The Peotone volleyball team played well in every aspect of Tuesday’s Illinois Central Eight Conference match against host Streator at Pops Dale Gymnasium.

The Blue Devils surged late to capture a back-and-forth opening set, then held off a pair of Bulldogs’ comeback attempts late to also take the second set in a 25-22, 26-24 victory.

“The girls had a ton of energy tonight and played relaxed,” Peotone coach Kathy Barger said. “It seemed like whenever we were in a pressure situation or needed a key point, they found ways to get it.

“Towards the end of the second set Streator came back a couple times, but we didn’t panic. We just kept playing hard and were able to push through.”

Peotone – which had lost in three sets at home to Streator back on Sept. 9 – improved to 16-8 overall and 5-5 in league play.

Streator dropped to 15-9-1 and 5-5.

The opening set featured 11 ties, neither side able to forge more than a three-point lead. Trailing 21-20, the Blue Devils scored five of the final six points, one on a kill by Cora Pagliarulo.

“This season has kind of been a roller coaster for us,” said Peotone senior and top hitter Mia Connolley, who led her team with eight kills, a block and four service points. “I feel like we have matches where our energy is up right from the start, and sometimes we just don’t come out ready to go.

“It’s something we need to be more consistent in, but tonight we had the energy and kept it up all the way to the end.”

The visitors pushed out to leads of 13-8, 17-10 and 19-11 in the second set. Streator used a four-point service run by Avery Gribbin, which included an ace and two kills by Aubrey Jacobs, to close to within three. However, on the last of those two kills, Jacobs was injured and had to leave the contest.

Trailing 22-17, the hosts used a four-point spurt, including back-to-back aces, by Ashlee Taylor to tie the set at 22-all.

From there, Peotone used winning swings by Connolley and Alexa Matichak and a pair of Bulldogs hitting miscues to close out the match.

“I thought we did a great job with our serve-receive, served aggressively and were solid at the net with our blocking,” Connolley said. “I also thought our defense was great as well. Everyone was just all over the place digging everything.”

Pagliarulo recorded five kills and Matichak three kills for Peotone, while Payton Schnelle and Peyton Bisping had aces.

Jacobs led Streator with six kills and three blocks, while Sophia Snow added four kills and Ava Gwaltney three kills.

“I liked how we played defensively tonight, and that is an aspect of our team that may be our strongest,” Barger said. “The girls did a great job of keeping plays alive, and we did a solid job at the net with our blocking, which was a key as well. I just feel like we played an all-around solid match.”

Both squads are back in action Thursday. Streator is at Herscher, while Peotone hosts Reed-Custer.