Cougars Volleyball sweeps own Tournament

Dane Parkhurst – ICC Harbinger

East Peoria, IL – Teams from around the midwest gathered at the CougarPlex Friday and Saturday for the Illinois Central College Volleyball Fall Tournament. The Cougars (6-3-
0) kicked off the tournament facing the South Eastern Iowa Blackhawks (4-8- 0).

ICC’s communication and floor positioning was a strong suit throughout the match. The Blackhawks never took lead over the Cougars in the first set. The Cougars ran into some serving trouble late in the set, but succeeded in holding on to the lead. ICC took the first set, 25-16.

The Cougars scored an uncontested four points out of the gate in set two. This would end up being the only lead for the Cougars the rest of the set. SEIA answered quickly with six scores in a row, and carried that momentum to the end of the set. Blackhawks libero Shaniah Paleafia made some impressive digs in the backcourt, allowing SEIA to hold on to the lead. They won the second set 25-17.

The best of five match was tied at one set each. Cougars libero Maria Alferova took care of the defensive side of play. ICC took an early lead and never looked back, taking the third set at another 25-16 score.

ICC got off to an 8-0 start in the fourth set, forcing SEIA to play catch up. Claire Milnes lead the Cougars with 16 kills and 6 aces, proving to be a true utility player for ICC. Outside hitter Mary O’brien had 3 kills in the fourth set, and ended up with 10 kills for the match. The Cougars in four sets with a 25-17 lead over the Blackhawks.

The Cougars would play the Millikin JV squad at 7 pm that night at Ramsey Gymnasium. ICC had no issue taking dominating all three sets this match. Winning the first set 25-13. The Cougars went on a 7 point run to end the set.

ICC had a rock solid second set, taking an early lead and staying impermeable at the net. Freshman Jessica Norris made some smart plays allowing the Cougars to run away with a substantial lead.

The ICC chemistry didn’t stop in the second set. They took the final set with ease, allowing only 8 points from the Millikin Big Blue. Claire Milnes racked up another 10 kills, making that 26 on the day.

The Cougars had a successful first day as the tournament host. ICC progressively got better as the day went on. Winning both games, and scheduled for two more the next day.

ICC would face off against Lake Land the next morning at 10 am. The Cougars took the first set with ease, allowing only 10 points from the Lakers. This would be followed by yet another 10 point set from the Lakers, as ICC dominated the offensive game. Claire Milnes already had 10 kills through the first two sets.

ICC advanced into the last set looking for a sweep. They succeeded but not without putting up a fight. This set consisted of many lead changes but the Cougars held on to win 25-17.

The final match-up of the tournament came at 2 pm Saturday. The 8th ranked ICC Cougars battled the 7th ranked Lincoln Land Loggers. This was easily the most competitive match of the tournament as both teams had not faced a loss yet. ICC came out strong, taking the first set 25-16. The second set was neck and neck until the final 5 points from ICC. Freshman Jodi Daniel had a few notable serves in the final 5 points which carried the Cougars to win the second set 25-20. In the third set ICC ran away with a lead early on. Cougar outside hitter Amanda Pratt scored two aces in the final set and ended up with 4 aces overall. Claire Milnes continued her aggressive play with another 9 kills in the final match, giving her 42 kills throughout the tournament. The Cougars won the final set by a staggering score of 25-11, making them undefeated in the tournament.

The Cougars next game is September 21st at 6 pm against Lincoln College.

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