. They didn’t do anything wrong.”