By Jim Beers
CHESTER – Chester High School hosted Red Bud in a Cahokia Conference match-up Thursday September 12 at CHS Colbert Gymnasium on Rocky Bridges Court.
The Volleyball Lady Jackets competed at all three levels starting with the Freshmen, followed by the Junior Varsity and the Night Cap featuring the Varsity teams.
FRESHMEN
The freshmen started the evening of volleyball at 5:00 p.m. The rookies includee Addy Jany, Ashely Garcia-Sanchez, Hannah Crow, Jaden Bert, Kaylin Jany, Maci Ahring, Marlie Caby, Taelyn Cleland, Taylor Korando, Vanessa Greene, and Kenna Thompson. Head Coach Colleen Runge and JV Coach Reese Chandler coach the freshmen squad.
The freshmen battled hard and played well, but fell to the Lady Musketeers in two sets. Red Bud won Set 1: 21-17 and Set 2: 21-15.
JUNIOR VARSITY
The Junior Varsity started approximately 15-minutes following the conclusion of the Freshmen match. The JV team includes Joella Eggemeyer, Avery Hasemeyer, Aubrey Colvis, Aleah Eggemeyer, Peyton Parker, Hailey Yankey, Brooke Howie, Ava Bert, and Taylor Korando. The JV is coached by Reese Chandler.
The JV played well and made several runs on the Lady Musketeers in both sets, but Red Bud made the difference when it counted to win both sets. Set 1 was a 6-point spread with Red Bud winning, 25-19. The second and final set was not quite as close with the Lady Musketeers taking both the set as well as the match by a score of 25-16.
VARSITY
The Varsity match started at approximately 7:45 p.m. There was a nice crowd on both sides of Colbert Gymnasium, but most impressive was the turnout of about 75 students that positioned themselves courtside on Chester’s east side of the floor.
The student group, formerly known as the Pep Club, is now renamed “The HIVE”. They are sponsored and managed by CHS teacher, Cheri Diercks-Boyd. The “HIVE” was on hand to support the Volleyball Jackets throughout the evening. This support and spirit group, made up of predominately CHS Football players, was on their feet all night and provided spirited, very sportsmanship-like support for the girls through thick-and-thin.
The Varsity Lady Jackets include Olivia Earl, Gianna Eggemeyer, Elaina Lutman, Maggie Caby, Lexi Mott, Erin Liefer, Camryn Wolff, Joella Eggemeyer, Avery Hasemeyer, Aubrey Colvis, and Aleah Eggemeyer. The Varsity is coached by Colleen Runge. She is assisted by Reese Chandler.
Set 1: Red Bud 25 – Chester 22
Set 1 was close, exciting and very competitive. Red Bud led marginally early, but the Jackets tied the match 10-10. Chester led, 11-10 but lost the lead on the next serve. After that brief lead, the Lady Jackets managed to tie the match four more times, 12-12, 13-13, 14-14, and 15-15.
Red Bud got the lead, 16-15, and managed to stay just ahead of Chester the remainder of the first set. The Lady Jackets stayed within striking distance the rest of the match behind the serving of Camryn Wolff.
CHS got within one point twice, 17-16 and 23-22, and two points once, 24-22, but could not make the stops when needed to catch the Musketeers down the stretch. The Lady Musketeers were on top in the end, 25-22 to win the opening set.
Set 2: Red Bud 25-Chester 21
Set 2 was equally close and exciting. The Jackets started off the set with an opening 1-0 lead, but let the Lady Musketeers go on a 5-0 run to take a 5-1 lead over the Jackets. That run would prove to be the doom of Chester down the stretch.
The game then went into a see-saw, back-and-forth battle throughout the rest of the set. The score was tied 10 times with much suspense and excitement in Colbert Gym as both teams traded leads.
The ties were at 1-1, 6-6, 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, 12-12, 13-13, 14-14, 15-15, and 17-17, before Red Bud slowly slipped away with a lasting 4-point lead. Red Bud’s 4-point lead early at 5-1 was the biggest lead of the match for either team.
Chester had a second short run behind Lexi Mott’s serving to lead, 7-6, 8-6, and 8-7, before Red Bud stopped the run with an 8-8 tie. CHS never led the remainder of the match.
The score was just a 1-point difference 15 times in the set at 1-0, 5-6, 7-6, 8-6, 8-7, 9-10, 10-11, 11-12, 12-13, 13-14, 14-15, 15-16, 17-18, 18-19, and 19-20. The Jackets were on top of those one-point leads four times. The advantage was to the Lady Musketeers the other 11 times.
In the final seven serves, Red Bud led by three points twice. Chester got within two points twice, but ended up losing by four, 25-21.
The Lady Jackets will travel to Benton Saturday September 14 to compete in the Benton Tournament. Chester will host Waterloo Gibault Catholic Wednesday September 18 at CHS Colbert Gym and they will travel to Sparta Thursday September 19.
Elaina Lutman (2) waits for the ball to come down to her while Aubrey Colvis (15), Erin Liefer (7), and Camryn Wolff (22) watch to see the result in the Lady Jackets varsity match vs Red Bud Thursday September 12 at CHS Colbert Gym. Jim Beers Photo
The Chester High School student body pep club, otherwise known as the “HIVE”, awaits the arrival of the Lady Jacket Varsity Volleyball Team Thursday September 12 when CHS hosted Red Bud. This was a Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division match featuring the Lady Jackets and the Lady Musketeers. Jim Beers Photo