Girls volleyball: Richmond-Burton knocks off Woodstock in KRC opener

WOODSTOCK – Richmond-Burton’s volleyball team trailed 17-10 and looked on the verge of dropping the first set against Woodstock before finding its rhythm.

The Rockets came all the way back, winning a close first set and finishing a 26-24, 25-19 sweep against the Blue Streaks in the Kishwaukee River Conference opener for both teams Wednesday at James M. Shipley Memorial Gymnasium.

“We were swinging more, just playing smart and really pushing ourselves,” senior Kaitlyn Lehecka said of turning the match around after a slow start. “We had a lot more energy on the court and we were a lot more confident.”

Junior outside hitter Maggie Uhwat and sophomore outside hitter Elissa Furlan (two aces) both had a team-high seven kills to lead the Rockets, while Lehecka added four kills and an ace. Alexandra Hopp chipped in 17 assists and two kills.

Uhwat tallied back-to-back kills in the first set to cut Woodstock’s lead to 19-18, and Furlan gave the Rockets their first lead of the match at 20-19 with one of her two aces.

Hopp had a kill and a block during a key stretch late in the set to give R-B a 23-20 lead. After the teams were tied at 24, the Rockets won on a kill by Uhwat and a net violation by the Streaks.

Uhwat, who had four kills in the opening set, said she was trying to put away the ball without the Streaks touching it.

“I really try to hit it without it getting touched, that’s what I like,” Uhwat said. “Just hit the floor. When it’s a great set and a great hit, it feels awesome. I love it.”

Richmond-Burton coach Mike Kamholz said Uhwat, a three-year starter for the Rockets, has grown a lot since her freshman year.

“In just two years, she’s really matured,” Kamholz said. “She’s a lot stronger at the net, and she’s just a lot stronger with everything she’s trying to do. She’s a lot more confident.”

R-B (3-1, 1-0 KRC) tied for third in the KRC last season but was only two losses behind conference champion Woodstock North. The Rockets believe they can finish this year on top.

“I think we’re capable of winning a regional this year and maybe even getting to state,” Uhwat said. “We’ve already started out this year better than we ended last season. Winning that first [conference match] is really good for our morale.”

Woodstock (2-3-1, 0-1) was led by junior Hallie Steponaitis with six kills and Allison O’Brien with three. Ella Wicker (12 assists) and Ella White both had two aces, and Julia Laidig had two kills and an ace.

Woodstock coach Jimmy Neill was proud of his team for putting up a fight against a more experienced Rockets team.

“I was super proud of their effort,” Neill said. “They’ve got two studs on the outside [Uhwat and Furlan], and for us to compete with them and have the opportunity to win the first set, that’s really big. We may take our lumps early, but if we continue to learn every match and trust the process, I think we’ll be pretty good by the end of the year.”

R-B plays Rockford Lutheran on Thursday and will compete in the Grayslake Central Ram Slam Tournament this weekend before returning to KRC play next week against Marengo.

“I feel like we’ve started out a lot stronger than we did last year,” Lehecka said. “As a team, we’re doing really well, and I think we have a lot more room to grow still. We’re capable of a lot more. If we keep up our energy and our confidence, I think we’ll go far.”