Haris Legendre reaches 1,000 kills as SHS volleyball decks Pana

Haris Legendre reached 1,000 career kills for the Staunton High School volleyball team during a 25-12, 25-13 conference win at Pana Sept. 15. Legendre is the first ever SHS Bulldog to accomplish the feat. Photo contributed.

Carlinville wins twice at New Berlin tournament, routs Mt. Olive

By JACKSON WILSON
Enquirer Democrat Reporter

The long trip to Pana was worth it for Staunton High School volleyball players and fans, and it wasn’t just for a convincing 25-12, 25-13 win over a common conference frontrunner rival.

In addition, senior captain and outside hitter Haris Legendre became the first ever SHS Bulldog to reach and surpass 1,000 career kills.

Legendre, needing 16 to make history Sept. 15, finished the night with 17.

Though the feat was doable, it was also far from guaranteed. However, Legendre sent a message that it just may be the night after unleashing a flurry of seven kills in the midst of an 11-0 surge that Staunton used to grasp control of the first set. Heading into set two, Legendre already had 11 kills locked up.
The Bulldogs remained focused and didn’t let the accolade hype affect their performance down the stretch. Staunton jumped ahead 10-2 in the second set and had a commanding 21-11 cushion when Legendre reached quadruple digits.

Staunton, the back-to-back defending South Central Conference champion, has won 27 consecutive matches in league play. Additionally, the Bulldogs are the only SCC team to beat Pana in the past six years and they have now done it three separate times.

Since 2015, every SCC title belongs to either Staunton or Pana. The Panthers had won five consecutive championships before the Bulldogs dethroned them and began a dynasty of their own in 2020.

Staunton, which was coming off a three-set defeat at Breese Mater Dei two days prior, is 10-5 overall and 2-0 in the SCC.

Carlinville wins twice at New Berlin, routs Mt. Olive

Last weekend, the Carlinville High School volleyball Cavaliers picked up their first two wins of the season and placed eighth out of 16 teams at the Ray Long Pretzel Tournament in New Berlin.

The Cavaliers lost 25-20, 22-25, 8-15 to Calhoun but rallied themselves into the consolation conversation after straight-setting New Berlin 25-19, 25-12 and Deland Weldon 25-16, 25-14. Carlinville ended the tournament 2-3 after getting dropped by North Mac 19-25, 19-25 and Valmeyer 17-25, 14-25.
North Mac swept Greenfield-Northwestern and Cumberland prior to the CHS matchup and walked way with sixth place after falling to Springfield. The Panthers are 10-6 overall.

Greenfield-Northwestern lost four of five matches and left New Berlin with an 8-12 record. The Tigers lone victory came against DeLand Weldon 25-19, 25-22.

Carlinville returned to its hardwood Sept. 19 and picked up a dominant 25-2, 25-5 home win over Mt. Olive.

Isabella Tiburzi fueled the onslaught with six aces, six assists and a trio of digs for the Cavaliers, who improved to 3-9.

Ella Clevenger put down five kills and came away with a rejection.

Jordyn Loveless strung together 11 service tallies.

Mt. Olive fell to 3-14 with the loss.

Southwestern can’t finish Red Bud

Southwestern had a leg up on Red Bud with a 25-22 win in the first set, but couldn’t finish and was hit with a tough 25-22, 25-27, 10-15 loss Sept. 17.
Bri Roloff was the leading contributor for the Birds with 20 service points, digs, six assists, four kills and a block.

Southwestern is 3-9 on the season.

Gillespie rallies, but falls short against North Mac

Gillespie made North Mac work for a conference victory in ‘The Pit’ Sept. 16, but a rally fell short and the Miners’ losing streak was extended, at the time, to seven games.

Gillespie put a 25-15 opening set defeat in the rearview mirror and forced a rubber showdown with a 25-21 counter. The Miners kept the third set close, but eventually ran out of gas as the Panthers survived, 25-20.

Gillespie’s skid was extended to eight Sept. 19, when the Miners were roughed up by state-ranked Lincolnwood 7-25, 10-25.

The Miners are 1-8 overall.

Bunker Hill rusty against MELHS, Father McGivney

So far, Bunker Hill has fallen well short in Gateway Metro conference action, and that fate continued against Metro East Lutheran (9-25, 7-25) Sept. 13 and Father McGivney (9-25, 9-25) Sept. 15.

The Minutemaids are 0-4 against the league and 2-5 overall.