The Wildcats head to downtown Naperville into Redhawks territory for tonight’s exciting girls volleyball matchup. Naperville Central stands ready to put up a fight against the visiting Neuqua Valley. As the season comes closer to its end, chances for DVC victory start to dwindle, and both teams need to pull out the win tonight to keep the momentum going. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The first set starts close with a battle of defense
Let’s start the game off with the 5th serve of the night, coming from Central’s Kaylee Buda. Neuqua Valley is ready to send the ball over, only to be met with a big block from Sophia Svingen and Annabell Kritzer. The red and white take the early lead 4-1.
Sophia Svingen goes from blocking in the front row to serving at the end line, and serve placement doesn’t get much better than that. Svingen scores an ace for Naperville Central and goes on an amazing serving run to give her team a commanding lead of 12-3 in the first set.
Neuqua Valley gets the ball for a good run of their own, but Naperville Central still leads 18-10. Off a Neuqua serve, Buda passes to Alexa Novak, who sets to Sophie Riddell, and it’s a big swing to center court from Riddell. Number ten pushes the score to 19-10, Central leads.
Neuqua Valley does not stop fighting for this set. Here’s Alexis Cioffi serving, and it’s a great float that finds the seam for the wildcats to get an ace of their own.
Shortly after, we have Svingen on the serve again, and Alexandra Durkin passes to Tatum Kelly with a delivery to Addison Frisby. It’s a fantastic swing over the block from Frisby, and the ball is kept alive, but not sent over, and it’s a point for Neuqua Valley. They now trail 20-13.
The Wildcats claw their way back and now only trail by five. Redhawk Zoey Horn serves, and Neuqua Valley sends the ball to Durkin again for a fierce swing, but Horn gets a great diving pass to keep it alive, and Caroline Impey sends it back over. This time, Durkin goes for a roll shot to catch Central out of system, and Novak sets up Kritzer for the tip. A great up by Anamaria Aldea for the cats, and a fantastic play tight at the net by Erin Ulger sees Kelly sending it over. Another out-of-system ball goes to Impey, and Neuqua Valley sets up Kelly one more time, and she puts it away for a Neuqua point after a long rally.
Neuqua Valley gets a small comeback at the end of the first set, but it’s not enough, and set one goes to Naperville Central 25-18.
The score is close in set two, and that’s Wildcat Seanna Larbi with a powerhouse block. Naperville Central sends it back, and Katie Weiss keeps it alive for Neuqua and Durkin’s swing over the net. In Redhawk territory, Riddell jumps and secures the point with a shot to cross court. That’s going to bring the score to 6-4 Redhawks as they begin to gain traction.
Naperville Central has the serve and Larbi passes to Kelly, who sets it for a great Durkin swing, blocked by Riddell picked up by Frisby, and sent over the net. Buda passes and Novak with a backset to Kritzer for a big kill. Great run by the front row, and Naperville Central now leads 7-4.
Neuqua once again does not give up the fight, and here’s Durkin with an ace to tie the game at nines.
Naperville Central takes down Neuqua Valley
Naperville Central with the serve, Aldea passes to Ulger, who sets to Kelly, and she swings hard off the block for a point.
Central with the serve again, some out-of-system play sees both sides of the net unable to execute the point. But this time, instead of a big swing from the Wildcats, it’s Svingen at the net for a major kill that finds the floor kill cross-court.
Svingen now serves for Central, and it’s passed by Ariana Owiti for the cats, then Kelly and Frisby send it over. The ball goes to Monteith, and then Neuqua’s Anamaria Aldea keeps it alive so Durkin can tip it over. Svingen with the pass, and Novak palms it up for Buda to send it over for some stellar scrappy defense! The Wildcats swing from the middle, but the Redhawks block from Novak and Kritzer end the rally, and end the game.
Naperville Central earns the victory in game two, with a final score of 25-15, Redhawks and that ends the night. This faceoff between Naperville Central and Neuqua Valley is over in two sets. Naperville Central’s next match will be against Naperville North.
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