When La Salle-Peru setters Emma Jereb and Aubrey Urbanski get a good pass, it gives them options of where they can go with the ball.

They got a lot of good passes Tuesday.

The Cavaliers got middle hitter Kelsey Frederick going early and also got a strong performance from outside hitter Aubrey Duttlinger in a 25-14, 25-12 victory over Kaneland in an Interstate 8 Conference match in La Salle.

“I thought we played really well,” Jereb said. “Our serve-receive was really good and so was our passing. That helped me give the hitters a better set and let them do what they do.”

Frederick put down four of her team-high eight kills in the first seven points of the match. Duttlinger finished with six kills.

“Our serve-receive was phenomenal tonight,” L-P coach Mark Haberkorn said. “When you serve-receive, it’s easy to get in your offense and get things rolling. Our hitters had a big night, a high percentage night swinging.

“When you get a good pass, you get all three options and it puts a lot of pressure on the defense and it’s hard to stop.”

The Cavs also were strong at the service line.

Urbanski led L-P with 11 points and an ace, while Jereb served nine points and two aces, Anna Riva had eight points and an ace and Duttlinger added seven points and an ace.

“We served tough and that kept them out of their offense,” Haberkorn said.

With the win, the Cavaliers (23-1) finished the first run through conference play undefeated at 5-0.

“It means a lot,” Jereb said about going 5-0 through the first half of conference. “I hope we can keep going forward with that.”

The Cavs hold a two-match lead going into the second round of league play with Morris and Sycamore sitting in second place at 3-2. Kaneland is 2-3 and Rochelle and Ottawa are both 1-4.

L-P plays Morris at home on Thursday and travels to Sycamore on Tuesday. The Cavs host Ottawa on Oct. 15 and close conference play with matches at Rochelle on Oct. 21 and at Kaneland on Oct. 23.

“Obviously, it gives us a chance to win the conference,” said Haberkorn, whose team won the I-8 title last season. “It builds momentum in conference, but we’ve got a lot of tough matches left.”

The Cavs have won 21 matches in a row since their only loss on Aug. 29 to Glenwood (23-3).

“We’re playing good enough to win,” Haberkorn said. “We’ve had a lot of close matches this year. They seem to find a way to get that win, whatever it takes. This team is very confident. Every time you go out there and you can get a W, you just get more or more confidence.”

The Cavs never trailed against a Kaneland squad that’s been affected by injuries and is playing with a young lineup, including two freshmen on Tuesday.

L-P scored the first three points of the opening set. Kaneland eventually tied it at 6 before the Cavs began to pull away.

The second set was tied at 2, but L-P took the lead for good on a kill by Frederick.

“Definitely not the team that I know they can be,” Kaneland coach Cyndi Violett said. “They’re a much better team than that. We’ve had a lot of injuries. We have two setters out, so we’re trying to go with a 5-1, which we haven’t played for a while. Injuries have been our plague all season long, so our starting lineup has been different all the time.”

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 17

L-P volleyball players (from left) Anna Riva, Kelsey Frederick, and Aubrey Duttlinger react after getting a point against Kaneland on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 in Sellett Gymnasium at L-P High School. (Scott Anderson)