Stew-Stras Heads To State, St. A Falls in Super-Sectional

Members of the Stewardson-Strasburg volleyball team are, front row, left to right, Brittani Tabbert, Morgan Stremming, Sarah Locke, Baylee Quast and Lindsay Burton. Back row, left to right, Nick Hartke, Coach Ronda Schlechte, Clara Kaufman, Jill Conder, Kendall Knop, Becca Schlechte, Olivia Gratz, Assistant Diane Jack and Tammy Manhart.

NOTE: You'll be able to watch the games live online, via IHSA TV, at this link (scroll towards the bottom of the page for current games).

NOKOMIS -- Stewardson-Strasburg is headed to the Class 1A State Volleyball Tournament after winning the Nokomis Super-Sectional Saturday evening.

Stew-Stras won the opener over Liberty 25-20. But Liberty came back with a 26-24 win to knot the match. The Comets then went out at 25-18 to claim the super-sectional. It's the first super-sectional win for the Comets since the 1995-96 season.

Kendall Knop led the Comets in kills with 18 and aces with four. Brittani Tabbert led in digs with 15. Becca Schlechte had 22 assists, one solo block and two block assists. Morgan Stremming had one solo block and one block assist.

"Thank you to the Stewardson and Strasburg fire departments for escourting us home," said Coach Ronda Schlechte. "A huge thank you to our fans tonight. The girls are ecstatic about the win. Our voices will be gone from the celebration.

"Dreams have come true tonight. Looking forward to the final four experience."

The Comets will now play New Athens at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Illinois State University's Redbird Arena in Normal. The opening match will feature Rockford against Sciota at 9 a.m. The winners advance to the state title match Saturday at 10:30 a.m. with the losers squaring off for third place at 9 a.m.

Nokomis Super-Sectional

Stewardson-Strasburg -- Schlechte, 1 ace, 8 kills, 22 assists, 12 digs, 1 block, 2 block assists; Quast, 3 kills, 18 assists, 6 digs, 1 block assist; Knop, 4 aces, 18 kills, 10 digs; Tabbert, 1 ace, 11 kills, 15 digs; Stremming, 1 dig, 1 solo block, 1 block assist; Locke, 6 digs; Kaufman, 2 aces, 2 block assists

Class 1A McLeansboro Super-Sectional

Effingham St. Anthony came up just short in its bid to head to the Class 1A State Tournament in the McLeansboro Super-Sectional Saturday.

The Bulldogs fell to Edwards County (Albion) but didn't go down without a fight. Edwards County won the opener 25-21 but St. Anthony came back with a 25-20 victory. Edwards County then took the final game 25-14 for the match.

St. Anthony was led by Haylee Mathis with 16 kills and 18 assists. Lauren Wendt had three blocks and 10 kills. Rachel Schultz led in digs with nine. Mathis, Lauren Schmidt, Megan Nuxoll and Schultz had one ace each.

Edwards County advances to face Minonik Fieldcrest at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Illinois State University's Redbird Arena. The opener features Deer Creek Mackinaw against Elmhurst Catholic at noon. The winners meet for the state championship Saturday at 1:55 p.m. while the losers meet for third place at 12:25 p.m.

McLeansboro Super-Sectional

St. Anthony -- Wortman, 1 dig; Mathis, 16 kills, 1 block, 18 assists, 4 digs, 1 ace; Woltman, 17 assists, 3 digs; Schmidt, 1 block, 1 ace; Wendt, 10 kills, 3 blocks; Braunecker, 3 kills, 2 digs; Mumm, 2 assists; Nuxoll, 9 kills, 1 block, 2 digs, 1 ace; Schultz, 9 digs, 1 ace

Class 3A Effingham Super-Sectional

Breese Central claimed the championshp of the Effingham Super-Sectional Saturday by downing Rochester.

Breese Central won the opener 25-19 and Rochester came back with a 25-20 victory. Breese Central then claimed the super-sectional with a 25-23 win.

Breese Central advances to the Class 3A State Tournament Friday to face Wheaton St. Francis at 4:30 p.m. at Illinois State University's Redbird Arena. In the opener, Chicago Payton faces LaSalle-Peru at 4:30 p.m.

The winners advance to the state title match Saturday at 5:30 p.m. while the losers square off for third place at 4.