East Peoria, Ill. - Riding a five-match win streak, the ICC Volleyball team (12-8) faces a quality test in the fourth-ranked Skyhawks from Sauk Valley (19-1) on Thursday night inside Ramsey Gym.
The Skyhawks will certainly be wanting to steal this one on the road. Back on August 28th, ICC lost to Sauk Valley 3-1 as part of a tournament at Southeastern Iowa, who ironically, ICC will subsequently host on Friday night. It will mark ICC's seventh match out of 21 against a ranked opponent. ICC tries to protect their (3-1) home record in Thursday night's contest as well.
ICC's 3-1 loss to the Skyhawks was a reversal from how the spring season went, with the Cougars dominating the Skyhawks, sweeping both meetings in three sets. The change in dynamic may largely be in part due to Sauk Valley adding Iowa State Cyclones transfer
Michal Willman. Willman has been impressive through the visitors' first 20 matches, leading the Skyhawks in kills, blocks, and aces, as you'll see below. How Willman matches up Thursday night with players like
Hannah Alvey for ICC will surely be an interesting headline to follow. Alvey was a contender for NJCAA DII Offensive Player of the Week this past week, racking up 60 kills, 40 digs, and 8 aces within five matches.
The August meeting between the Cougars and Skyhawks saw ICC stay within 10 points in every set except for the fourth and final set (12), so it could be yet another competitive match come Thursday evening.
ICC vs. Sauk Valley - Tale of the Tape
| Category |
ICC |
SVC |
ICC Individual |
SVC Individual |
| Kills (per set) |
771 (10.7) |
880 (12.8) |
Alvey (216 / 3) |
Willman (367 / 5) |
| Digs (per set) |
1,121 (15.6) |
1,306 (18.9) |
Allen (283 / 4) |
Sands (328 / 5) |
| Blocks (per set) |
19 (1.6) |
88 (2.0) |
Schultz (12 / 1) |
Willman (30 / 0.6) |
| Aces (per set) |
135 (1.9) |
168 (2.4) |
Alvey (24 / 0.3) |
Willman (55 / 0.8) |
| Assists (per set) |
722 (10.0) |
832 (12.1) |
Pilgrim (334 / 5.1) |
Goff (413 / 6) |
| Sets Played (per match) |
72 (4) |
69 (3.5) |
|
|
| Matches Played (record) |
20 (12-8) |
20 (19-1) |
|
|
The last time ICC Volleyball hosted a ranked team inside Ramsey Gym was a thriller, as the Cougars dethroned then top-ranked Parkland in five sets in April 2021. That match was actually the first one where COVID-19 guidelines allowed fans back inside the CougarPlex for a match as well.
Nonetheless, it's certainly a match worth checking out on a Thursday. The action gets going at 6:00 p.m., and there will be a live video broadcast over YouTube for those unable to attend. See below for further details.
Gameday Information:
ICC Cougars (12-8)
vs. #4 Sauk Valley Skyhawks (19-1)
Thursday, September 23rd
@ Lorene Ramsey Gymnasium
6:00 PM First Serve
Watch Live
In-Match Updates
Other:
Box Score from ICC - Sauk Valley's last meeting (August 28th, 2021)
