GALESBURG — The Carl Sandburg College volleyball team began defense of its Arrowhead Conference title with a 25-23, 25-14, 18-25, 25-20 victory over Highland on Wednesday at John M. Lewis Gymnasium in the Chargers’ home opener.
Sandburg (4-2 overall, 1-0 Arrowhead Conference) was led by eight kills apiece from sophomore Tearaney Eads (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln) and reigning conference MVP Peyton Bowman (Sciota, Ill./West Prairie). Eads and Bowman also had a team-best two of the Chargers’ seven aces.
After eking out a narrow first-set victory, Sandburg dominated the second, using a pair of kills and an ace from Eads during a 6-1 stretch that pushed its lead to 17-10.
The Cougars (4-2, 1-0) avoided a sweep in the third but saw the Chargers pull away late in the fourth. Kills from Mallory Flynn (Alexis, Ill./United) and Olivia Theleritis (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) as well as a block from Annie McKim (Yates City, Ill./home school) helped extend the Chargers’ lead to 22-15. Highland rattled off five straight points before a McKim kill and back-to-back aces from Emily Bloomer (Burlington, Iowa/Burlington) closed out the match.
All-conference setter Cora Vyhnanek (Colchester, Ill./West Prairie) had 24 assists for Sandburg, and Flynn, Bowman, McKim and Erin Flairty (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) each had two blocks for the Chargers.
UP NEXT
Sandburg hits the road to face Sauk Valley at 6 p.m. Tuesday in another Arrowhead matchup.
