VOLLEYBALL: Beecher continues to roll with sweep of Peotone

BEECHER — The Beecher volleyball team was able to overcome a slow start on Monday to pick up a gritty win over nonconference rival Peotone on senior night in two sets, 25-23, 25-14.

Beecher improved to 19-8 on the season with the win and improved their winning streak to 11 matches, while the Blue Devils fell to 15-21 with the loss.

Peotone started the first set in a groove, racing out to a 10-4 lead behind a trio of kills from sophomore Malya Sayre. McKenna Evans and Marisa Lee each added a kill to contribute to the Blue Devils hot start.

“After playing in the RVC/SVC tournament this weekend and with today being a Monday, I didn’t think we came out very well tonight,” said Beecher coach Emily Doersam. “I told the team after that rough start that we have to pick it up and play our game. We were a step slow and were not moving well.”

Doersam’s speech must have worked because her team turned things around in a hurry.

The Bobcats would get on track with back-to-back aces from Julianna Picicco to cut the lead to 10-8. Both squads rallied back-and-forth, trading points all the way until the 21st point until the ‘Cats rallied off a few points to take a 23-22 lead. Peotone’s Grace Renier smashed a kill to tie the game at 23, but Beecher responded with an ace from Margaret Landis to take the lead and held on to win the first set 25-23.

“I thought we were hot and cold,” said Peotone coach Kathy Barger. “At times we looked like a million bucks, but then we started struggling to get our passes up and it turned into a tough night for us.”

One key in Beecher’s turnaround was increased communication on the court, something Doersam kept preaching to her team.

“I am extremely loud the entire game,” Doersam said. “The kids know that, but I want them to be loud so they know if we communicate better, we move better. And overall, we just flow better, we play better as a team the more we talk.”

The Bobcats jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the game’s second set and never looked back. Kaylie Sippel dominated the front of the net with a handful of kills and critical blocks. Sippel had nine assists, five kills, four digs and one ace on the night.

“In the first game, I thought we were tipping the ball a lot,” Sippel said. “The second set, we started to really hit the ball.”

Margaret Landis was able to neutralize Peotone’s scoring opportunities with timely digs on defense, never allowing the Blue Devils to get their rhythm back as the LadyCats cruised to a 25-14 win in the second set. Landis had a game-high 15 digs for Beecher to go along with a pair of aces and one kill.

“We didn’t come out the way our team wanted,” Landis said. “But we stayed positive, stayed together, and found a way to win.”

Monday marked the final home volleyball game for seniors Landis, Sippel and Arianna Avelar.

“It’s been really fun to play with all my best friends,” Landis added. “I’ve played softball, basketball, and volleyball with Kaylie and most of the girls since middle school. So all of this is really special to me.”

Sippel said that outside of the senior’s special bond, the underclassmen have also made their senior season memorable.

“All of the underclassmen are so fun to be around. They’re hilarious,” Sippel added. “And my sister (Abby) is a freshman this year. So it was really fun to be able to play with her.”

Rhiannon Saller had eight kills for Beecher. Avelar added four kills, two digs, and one block.

Both teams are back in action today. Peotone will travel to Wilmington at 6 p.m., while Beecher will visit Donovan at 6:30 p.m.