(Sugar Grove, IL) –Waubonsee Community College women's volleyball team swept McHenry County College in three straight games to win their 2025 home opener. The Chiefs (4-5, 1-0) took the opener 25-16 and held on for a 25-23 in game two. Waubonsee then finished off the Scots (1-5, 0-2) by taking game three 25-17 to win the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference match-up in the Chiefs' Field House.
Waubonsee got the first point of the match when the Scots initial return shot sailed well beyond the endline. Adrianna Larsen then scored an emphatic kill from the left side and Ashley Collins booked a service ace to get the Chiefs out to a quick 3-0 lead in game one. The set was tied at 7-all after Collins smashed a spike down the left sideline. Neither team was able to build more than a two-point lead. A tandem block by Larsen and Makayla McNally then helped spark Waubonsee to a 14-10 lead. A drop shot by Kailey Ramirez for a point and an ace by Sarah Boness pushed the lead to 19-13 and prompted a timeout from McHenry County head coach Kyle McCal. A spike by Collins extended the lead to 22-14 the Scots booked the next two points. Larsen then hammered a kill from the middle of the net as the Chiefs moved to close out the first set. A block by Larsen set up game point for Waubonsee and Lejla Dulan finished it off with an ace for a 25-16 victory.
Game two was deadlocked at 3-all after the Scots committed three service errors. The point finally went to the Chiefs on a long volley as the Scots made another miscue to give Waubonsee a 7-4 lead. An ace by Dulan pushed the lead to 11-5 and Collins added to it with another kill a moment later. McCall asked for another timeout after McHenry continued to make mistakes allowing the Chiefs to build a 14-6 advantage. A two-handed slam at the net by Larsen provided another highlight for Waubonsee before the Scots reeled off six straight points to pull within 16-13. That streak was broken when Larsen made an amazing over the head save that sneaked over the net across the court. Not much later an ace by Boness built the lead back up to 20-14. A return error by McHenry made it 23-17 as Waubonsee was poised to take a commanding two games to none lead. However, the Scots again rallied and pulled within two at 23-21. Larsen then put a stop to McHenry's comeback with a resounding kill from the left side to set the Chiefs up for game point. A net violation on Waubonsee and an ace by McHenry's Courtney Komperda suddenly made it a one-point game. But a net violation by the Scots a moment later ended the game as the home team pulled out a 25-23 victory.
Waubonsee took an early 3-1 lead in the third set highlighted by a service ace by Larsen. The Chiefs then took control and extended the lead to 8-2. McHenry cut that deficit in half as they got to within 10-7 on an ace by Kaitlyn Mullen. The Scots got within 11-10 before Collins scored a powerful spike to the delight of the home crowd. The game remained tightly contest until an ace by Boness put Waubonsee in front 16-13. The Chiefs built the lead up to 21-14 as they looked to complete the sweep. A power kill from the left side by Collins followed by a tandem block by Larsen and Molly Fitzgerald got Waubonsee within match point. The Chiefs finished off a 25-17 win when a kill shot went off a Scots player and out of bounds to end it.
Larsen and Collins led the way for Waubonsee's young squad. Larsen, a freshman from Newark High School, registered nine kills and three blocks. Collins, a freshman from Aurora Central Catholic High School, booked eight kills, 12 assists and three service aces. Boness tallied seven aces, while Lexi Jacquez was credited with 18 digs. Waubonsee is on the road this weekend as they travel to Parkland College in Champaign to take on the Cobras and Danville Area (IL) Community College in a tri-match. Coach Steve Kish's Chiefs return home next Monday, September 8, to host Kishwaukee College. The match against the Kougars is set to begin at 6:00 p.m.
