We’re at Bolingbrook High School for the IHSA girls volleyball 4A regional semifinals between the number 11 seed Andrew Thunderbolts and the number 6 seed Waubonsie Valley Warriors. The Thunderbolts enter tonight’s matchup coming off a win against University High School Chicago. The Warriors look to rebound after a loss to Naperville Central in their regular-season finale and make a deep postseason run. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The Warriors cruise in the opening set
It’s 3-2 Warriors as the Thunderbolts get set to serve. Katelin Simms buries a ball over the net as the Warriors can’t get to it, and Andrew scores to tie the opening set.
Waubonsie Valley gets set to serve now as Hannah Krause launches the ball over the net. We go back and forth between the two sides as Hailee Pietryk sets up Addi Candrian, and she crushes the kill to extend Waubonsie’s lead to 6-4.
The Warriors look to extend their lead as Pietryk serves. The Thunderbolts get set up to play as Cara Pluhar connects with Ava Oftedahl, who hits it to record a point for the black and yellow. But the Bolts trail by six.
The Thunderbolts continue to push on as Taryn Mondragon sends this over the net. Olivia O’Hara passes it to Chloe Gollaher, and she sends it the other way. Mondragon sets up Kodi Campbell for the kill, but Kathryn Travis knocks it down for a point for the green and gold. The Warriors are pulling away with a double-digit lead.
Match point for Waubonsie Valley here in the first set. The Thunderbolts try to stay alive in this one, but Lainey Pranckus sends this ball out of bounds, and the Warriors take the first set 25-13.
Waubonsie and Andrew keep it close in set two
We go to the second set, where the Warriors are off to a good start here with a 3 to 1 lead. O’Hara sets up Gollaher as she knocks the ball over. The Thunderbolts look set to strike, but as Simms goes up, the Waubonsie duo of Travis and Belle Black knocks the ball over the net for the point. Waubonsie takes a three-point lead.
O’Hara delivers a nice serve over the net for the green and gold. However, Campbell serves this to the other side for a kill and a point for Andrew. It’s now a 7 to 4 game.
Emma Smola serves the ball for Andrew and sends it over the net. Ava Morton sets up O’Hara, and she buries it for a point for Waubosie to make it 8 to 4.
The Warriors lead by six at one point, but Andrew starts clawing their way back. Oftedahl delivers a kill for the Thunderbolts to make it 22-17.
The Warriors and Thunderbolts keep going at it here in the second set in this close battle between these two sides as they continue to battle. Pluhar connects with Erika Wojciak, and she delivers a clutch kill to keep the Bolts alive as they trail 23-20.
Wojciak serves for Andrew as the Warriors look to get set on the other end of the net. O’Hara passes it to Gollaher, and she crushes this ball for the kill to inch the Warriors closer to taking the second set and moving on.
The Warriors hang on and advance to the regional final
Travis gets set to serve for match point for the Warriors. However, as the ball crosses the net, the Thunderbolts get called for a serving fault violation, and Waubonsie Valley takes the point to win the second set 25-20. The Warriors stay hot and will move on to the regional championship match to face Bolingbrook on Thursday.
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