Trailing by seven points in the opening set at Rock Falls on Monday night, Rochelle nearly came back to steal a win.

Kaltrina Lecaj made sure it did not happen.

Lecaj dealt the final blow in the opening set and made a number of key plays in a 28-26, 25-17 win for the Rockets.

She finished with six kills, five aces, four assists, nine digs and a block in the nonconference home win.

Rock Falls led Rochelle 21-14 in the first set before the Hubs took their first lead at 24-23.

After the Rockets (13-10) nearly let things slip away, Lecaj’s quick strike denied the comeback.

“It was a good feeling,” she said. “We really had to talk through it.”

Lecaj helped Rock Falls pull away in the second set with a run of aces, pushing the Rockets’ lead to 16-6.

“Staying hype and staying confident back there,” she said of her success serving. “My coach saying, do whatever you want, gives me the confidence to place the ball where I need to to get our points.”

Still working around the absence of libero Miley Bickett, the Rockets have had to make adjustments.

Rock Falls coach Jolene Bickett said Lecaj’s versatility has helped. Typically a setter, Lecaj has stepped up as a hitter.

“She could be a libero, she can set and now she’s hitting,” Bickett said. “When it all comes together, when she focuses and locks in, she’s a beast in volleyball.”

The win was Rock Falls’ third straight after going 1-3 since Miley Bickett was injured in a loss to Dixon.

“We’re running a little bit different offense, so to get these last couple wins with the team that we have out on the floor, I am so proud of them to accept different responsibilities,” coach Bickett said, “and to figure it out as a group.”

Bickett said Jessa Adams has done well coming off the bench. Addison Miller (five kills) had a block and Kayla Hackbarth (four kills) had two more blocks.

Playing a rare Monday game, Bickett said the team was not prepared. Finishing the first set strong helped the Rockets gain momentum.

“They responded lights out,” she said. “That was fun to watch.”

Rochelle coach Molly Sly said she expected both sets to go how the first one finished.

“Rock Falls really did a nice job of making adjustments from set one to set two,” she said. “They really challenged our back row and we didn’t necessarily rise to that challenge.

“I thought that Audyn Kemp did a nice job of getting some good touches in the second set. We really served well at times and that kind of got us back into it at the very end.”

Jillian Bruns led the Hubs (11-11) with seven kills and Jaydin Dickey had 11 assists. Emori Mickley led Rochelle with nine digs.

Sly said continuing to improve at serve-receive is key for the team, and its hitters are a strong suit.

“They usually get the job done if we can start it,” she said. “But if we don’t get it started, then it’s hard to find that group.

“We just need to pick each other up a little bit more, and I think we’ll see that later in the season.”

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Rock Falls' Kaltrina Lecaj sets the ball over the net for a point against Rochelle Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (Alex T. Paschal)