East Peoria, Ill. - Postseason implications. Highly-ranked team. In-region rivalry. Wednesday night's match between the ICC Cougars (22-10, 9-1) and #8 Heartland Hawks (21-4, 8-2) had all the ingredients for an instant classic. Alas, an instant classic it was. ICC took a commanding 2-0 set lead. Heartland countered and took sets three and four. Set five couldn't even be determined in the regular 15 points. ICC took the final set 17-15, and the match, 3-2, to move into second in the Region 24 standings and all but secure home court advantage for the district tournament, with a couple scenarios still in play later this season.
First Set | ICC, 25-18
In a repeat of recent matches, no team grabbed true momentum early, with nobody taking a multiple-point lead until Heartland at 5-3. Later on in the set, when a Hawks bump went unintentionally over on the first hit,
Raquel Frakes was right there at the net to send a kill to the floor, giving ICC a 15-12 lead (the set's first 3-point lead), and force a Heartland timeout. The Cougars were able to be the first team to 20 points when
Summer Sheley got a kill on the left side to go up 20-14. A service error from the Hawks gave ICC set point at 24-17. Heartland was able to slide one last point in when the Cougars were unable to do anything with a block in the middle, but a big kill from
Hannah Alvey on the left side ended the set at 25-18.
Second Set | ICC, 25-22
Heartland got off to a hot start in the second set, tacking on four points before a kill from
Gracie Schultz on the right side gave the Cougars their first point. ICC was able to work the set back to 6-6 when the Hawks weren't able to send the ball over in three hits off a
Hope Allen serve. Frakes tipped one over to put ICC up 10-8, then the Hawks called an early timeout, sensing a potential bigger-picture change, and not in their favor. It turned out to be a well-called timeout, with Heartland going on a 5-0 run and thus a 13-10 lead. The Hawks got a kill from the right side to go up 19-16 and force coach
Tracy Heffren to call the Cougars' first timeout of the match. Meanwhile, it was another well-used timeout, with Sheley blocking one down on the other side to get within 19-18 and force the Hawks to call time and regroup. Frakes would get up for a right side block to give ICC their 20th point, up by a slim 20-19 margin. With the Hawks now out of timeouts, the Cougars were able to go on a bit of a run, getting to set point (24-19) on an attack error from Heartland. The Hawks fought to extend the set as much as possible, using an ICC attack error to get as close as 24-22. To ensure the momentum would be short-lived, the Cougars called time. Another block from Frakes would end the set by a 25-22 score.
Third Set | Heartland, 17-25
Another highly competitive start to a set, with the Cougars and Hawks trading scores up until the fifth point. Just when it seemed like Heartland had pieced a run together, ICC would counter with a version of their own run, until Heartland took a 15-10 lead on a kill from the right side, forcing an ICC timeout. Despite the time to regroup, the Hawks seemed to gain an even stronger grip on the set, going up 18-11, and sending ICC out of timeouts for the first time in the match. When Heartland became the first to 20 at 20-13, the Cougars played it evenly the rest of the way, getting edged by the visitors, 5-4. The Hawks would score the final three points of the set, capped by a kill in the middle for a 25-17 set score.
Fourth Set | Heartland, 21-25
Heartland had avoided what would've been just their second swept loss all season. After what was otherwise a balanced beginning to the set, the Hawks had control, sort of. They may have been maintaining a two or three-point lead, but the Cougars kept it at that margin. A kill from
Ashlyn Mool got ICC within 15-13 and even though they were ahead, the Hawks elected to use their timeout. A big kill from Frakes made it a one-point set at 18-17. Schultz tapped one back over to get within 19-18, forcing the Hawks to call their final timeout. Tied at 20-20, the Cougars sent an attack over. The initial call was out, without a touch at the net. Then, the up official saw a line judge signaling that it had indeed been touched on the attack. After a brief moment of contemplation, he reversed the call and gave the point to ICC, giving the Cougars a 21-20 lead. That got a negative reaction from the Heartland bench that resulted in a red card being assessed against head coach Mary Frahm. The Hawks, however, used that as motivation, shutting out ICC the rest of the set, 5-0, forcing a fifth set by a 25-21 score.
Fifth Set | ICC, 17-15
The Cougars started the final set with two errors, giving Heartland a 2-0 advantage early. That was erased quickly, going up 3-2 on a Schultz kill off the assist from
Brooke Ely. It was Ely to Schultz again that made it 4-2, prompting an early timeout from the Hawks. An Alvey kill made it 8-6, and with only 14 points combined, Heartland went ahead and took their final timeout of the match. The Hawks used a tipped attack for a kill to get within two points of the Cougars and force an ICC timeout. Another Alvey kill - match point, 14-11. To perhaps no surprise, especially considering the way the match had gone, the Hawks still had one last run left in them, going on a 4-1 run to tie it up at the regular 15-point threshold. Alvey made it match point at 16-15, then a Heartland attack error on the return ended the set at 17-15 and the match at 3-2.
The #20 was a bit of a statistical theme, with three different ICC leaders totaling that number.
Hannah Alvey had a quality match at the front row, collecting 20 kills.
Hope Allen vacuumed up 20 digs.
Brooke Ely assisted 20 times.
The student body that was in attendance would rush the floor in celebration. ICC had defeated their second top-10 team at home in as many tries. It also likely locks up hosting the district tournament in early November. ICC had been (1-3) in five-set matches this season prior to Wednesday, with the lone win being back on August 21st against Harper.
It's a well-deserved day off from any competition for the Cougars before a drive up to Rockford for the Rock Valley Tournament this weekend.
Statistical Leaders vs. #8 Heartland
Cougars won, 3-2 (25-18, 25-22, 17-25, 21-25, 17-15)
Kills |
Hannah Alvey (20),
Gracie Schultz (12),
Summer Sheley (10)
Digs |
Hope Allen (20),
Lacy Pilgrim (16),
Hannah Alvey (14)
Assists |
Lacy Pilgrim (29),
Brooke Ely (20)
Aces |
Ashlyn Mool (2)
Blocks |
Ashlyn Mool (4)
Next Up:
Friday, October 15th
ICC Cougars (22-10, 9-1)
vs. Highland (IL) & Spoon River*
1:00 PM & 5:00 PM First Serves
**No Live Coverage**
* Non-Region Match (only 1 match vs. an in-region opponent counts towards the region record)
