Volleyball: Woodland opens season with 2-set win over Streator

STREATOR – Although the Woodland and Streator volleyball programs finished a shortened spring season about four months ago, there were plenty of nerves as the teams began the the 2021 fall campaign at Pops Dale Gymnasium on Monday night.

Each team showed flashes of what their fans can expect this season in the two sets, but there also were stretches that each struggled to find its way.

In the end, the visiting Warriors were able to make key plays and score points late to claim the 25-22, 25-21 win over the Bulldogs.

“I feel we didn’t play our best, but we were very, very scrappy. There is a lot that we have to clean up, but I think the nerves of a first match and playing our crosstown rival kind of got to us at times.”

—  Woodland coach Michelle Pitte

“I feel we didn’t play our best, but we were very, very scrappy,” Woodland coach Michelle Pitte said. “There is a lot that we have to clean up, but I think the nerves of a first match and playing our crosstown rival kind of got to us at times. We saw things that we need to work on improving, and we will.

“Our seniors do a great job of keeping the team pumped up, but setter Shae Simons was our spark tonight. When she was on the floor, we were a much sharper team.”

Woodland (1-0) was led by six kills from Ella Sibert, followed by four from Clara Downey and three each from Kaleigh Benner and Cloee Johnston. Downey had a trio of aces, while Jena Easton and Simons added two. Benner had six service points, with Easton, Simons and Downey collecting five each.

Streator (0-1) was paced by six kills from Mallory Goerne, four from Hannah Rambo and three from Ellie Isermann. Natalie Williams registered a game-high nine service points and Goerne four, with Rambo recording a pair of aces.

“We didn’t have our A game tonight and didn’t play like ourselves,” Streator coach Julie Gabehart said. “We were very hesitant and very timid. Woodland runs a little bit slower offense than we are used to, and I think our girls had a tough time adjusting to that pace. We tried playing to that pace and lost sight of the pace we want to play at.

“We just have to have a short memory. This was one match, first match, it’s not conference, and it’s over and done with. We need to let it go, move on and be ready to play Dwight.”

Woodland began the season with back-to-back aces from Easton and held leads of 8-3, 15-7 and 16-10. Streator reeled off 11 of the next 13 points – with mini service runs from Williams, Isermann and Goerne – to lead 21-18. From there the Warriors closed out the set by scoring seven of the final eight points, including an ace from Downey and a right-side kill from Emma Highland.

“I felt our two new middle blockers played well for their first varsity match,” said Gabehart of sophomores Devin Elias and Alexa Jacobs. “They both were able to adjust to the slower setting that Woodland runs and get their hands on a lot of attacks. I also though Mallory Goerne stepped up and kind of took things over in the second set to get us back in it, but we just weren’t able to get the ball to her more consistently.”

The second set again saw Woodland jump early leads at 5-1 and 13-10, but Streator on aces from Leilani Zavada and Rambo, plus kills from Isermann and Goerne, held a 18-17 lead. However, from there the home team committed four hitting errors, while Woodland received an ace from Downey and kills from Johnston and Sibert to help close things out.

“There are plenty of plusses and minuses coming off the short season, but our motto is focus on one point at a time,” Pitte said. “We talk all the time about letting the last point go and move on, that things aren’t always going to go our way. Tonight I thought we did a pretty good job of that, especially in the final points of each set.”

Both teams are back in action Tuesday, Woodland traveling to take on Flanagan-Cornell at 6:30 p.m., while Streator hosts Dwight at 6 p.m.