Mahomet-Seymour Volleyball defeats Effingham for Regional Championship
By Fred Kroner
The top-seeded Bulldogs had a successful start to their postseason on Saturday (March 13), overpowering fourth-seeded Charleston in an IESA Class 4A regional semifinal match at home, 25-7, 25-10.
The 17 points allowed was the third-fewest against the team this year.
The Bulldogs took control from the outset, scoring the first 10 points of the match.
M-S had a number of key contributors.
Addi Eisenmann (six kills), Talia Francom (five kills), Elle Barker (four kills), Kylie Waldinger (two kills), Grace Binkley (two kills) and Alayna Kinney (two kills) led the offensive thrust.
The leaders from the service line included Ellie Dallas (seven aces), Elana Religioso (six aces) and Emma Frazier (two aces). Eisenmann, Barker and Kinney each landed one ace.
On Monday (March 15), the top-seeded Bulldogs dispatched second-seeded Effingham, 25-10, 25-14, in the regional title match.
The win marked the 12th two-set sweep for M-S this season and enabled the team to cap an 8-0 home record, each of which was achieved in two sets.
M-S zoomed into an 8-1 lead in the first set. In the second set, the Bulldogs needed to overcome a 2-1 deficit, but quickly took control and cruised to an 11-point win to secure the championship.
Francom pounded a team-high eight kills. Eisenmann and Barker each registered six kills. Barker’s final kill came on match point.
Waldinger totaled three kills. Binkley and Dallas each posted two kills. Religioso wound up with one kill.
Eisenmann was the leader from the service line with four aces. Kinney contributed three aces and Dallas had two. Barker served one ace.
Four players were credited with one block: Binkley, Dallas, Francom and Waldinger.
M-S (13-1) will try to extend its four-match winning streak on Thursday (March 18) in the season-ending sectional championship match against Champaign Edison, which was a No. 1 seed in a regional it hosted.
When the schools played in the regular season, M-S won in straight sets.
