Kaneland tops Plano for sixth regional title in a row

AURORA – Kaneland held off a determined Plano to win the Class 3A IMSA Regional championship 26-24, 25-20 on Thursday.

The first set featured 10 ties and five lead changes before the Knights prevailed. The second set was just as contentious with the teams trading the lead four times and knotting the score six times.

Second-seeded Kaneland (24-12), which won its sixth consecutive regional title, advances to the St. Laurence Sectional and will face third-seeded Lemont in the second semifinal on Tuesday.

The Reapers prepared for the match, but Kaneland’s attack was too much.

“They wanted it really bad. They came in focused. They went out on their own and watched film,” Plano coach Brittany Hill said. “Kaneland has good, hard swings. We don’t see that too often throughout the year. You can’t get every single one up.”

In the first set, neither team was able to build more than a three-point lead before the other side rallied and knotted the contest. After the set’s ninth tie at 19-19, the Knights went ahead on a Janesa Winston ace. That point started a 5-1 run that put Kaneland within match point, 24-20 on a Reapers hitting error.

“I guess there was a little bit of nerves going on at the start” Kaneland coach Cynthia Violett said. “We settled in and finally got our hits in. Our passes were there at the start, but we weren’t getting our hits.”

Plano rallied once again using a Kalia Young block and two Knight miscues to knot the contest at 24. Kaneland’s Audrey Peters responded with back-to-back kills to win the set.

“We finally got our setter and hitters connecting, and we were able to put the ball down,” said Peters, who finished with eight kills.

Kaneland was on the verge of pulling away in the second set, jumping out to a 10-6 lead when Plano regrouped. The two squads traded the lead until a strike by the Knights’ Haley Swim tied the set 17-17. Sophomore call-up Ava Dewig’s kill started 4-0 run for a 21-17 Kaneland lead. The Reapers responded and after a block, pulled with two at 22-20. The Knights closed out the set and match, scoring on another Dewig strike, a Plano hitting error and a Grace Remsen tip kill.

“Once you get to 20, I call that the red zone. Those are the hardest points to get,” Violett said.

Kaneland played Lemont earlier this season.

“We played them at West Aurora in a tournament. It was back and forth. We won that match, but it could have been anybody’s game,” Violett said. “Tuesday’s match should be a real good one.”

Tenth-seeded Plano finishes with a 15-22 record.

https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/2024/11/01/kaneland-tops-plano-for-sixth-regional-title-in-a-row/