Photo look: Volleyball places third at state

Eight days ago, the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team defeated Rockford Lutheran after three sets 25-11, 25-20, 25-23 to place third at this year's Class 2A state tournament. Below are ten memorable photographs from more the 500 (not all of them as awesome as these moments as these) from the Spartans' final match of the season on Saturday, November 16.

SJO played 41 matches this season and won 36 of them. Their last four were grueling, emotional three-setters. Their season began with a marathon opening match and loss to eventual state champions St. Teresa, and ended with a three-set, 129-point match against the Lady Crusaders at Redbird Arena.

SJO volleyball players Lacey Kaiser and Emily Bigger

Emily Bigger and Lacey Kaiser go up for a block on a kill attempt by Rockford Lutheran's Kylie Wilhelmi in the first set. Kaiser was credited with a pair of blocks, seven digs and four kills in the match. Bigger contributed five digs and had 29 of the team's 32 assists. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Kenly Taylor celebrates a point for the Spartans during the first set. Her nine digs along with her defensive efforts in the back row were crucial in SJO ending their season with a victory. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Payton Vallee tips the ball over the net

Payton Vallee tips the ball over a Rockford Lutheran blocker. Vallee, a junior, finished the match with four kills and three digs. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Katelyn Berry goes up to put the ball away

With teammate Payton Vallee looking on and Lacey Kaiser ready to dig a possible block, senior Katelyn Berry takes a huge swing at the ball in set two against the Lady Crusaders. Berry chalked up six kills and six digs in the Spartans' win. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Stretching out as far as can go, Lacey Kaiser dives for a tipped ball in the second set. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Spartans Lindsey Aiden and Kennedi Burnett

Spartans Lindsey Aden and Kennedi Burnett share a smile after Burnett's kill puts SJO up 13-7 in the final set. Burnett, a sophomore, delivered at team-high 14 kills. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

After winning the final set to take the match, two games to one, members of the SJO volleyball team led by seniors Jenna Albrecht and Katelyn Berry sing the school fight song with the student fan section. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Senior Jenna Albrecht flashes a huge smile as she waves to family members and SJO fans at Redbird Arena after receiving her bronze medal during the Class 2A awards ceremony. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

(Left to right) Lacey Kaiser, Lindsey Aden and Jenna Albrecht along with the rest of the volleyball team celebrate with the schools newest piece of state hardware. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Linda Berry photographs her daughter Katelyn and other members of the Spartan volleyball team with the school's third place trophy during the awards ceremony at the IHSA Volleyball State Finals. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Volleyball bounces Cissna Park, 2-0

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Lacey Kaiser serves the ball during set 2 of SJO's home match against Cissna Park. Kaiser hit a team-high five aces against the Timberwolves.

In the time it would have taken to make quick trip to the restroom, have a five minute chat with an acquaintance in the cafeteria about homecoming while buying a bag of popcorn and soda, and then make your way to your seat, you would have probably missed a third of the St. Joseph-Ogden's home volleyball game against Cissna Park last Tuesday.

It took just under 35 minutes for the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team to power past the visiting Timberwolves, 2-0.

The Spartans rushed out to a 3-0 lead in the first set. Then, after a side out, rattled off eight consecutive points to go up 11-1 behind the serving of Katelyn Berry.

Berry, a senior, finished the non-conference contest with four aces, four kills and four digs.

Pushing to keep the game tempo quick and not waste time between points, SJO kept the offensive pedal to metal on their way to a 25-7 first set win.

"We have to get better every time we step out here," said head coach Abby McDonald. "We talked about how we are going to make that happen, no matter what their offense looked like, and stay focused to the end."

The second was nearly a mirror of the first, except with a few casting changes. Up 6-4, SJO collected nine unanswered points with Lacey Kaiser on the back line serving. She finished the night with five aces and four kills.

With their backs up against the wall at 15-5, the Timberwolves gave up another five points watching their deficit increase by 15 to 20-5. From that point on the two teams rotated scoring to an eventual 25-9 conclusion.

"I thought the kids handled that very well," she added, referring to the level of competition and the unusual schedule order on Tuesday. The varsity team played the first match instead of the traditional nightcap.

"I thought this opportunity to play first was actually a good thing for us because during the postseason you sometimes step and play the first match," said McDonald. "I told them to use this to our advantage and I thought they did a nice job of doing that."

Thanks to Emily Bigger, who had 21 assist, Kennedi Burnett led the Spartan offense at the net with seven kills. Payton Vallee chipped in another five.

St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball wins regional title on Halloween

In high school volleyball it is pretty hard to beat a good team twice in a row.

The trick for St. Joseph-Ogden was to win the Oakwood regional title on Thursday and do it again against Monticello, who they played a week earlier in the last match of the Illini Prairie Conference regular season. The Spartans got the treat they were looking for and the first of a few more to come in the postseason after clipping the Sages in two sets, 25-17, 25-14.

Setter Emily Bigger passes the ball during St. Joseph-Ogden's first set against Monticello at the Oakwood Regional on Thursday. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The hard work the team has put in showed throughout the season showed in SJO's seemingly stress free, effortless play. One of things that senior Lacey Kaiser says the team had to do reach their currently level of play was talk more.

"Our communication has improved since the beginning," she said. "It was hard for a lot us because not many of us are super outgoing."

Kaiser led the team with three aces from the service line. She padded her stats with three kills and a trio of digs against the Sages.

"I believe in my teammates," she said. "If we get down, I know we can pull through and get back to win."

The Spartans were up 19-9 in the first set, but didn't close it out right away. Monticello dug in their heals and won eight of the next 13 points before SJO shut the door.

"I think we have definitely improved on capitalizing on certain points, and pushing whenever we should," said fellow senior Rylee Stahl. "We've worked a lot on siding out on the next point and not giving teams consecutive points in a row."

The Sages took a 4-1 lead in the second set before the Spartans reestablished control of the momentum going up 7-5 behind the pile driving swings of Katelyn Berry, Payton Vallee and sophomore Kennedi Burnett.

Berry finished the contest with a team-high nine kills and five digs. Vallee, a junior and outside hitter, contributed four kills and Burnett, who played strong defensively, had four kills and 10 digs.

Thursday's victory would not have been possible if it wasn't for the passing accuracy of Emily Bigger who took credit for 23 assists. She also scored a rare kill and contributed seven of the team's 45 digs.

"I think this win means a lot, but we are not super, super, super excited about it because it is just regionals," said Stahl, who like the rest of team, has her sights set on the king size of postseason candy, a state trophy. "We have a lot more to accomplish this season."

While teammate Lacey Kaiser (on the left) looks on while teammate Emily Bigger holds the team's new regional plaque for Payton Vallee to kiss. After beating Monticello 2-0, the Spartans advance in the IHSA volleyball postseason to face Seneca on Monday. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The Spartans advance to Monday's sectional semifinal against Seneca at Watseka.

The Lady Irish defeated Manteno in both sets 25-22 to win the Peotone Regional. On Tuesday, they dropped the first set of their semifinal to Manteno 20-25 and came back to take the last two, 25-21, 25-21. The two teams are scheduled to start at 6pm.

It will be back to work analyzing the Lady Irish for SJO, but in the mean time, Kaiser and the Spartans will savor the new regional hardware.

"It feels awesome," Kaiser said. "We knew we wanted to get this."

SJO stuns Chicago Christian to win Elite 8 title

Just as her older sister in 2016, Kennedi Burrnett will play volleyball on the state's biggest stage under the bright lights of Redbird Arena. The opportunity would not have been possible had it not been for St. Joseph-Ogden's smoldering turnaround midway into the second set of their supersectional match against Chicago Christian last Friday.

Jenna Albrecht and Lacey Kaiser share the thrill of victory with head coach Abby McDonald — Seniors Jenna Albrecht (left) and Lacey Kaiser celebrate their supersectional title win with head coach Abby McDonald.

After dropping the first set 25-15, the Spartans found their groove after a gritty 25-23 second set and playing the brand of volleyball that fueled 20 consecutive match wins, took the third set and the match, 25-16.

"We came out a little hesitant," said Burnett, who like her sister Abby, will play on a final four Spartan volleyball team for the coveted Class 2A state title. "But then we just jumped back into it. We knew this is what we were waiting for all year. We just kept it together."

Burnett tallied a team-high 11 kills. She also came up big defensively with nine digs and two blocks for the Spartans.

"I think my nerves got into my head a little bit," said outside hitter Katelyn Berry. She was confident that her teammates would do what was needed to get the win, but to secure the win she had to step up her game. "I knew for my team I had to make a change."

The timidity felt by the Spartans in the opening set was both palatable and warranted by the way the Chicago Christian's six-foot, one-inch outside hitter Lia Moore was pounding the ball into the back court. The Michigan State recruit, who will become a Spartan herself next fall, couldn't miss.

Another six-footer for the Knights, Logan Grevengoed and the 5-foot-11 Delanie Grevengoed formed a wall above the tape the Spartan could not penetrate easily.

"I thought our opponent did a great job of keeping us out of system," said head coach Abby McDonald. The pace of the rallies was faster than what she and her assistant coaches saw in the film they had at their disposal. "It was really fast and intense. We were on our heels on defense."

Libero Rylee Stahl celebrates a block with teammates. — Rylee Stahl celebrates a point for the Spartans. The senior libero had a team a team-high 19 digs to lead SJO into the Class 2A final four. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Leading up to a 17-all score in the second set, the score between was tied seven times with the Knights scoring the go-ahead point.

On the eight tie, SJO surged ahead ticking off three unanswered points to get to a 20-17 tilt before Knights' head coach Karen Van Assen called a timeout.

McDonald used the break to inspire her players.

"She just told us to forget about that set. We've been there before and we know how to come back from that," Berry recounted. She was held to just six kills by the Knights. "We know how to come back from that. A new set is a new set."

Holding on to win the second set would put the final match outcome in SJO's favor. Prior to the supersectional, out of the seven three-setters this season, SJO took the match in all but two. The Spartans lost to St. Thomas More and St. Teresa, who will also play a semifinal on Friday, in deciding third sets. SJO won their last five extended matches and the odds were dramatically in their favor if they finish the second set with a win.

"Honestly, I felt Katelyn did really well," senior Stephanie Trame said about Berry's overall performance. "She had a great attitude when she was blocked. She didn't let it get in her head."

Trame was contributed seven of the SJO's 34 match kills.

"We had more energy in the second set and started playing as a team," she added. "We found ourselves."

With their confidence continuing to swell and the combined defensive leadership of Rylee Stahl and Emily Bigger, St. Joseph-Ogden pulled out the second set, 25-23. At libero, Stahl keep the ball in play with a team-high 19 digs. Bigger had 16 and made 26 passes. In one of their best defensive efforts of the season, SJO players combined for 70 digs in the three-setter.

Payton Vallee bouyed the Spartans on both offense and defense as well. In addition to her two digs, the junior along with senior Lacey Kaiser, who notched 8 digs, were co-leaders in blocks at the net with three apiece. Vallee also put away six well-placed kills in the supersectional effort.

Emily Bigger and Stephanie Trame get their hands up to deflect a shot by Chicago Christian's Olivia Ingelse during first set action on Friday at Chicago Christian High School. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

"We went into the third set with a lot of momentum," McDonald said. "We were in their heads offensively and defensively. They were having to think about every touch on the ball."

Her team jumped out to a modest 4-1 lead to open the final set. Chicago Christian worked their way out of the deficit to tie the game at 4-4 thanks to an ace.

SJO immediately got a sideout and took the lead. They pieced together a five-point run forcing the Knights to burn a timeout staring 9-5 deficit.

When the action resumed, the Spartans continued to exploited the hole it found in the hard-hitting Chicago Christian armor and increased the scoring gap by eight points to 19-11.

"We've got three kids that can swing. We've got a defense that is quick and aggressive," McDonald said about the momentum shift. "I just thought that once we got going and our kids gained some confidence and knew we could compete with them. I knew we could pull it out."

Eleven serves later, the SJO contingent - players, fans and parents - were celebrating a well-deserved victory.

"There are just so many emotions right now," Burnett said. "I'm just so excited. I'm blessed to be with all these people on the court and I couldn't be happier."

Not quite yet, volleyball team misses op to beat STM

Setter Emily Bigger celebrates a point with teammates against St. Thomas More

Emily Bigger celebrates a point for the Spartans in their home match against St. Thomas More last Thursday. Bigger contributed 32 assists in the 2-1 conference loss. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

The atmosphere was electric in the main gym at St. Joseph-Ogden High School where the Spartan volleyball team faced conference rival St. Thomas More last Thursday. After an intense three-set battle, SJO fell in 2-1 decision to the visiting Sabers.

Leading by as many as five points near the mid point of the first set, The Spartans let St. Thomas clawed their way back into the contest to first an 18-all and again later at 21-all. The Spartans then won the next five points in a dominating fashion to take the set, 25-21.

"We knew what to expect because we have been watching film of them," said Lacey Kaiser. The senior contributed eight kills, seven digs and a pair of blocks over the course of the night. "We knew they would come out twice as hard in the second set after we won the first set."

After winning the first point in the second set, it would be the last time Kaiser and the Spartans, despite a monumental effort on their part, would see anything resembling a lead on the scoreboard for the remainder of the match.

"The second set, we really rallied back and fought," Kaiser said. "We haven't really shown that in past games we've played."

Kennedi Burnett, who echoed Kaiser on the team's strides to improved their mental toughness, led the Spartans with 13 kills. She was also credited with eight digs in the three-setter.

"We didn't let up," Burnett said, talking about how the team has been worked toward staying focused when things are not going their way on the court. "We have been working as a team to get back up."

Spartan head coach Abby McDonald said the team has shown growth since the season started, especially when the match momentum was against them in big games like this one against St. Thomas More.

"I didn't feel like we stayed in the match mentally," she said about her team's performance against the Sabers. There were some mental breakdowns that STM capitalized on. "We still have those moments, but it is much better (now). We keep saying it doesn't have to be our best yet."

SJO's Stephanie Trame slams the ball for a kill over the middle

Middle Stephanie Trame goes up to put the ball away against the Sabers. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

The Spartans used well-placed tips and scrappy play to stay within striking position to reverse the score. Up by one at 12-11, STM engineered a six point run to go up 18-11. Not willing to going down without a fight, SJO rallied back to a three-point deficit at 23-20 before St. Thomas More closed out the set at 25-20.

"Their offense got going and we really didn't have an answer for it," McDonald said in evaluating the difference in the way her team played in the first set as opposed to the second. Mostly it came down to STM getting the ball to sophomore Anna Mcclure to put away. "We didn't have an answer on defense."

By the third set, St. Thomas More hit their stride mentally and emotionally and never once let Burnett or teammate Katelyn Berry, who chipped ten kills of her own for the Spartans, bully their way past them.

St. Thomas More led by as many six points before Berry and Kaiser's perseverance at the net paid off and pulling SJO within two points of taking the lead in the final set at 21-20. Their momentum stalled and St. Thomas More took the final set, 25-20.

Overall, McDonald was happy with how the team performed.

"I think the kids did a nice job of trying to stay in it," McDonald said. "I feel like they (STM) had more weapons on offense."

SJO beats PBL, tough volleyball schedule continues

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Lindsey Aden celebrates a point for SJO in the second set of the team's match against Paxton-Buckley-Loda. Aden tallied six digs in the 2-0 win by the Spartans. See more photos from this match here: SJO vs Paxton-Buckley-Loda.

The St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball is playing one of the most grueling portions of their 2019 schedule. SJO was back in action yesterday after a five-match day on Saturday and a match they cruised to victory in just 24 hours earlier on Monday to face Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Tuesday.

Kennedi Burnett led the Spartans with nine of the team 42 digs in an exciting defensive battle that tested the starting line-up's mental and physical resilience after playing six matches in three days.

Thanks to nine kills from middle blocker Lacey Kaiser, plus seven from Burnett and the same number from Katelyn Berry, SJO improved to 12-3 on the season after declawing the Panthers, 2-0.

Emily Bigger was credited with 26 assists.

And the tribulation isn't quite over yet. Tonight, in a few hours, the lady Spartans host Danville in a non-conference, non-division match-up before a well-deserved four day reprieve to heal and prepare for the next chapter in this year's campaign.

The St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team will then play six matches in nine days starting next Monday, September 23, starting on the road at Urbana High School and ending with an Illini Prairie showdown at home versus Bloomington Central Catholic on October 2.

Left: Lacey Kaiser leaps above the net to attempt a block on a kill attempt by Paxton-Buckley-Loda's Jasmine Miles during second set action on Tuesday. Right: Emily Bigger sets the ball as teammate Katelyn Berry moves in position behind her. See, share or order photos from this match here: Spartans vs Panthers. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball squad cracks Elite 8 with 2-1 sectional championship victory

Herscher staved off four consecutive match points in the third and final set, closing the gap to 24-23, before Spartan Kennedi Burnett sealed the deal for the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team at the Class 2A Watseka sectional plaque last night.

Burnett, a sophomore outside hitter, capped the night with a double-double (17 kills, 10 digs) to help the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team extend their season two more days and one match, at the very least. After a grueling 25-19, 12-25, 25-23 victory, SJO carried home their second postseason sectional title in three years and advanced to the Palos Heights supersectional.

SJO volleyball senior Class of 2020 — St. Joseph-Ogden's magical season is powered by nine seniors on the 14 spot roster that makes up this year's volleyball squad. The Class of 2020 players include (left to right) Katelyn Berry, Lacey Kaiser, Lindsey Aden, Stephanie Trame, Rylee Stahl, Emily Bigger, Jenna Albrecht, Kenly Taylor and Anna Wentzloff. After at 2-1 win over Herscher on Wednesday evening, the Spartans, who will face Chicago Christian on the Knights' home court for the supersectional title, are just one win away from reaching the Illinois High School Association state finals on November 15-16. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The Spartan win closed the door the Tigers' storybook season after their second-ever Sweet Sixteen appearance in program history. In one of their best seasons in more than a half decade, Herscher (32-6) secured the school’s first regional title since 2012 and a share of the Illinois Central Eight Conference crown with a squad staffed similar to SJO with 10, instead of nine, seniors.

Bringing her A-game to the hardwood, Emily Bigger's passing allowed the Spartan hitting crew of Burnett, senior Katelyn Berry and junior Payton Vallee to stay aggressive enough to smash the ball past their tenacious opponents. Bigger, also a senior and had six digs, was credited with 40 assists.

Berry's vicious swing contributed 10 kills to the Spartan effort. Vallee added another 11. Lacey Kaiser, another senior on the crew, contributed six to round out the attack from the front line.

Another senior, Rylee Stahl, one of the team's three defensive stars, logged 17 digs.

Wednesday night's three-setter win was St. Joseph-Ogden's 35th of the season and kicked their win streak one tick to 20. The last time head coach Abby McDonald won a Sweet Sixteen title, her team placed second at Redbird Arena in the state finals.

Next in their path to a state finals appearance, the Spartans will lock swords with the 32 win, five loss Knights of Chicago Christian Friday evening in Palos Heights. The supersectional match is slated to start at 6:30 p.m. on their opponent's home court.

After their three-set regional semifinal opener against Nobel/Butler, the Knights have given up a total of just 25 points in two matches since then. Chicago Christian also received a bye, courtesy of a double-forfeit, as a result of the Chicago Public School strike last month.

The location suits McDonald just fine who has repeatedly said all season that this year's squad, who are one win away from reaching the IHSA state finals, plays better on the road than at home.

Two of the Spartans' four losses were at home. Of the four, the only team that remains in the postseason is St. Teresa, who faces Orion in the Farmington Supersectional. Champaign Central, St. Thomas More and Mahomet-Seymour have been eliminated from the postseason brackets.

Photo of the Day - December 30, 2020

Spartan volleyball players Jenna Albrecht and Lacey Kaiser celebrate with teammates after the team's 2-1 win over Rockford Lutheran to finish 3rd at the 2019 Illinois High School Association's Volleyball State Final in Class 2A. Finishing the season 36-5, St. Joseph-Ogden brought home the hardware after a three-set thriller, 25-11, 20-25, 25-23. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

College Notebook | Knudsen posts 29 point performance for Millikan

Knudsen making early impact at Millikan

Unity's all-time leading scorer Elyce Knudsen is at it again. Now a member of the Millikan women basketball program, the freshman baller has tallied 57 points in just three games for the Big Blue.

In the second game of her college career, Knudsen dropped a team-high 29 points against Wheaton College. Despite her extraordinary effort, Millikan fell by seven at King Arena in Wheaton, 90-83.

Two days later when the two team squared off again, the Unity alumna led her team to victory with a game-high 17 points in the Big Blue's 85-60 win at home last Saturday.

Knudsen is back in action again tomorrow at 7pm when her team faces Augustana College and again at 2pm on Saturday with the Vikings.

Former Spartans on hold

Lacey Kaiser, Rylee Stahl and Rylee Walsh, all former SJO volleyball players now suiting up for Heartland College, are in holding pattern. The Hawks first five matches have postponed. The trio could see action next on February 17 when the squad travels to Springfield for a two-match evening starting with Lincoln Land Community College at 4pm and a nightcap facing Frontier Community College at 6pm.

Kaiser dominates at the net

Katie Kaiser was credited with six of the ten blocks tallied by No. 1 ranked Parkland College after their 3-0 win over Southwestern Illinois College at the Southwestern Illinois College Tri in Belleville last Friday. The nationally ranked Cobras rolled SWIC, 25-20, 25-15, 25-17, to pick up their third win of the season. The former Unity star also had 5 digs in the effort.

Trimble, Crowe duo score 30

Bree Trimble scored 17 points and Peyton Crowe 13 in the Parkland College basketball team's 78-68 win over Olney Community College last Saturday. Thanks to the two starters, the Cobras continue their four-game undefeated streak.

The PC squad is back in action again tomorrow night in their first road contest of the season against Kankakee Community College.

Know a Unity or St. Joseph-Ogden graduate playing at the collegiate level? Let us know their name, sport(s) and where they are playing. An email or a link to their social media account for interviews is a big help, too. Send The Sentinel a message to us at sports@oursentinel.com.

Volleyball team fought to the end in loss to Champaign Central

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

St. Joseph-Ogden Jenna Albrecht goes up for a block against visiting Champaign Central. The Spartans suffered their second loss of the season in straight sets to visiting Champaign Central, 25-22, 25-20. See more match photos here . . .

Despite pounding 24 kills and an impressive display of resiliency against the taller roster of visiting Champaign Central players, the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball went down swinging in the non-conference meeting between the two teams 2-0 on Tuesday.

SJO led for the first 13 points in set one. After breaking a tie at 8-all, the senior led squad started to pull away stretching their lead to as many as three points over the course of next several exchanges.

However, Central would not let their host, with an enrollment one-third of their own, bully them for long.

"They had an offense that we were not necessarily prepared for. We keyed on some big kids we thought would swing aggressively against us," said SJO head coach Abby McDonald. "They picked our defense apart. They swung aggressively and they tipped well."

After yet another lead change, senior Katelyn Berry and the Spartans fought back valiantly once again to tie the score for the final time in the set. The Maroons buckled down to squeak out the win, 25-22.

SJO mostly trailed the start of the second set and finally clawed their way to their first and only lead at 13-12. The lead change was short-lived as the Maroons rallied back to 16-15 and continued to hit through the Spartans' blocks to a 25-20 finish.

"As a team they played excellent," McDonald said, complimenting the Maroons' aggressive play. "They really got us out of system and kept us out the majority of the night."

While the height disadvantage was evident, Berry said the team needs to find other ways to score.

"I think once we got down we kind of stayed down rather than getting (back) up," she said. "In future when we get down, we have to keep pushing."

Seniors Payton Vallee, Lacey Kaiser and Kennedi Burnett contributed four kills. Kaiser and Burnett tallied 10 digs in the loss. Another senior, Emily Bigger, had 23 assists.

"I commend all of our kids. I thought they fought to the end," McDonald added. "We just didn't capitalize on some of the things that we really needed to be successful."

The loss, when weighed against the level of competition so far, drops SJO's record to a quite respectable at 5-2.

"Its not time for us to peak yet. Let's peak when it counts," McDonald said with her eyes on a deep postseason run. "Our biggest thing right now is what can we learn from every match. Now we have to start making sure we are gaining some kind of knowledge no matter if we win or lose."

Photo-of-the-Day | SJO volleyball brings home state trophy

Lacey Kaiser dives for a dig in St. Joseph-Ogden's third-place match against Rockford Lutheran at the IHSA Volleyball State Finals on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Kaiser and the Spartans defeated the Lady Crusaders 2-1 to finish in third place in the Class 2A state tournament at Redbird Arena. (PhotoNews Media/Photo by Clark Brooks)

Volleyball milestone reached, SJO's McDonald reaches the 400th match win

Members of the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball program pose for a group photo with head coach Abby McDonald after her 400th win on Monday. The milestone came came after the Spartans defeated Hoopeston Area at home in two sets, 25-13, 25-22. Under McDonald's leadership the program ...

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St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team wins season opener at Maroa

77 SJO seniors named on final honor roll of the year

The exceptional quality of education and unending commitment by the student body to excel was once again demonstrated by the final Honor Roll of the 2018-19 academic year.

Seniors Sully Alwes, Gage Atwood and Cassidy Bagby mug for the camera during their commencement ceremony at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. In the final quarter of their high careeer, Atwood and Bagby earned a 3.75 GPA to be named to the High Honor Roll list. Alwes also earned honor roll recognition with a GPA greater than 3.25. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Seventy-seven St. Joseph-Ogden High School seniors earned scholastic accolades on the final Honor Roll list for this academic year. The junior class was paced by 64 members who achieved High Honor Roll or honor roll status. In all, more than 260 SJO students were named to the fourth quarter honor roll.

Students named to the High Honors earned GPAs of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Those attaining GPAs of 3.25 to 3.74 are recognized as Honor Roll students.

High Honor Roll

Seniors: Gage Atwood, Cassidy Bagby, Erin Beyers, Rebecca Campbell, Sarah Chahine, David Cummins, Emmy Daniels, Liam Davis, Abigail Dunham, Avery Edwards, Nathan Emmert, Jasmine Febus, Michael Foreman, Emilie Fox, Adam Frerichs, Rachel Gherna, Zachary Hill, Kalli Ingram, Ken Lahners, Hannah Lewis, Nathan Logan, Caroline Moore, Eve Owens, Angela Palmer, Benjamin Reitmeier, Adam Rose, Madison Rubin, Abigail Schlueter, Elizabeth Schluter, Samantha Schmidt, Benjamin Setterdahl, acob Shaw, Kaitlin Shoviak, Grant Siegmund, Rylee Sjuts, Brianna Suits, Maclayne Taylor, Nathan Walden and Seth Wedig.

Juniors: Lindsey Aden, Jenna Albrecht, Mallory Ames, Taylor Barnes, Katelyn Berry, Emily Bigger, Kaylee Blackburn, Ginny Bytnar, Payton Cain, Trevon Carr, Kristen Costa, Drew Coursey, Kathryn Cramer, Andrea Cunningham, Faith Dahman, Hannah Dukeman, Asjah Fonner, Jaiden Freeman, Bode Gebbink, Payton Grimsley, Lucas Grindley, Erica Guelfi, Emily Hardimon, Chance Izard, Cody Johnston, Lacey Kaiser, Danielle Kelso, Sara Milioli, Ava Mills, Carson Mills, Allison Monk, Alivia Norem, Eric Poe, Hannah Rajlich, Lexi Ribbe, Jenna Schaefer, Joshua Sexton, Rylee Stahl, Kenly Taylor, Stephanie Trame, Anna Tranel, Isabelle Vliet, Brayden Weaver, Samuel Wesley, Zoey Witruk and Jackson Wooten.

Sophomores: Hunter Brooks, Isabelle Brooks, Crayton Burnett, David Bytnar, Taylor Campbell, Kylie Duckett, Hanna Eastin, Nadirah Edwards, Emily Fisher, Dakota Franzen, Alexandra Frerichs, Atleigh Hamilton, Emmy Houston, Lukas Hutcherson, Logan Ingram, Cailer Kellenberger, Shelby Kofoot, Spencer Lahners, Ethan Lane, Aiden Livesay, Tyson Madsen, Sophie Martlage, Flannery McCorkle, Garren Meeker, Abigail Moberg, Samantha Naylor, Alec Painter, Erin Patton, Aidan Roberts, Indira Robinson, Mazie Ronk, Evan Schmitz, Max Shonkwiler, Tessa Smith, Payton Vallee, Nora Walden, Brayden Wendt and Logan Wolfersberger.

Freshmen: Addison Allen, Tyler Altenbaumer, Kailyn Anderson, Ella Armstrong, Madison Atwood, Abigail Behrens, Andrew Beyers, Brandie Bowln, Mara Burkhalter, Angela Chahine, Braden Clampitt, Anastasia Conerty, Deanna Cummins, Benjamin Cunningham, Sidney Davis, Zander Dressen, Ashley Eldridge, Jared Emmert, Hannah Fox, Zella Fuqua, Avian Gerdes, Brennan Haake, Liam Hamer, Lauren Harper, Anthony Hoang, Claire Huffman, Payton Jacob, Alison Kearney, Ava Knap, Sophia McDade, Coby Miller, Conrad Miller, Elijah Mock, Keaton Nolan, Jessica Palmer, Emma Parkinson, Hope Rajlich, Kendra Riddle, Taryn Sexton, Alyssa Shoviak, Luke Stegall, Rebecca Steinbach, Mackenzie Trame and Taylor Wells.

Honor Roll

Seniors: Sullivan Alwes, Alex Blanchard, Nicholas Boggs, Joel Branson, Makayla Buskirk, Ripley Campbell, Kayla Cañas, Daniel Carlson, Dwight Colvin, Aiden Coon, Amanda Craddock, Peyton Crowe, Chloe Duckett, Emory Ericksen, Cole Franzen, Bryce Froeschl, Grant Goff, Haley Griebat, Kaleb Harshbarger, Mikayla Harshbarger, Kaitlyn Hess, Michelle Jervis, Dylan Johnson, Jake Juday, Kyler Master, Shelby McElroy, Erinn Miller, Ryan Miller, Heidi Novak, Karsyn Peters, Kathryn Poulter, Hanson Rieches, Niko Russell, Nicholas Skelton, Clare Smith, Dillon Uken, Rylee Walsh and Cole Zaccarelli

Juniors: Kendall Ayers, Kolton Batty, Erin Bridgewater, Brendan Cooperider, Bailey Dowling, Brayden Grimsey, Ethan Hinrichs, Julia Kaiser, Eliza Lewis, Nathan Maier, Keegan McCarty, Mason McLain, Nolan Peacock, Taddy Pettit, Dyllan Price, Madie Warfel, Anna Wentzloff and Karsyn Wetzel.

Sophomores: Haven Atwood, Mason Behrens, Josh Buttjer, Raegan Crippen, Sarah Dow, Makayla Duckwitz, Jacob Dywer, Britney Evans, Emily Froman, Isabella Getty, Alyssa Lynch, Alyssa Maddock, Brandon Mattsey, Brianna Reifsteck, Lizzie Reitmeier, Jackson Rydell, Lauren Trankina, Mitchell Whitlock and Rachel Wilson.

Freshmen: Jaden Barton, Alanna Bensyl, Ella Besson, Kennedi Burnett, Mackenzie Fulk, Alyssa Hamilton, Kailyn Ingram, Olivia Klotz, Ashlyn Lannert, Jacey Lewis, Madelyn Mabry, Kelsey Martlage, Braden McElroy, Ava Miller, Jett Morris, Nathaniel Nosler, Jackson Place, Jonathan Poulter, Griffin Roesch and Ethan Vanliew.

173 students earn High Honor Roll honors at SJO

St. Joseph-Ogden's Justyn Frisby earns second quarter High Honors.

St. Joseph-Ogden's Justyn Frisby moves the ball down the field during his team's home game against St. Thomas More on September 13, 2018. Frisby was one of 173 SJO students to be recognized for their scholastic achievement during the second quarter of this academic year. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

One hundred and seventy-three students received recognition for their exceptional scholastic achievement at St. Joseph-Ogden High School this week. Forty freshmen, 39 sophomores, 48 juniors and 46 seniors made the High Honors list after the second quarter this academic year.

Students recognized for high honors earned GPAs of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Another 98 students from the combined four classes secured GPAs of 3.25 to 3.74 to be listed on this quarter's honor roll.

St. Joseph-Ogden High School was one of 22 Illinois school districts was named to the 9th Annual AP District Honor Roll. The District Honor Roll is awarded to school districts that increase the number of students and advanced placement classes in combination with student performance on AP Exams. More than 370 schools in the United States and Canada were named to this year's list.

High Honor Roll

Freshmen: Addison Allen, Kailyn Anderson, Madison Atwood, Abigail Behrens, Ella Besson, Brandie Bowlin, Mara Burkhalter, Kennedi Burnett, Angela Chahine, Braden Clampitt, Anastasia Conerty, Deanna Cummins, Benjamin Cunningham, Sidney Davis, Zander Dressen, Ashley Eldridge, Jared Emmert, Hannah Fox, Brennan Haake, Liam Hamer, Lauren Harper, Anthony Hoang, Claire Huffman, Payton Jacob, Alison Kearney, Ava Knap, Kelsey Martlage, Sophia McDade, Coby Miller, Conrad Miller, Elijah Mock, Nathaniel Nosler, Jessica Palmer, Emma Parkinson, Hope Rajlich, Taryn Sexton, Alyssa Shoviak, Luke Stegall, Rebecca Steinbach and Mackenzie Trame.

Sophomores: Isabelle Brooks, Crayton Burnett, Josh Buttjer, David Bytnar, Taylor Campbell, Kylie Duckett, Hanna Eastin, Emily Fisher, Dakota Franzen, Alex Frerichs, Emily Froman, Atleigh Hamilton, Emmy Houston, Lukas Hutcherson, Logan Ingram, Shelby Kofoot, Ethan Lane, Aiden Livesay, Alyssa Maddock, Tyson Madsen, Sophia Martlage, Flannery McCorkle, Garren Meeker, Abigail Moberg, Samantha Naylor, Alec Painter, Erin Patton, Aidan Roberts, Indira Robinson, Kayleigh Roedl, Mazie Ronk, Evan Schmitz, Max Shonkwiler, Tessa Smith, Payton Vallee, Nora Walden, Brayden Wendt, Rachel Wilson and Logan Wolfersberger.

Juniors: Lindsey Aden, Jenna Albrecht, Mallory Ames, Taylor Barnes, Katelyn Berry, Emily Bigger, Kaylee Blackburn, Ginny Bytnar, Payton Cain, Trevon Carr, Kristen Costa, Drew Coursey, Kathryn Cramer, Andrea Cunningham, Faith Dahman, Hannah Dukeman, Asjah Fonner, Jaiden Freeman, Bode Gebbink, Payton Grimsley, Lucas Grindley, Erica Guelfi, Emily Hardimon, Chance Izard, Cody Johnston, Lacey Kaiser, Danielle Kelso, Eliza Lewis, Nathan Maier, Sara Milioli, Ava Mills, Carson Mills, Allison Monk, Alivia Norem, Taddy Pettit, Eric Poe, Hannah Rajlich, Lexi Ribbe, Jenna Schaefer, Joshua Sexton, Rylee Stahl, Kenly Taylor, Stephanie Trame, Anna Tranel, Isabelle Vliet, Madie Warfel, Brayden Weaver and Samuel Wesley.

Seniors: Sullivan Alwes, Gage Atwood, Cassidy Bagby, Erin Beyers, Nicholas Boggs, Joel Branson, Brooke Butorac, Rebecca Campbell, Kayla Cañas, Daniel Carlson, Sarah Chahine, David Cummins, Emmy Daniels, Liam Davis, Abigail Dunham, Avery Edwards, Nathan Emmert, Emory Ericksen, Jasmine Febus, Michael Foreman, Emilie Fox, Adam Frerichs, Justyn Frisby, Rachel Gherna, Mikayla Harshbarger, Zachary Hill, Kalli Ingram, Kenny Lahners, Hannah Lewis, Nathan Logan, Caroline Moore, Eve Owens, Benjamin Reitmeier, Adam Rose, Madison Rubin, Abigail Schlueter, Elizabeth Schluter, Samantha Schmidt, Benjamin Setterdahl, Jacob Shaw, Kaitlin Shoviak, Grant Siegmund, Rylee Sjuts, Brianna Suits, Maclayne Taylor and Nathan Walden.

Honor Roll

Freshmen: Tyler Altenbaumer, Ella Armstrong, Alanna Bensyl, Andrew Beyers, Allison Burnett, Zella Fuqua, Hailey Gaines, Avian Gerdes, Alyssa Hamilton, Kailyn Ingram, KayLeigh Kamphaus, Olivia Klotz, Ashlyn Lannert, Jacey Lewis, Madelyn Mabry, Braden MeElroy, Ava Meyer, Jett Morris, Keaton Nolan, Jackson Place, Jonathan Poulter, JoLeena Reynolds, Kendra Riddle, Griffin Roesch, Grace Schmitz, Ethan Vanliew, Karsten Wayland and Taylor Wells.

Sophomores: Haven Atwood, Brady Buss, Raegan Crippen, Sarah Dow, Makayla Duckwitz, Jacob Dwyer, Nadirah Edwards, Bella Getty, Carter Huffman, Cailer Kellenberger, Spencer Lahners, Alyssa Lynch, Brandon Mattsey, Brianna Reifsteck, Jackson Rydell, Lauren Trankina and Mitchell Whitlock

Juniors: Kendall Ayers, Kolton Batty, Hailey Birt, Ross Booker, Erin Bridgewater, Brendan Cooperider, Bailey Dowling, Clayton Frederick, Tristan Fuqua, Ethan Hinrichs, Conner Hodge, Julia Kaiser, Keegan McCarty, Mason McLain, Nolan Peacock, Dyllan Price and Brodie Sullivan.

Seniors: Kaylee Blanchard, Makayla Buskirk, Ripley Campbell, Aiden Coon, Amanda Craddock, Ashtyn Cromwell, Peyton Crowe, Chloe Duckett, Cole Franzen, Katilyn Hess, Michelle Jervis, Jake Juday, Sally Manalo, Kyler Master, Keely McCorkle, Isiah McCune, Erinn Miller, Ryan Miller, Megan Mitchell, Joel Orcutt, Angela Palmer, Reid Patton, Raymond Plotner, Adam Porter, Kathryn Poulter, Joseph Rajlich, Annelise Rhoads, Libby Rowland, Clare Smith, Savannah Smith, Isabella Spisok, Dillon Uken, Jack Ward, Seth Wedig, Alyssa Whitlock and Cole Zaccarelli.

New members inducted into SJO's National Honor Society

Tonight, thirty-one St. Joseph-Ogden students would have been greeted to rolls of the National Honor Society at an induction ceremony at the school. With all Illinois schools closed by an Executive Order from the governor, the ceremony honoring the newest members, like classes, has also gone online.

NHS advisor Jared Lofrano posted a 13 minute and 26 second video welcoming their newest members.

The inductees for the 2019-2020 school year include: Abigail Behrens, Ella Besson, Brandie Bowlin, Mara Burkhalter, Crayton Burnett, Anastasia Conerty, Deanna Cummins, Sidney Davis, Makayla Duckwitz, Kylie Duckett, Hanna Eastin, Nadirah Edwards, Ashley Eldridge, Jared Emmert, Lauren Harper, Payton Jacob, Ava Knap, Ethan Lane, Ashlyn Lannert, Kelsey Martlage, Garren Meeker, Conrad Miller, Alec Painter, Jessica Palmer, Emma Parkinson, Erin Patton, Taryn Sexton, Alyssa Shoviak, Rylee Stahl, Mackenzie Trame and Rachel Wilson.

"These students, as well as our current members, are active in extracurricular activities, have outstanding character, demonstrate great leadership and excel in their academics," Lofrano tells viewers in the opening statement. "While this format for this induction and recognition ceremony is far from ideal, it is an honor to celebrate the hard work and dedication that all of these students have exhibited during their high school career."

Also found on YouTube, parents, family and friends can view the introduction and induction of each new member by NHS President Faith Dahman and Vice-President Zoey Witruk in the video below.

Current NHS members include: Lindsey Aden, Eliza Lewis, Isabelle Brooks, Aiden Livesay, Jenna Albrecht, Tyson Madsen, Mallory Ames, Sophia Martlage, Taylor Barnes, Flannery McCorkle, Katelyn Berry, Eric Poe, Emily Bigger, Hannah Rajlich, Payton Cain, Indira Robinson, Brendan Cooperider, Mazie Ronk, Kristen Costa, Jenna Schaefer, Drew Coursey, Evan Schmitz, Faith Dahman, Joshua Sexton, Hannah Dukeman, Tessa Smith, Emily Fisher, Kenly Taylor, Lucas Grindley, Stephanie Trame, Erica Guelfi, Payton Valle, Atleigh Hamilton, Brayden Weaver, Lacey Kaiser, Brayden Wendt, Shelby Kofoot and Zoey Witruk.

In addition to Dahman and Witruk, the other remaining office holders include Lindsey Aden as Secretary, Kenly Taylor maintaining duties as the Treasurer and Mallory Ames holds the position of Historian.

Bigger pounds 6 aces against BCC, Burnett lights up the floor with double-double

SJO's Payton Vallee goes up to block a kill attempt by Bloomington Central Catholic's Kate Moorman-Wolfe. Vallee had five kills against the Saints. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

A one-two combination comprised of Emily Bigger's serves and Kennedi Burnett's thunderous spikes was too much for the visiting Central Catholic (4-19 overall) volleyball team to handle. Thanks to the duo, the Spartan offense rolled to a 2-0 sweep over the Saints on Wednesday.

SJO dominated the opening set from the get-go. After dropping the first point, Bigger & Co. rattled of the nine unanswered points to take a 9-1 lead. It was a hole too deep for Central Catholic to recover from with the Spartan's hitters keeping the deficit at seven points or more the remainder of the set.

Up by 11 at 21-10, BCC would score one more point before the senior dominated squad closed out a brilliantly played set, 25-11.

The Spartans meticulously built a six-point lead after the first 14 points of the second set to go up, 10-4. The Saints, playing a much better defensive game, closed the gap to 11-8 and got within three points again at 12-9 before SJO's offense reignited.

After two unanswered points followed by a five-point run and then six unanswered points, SJO took commanding lead at 23-11. Three serves later the match was over ending the final set, 25-12.

Kennedi Burnett hits a down the line kill against BCC

Kennedi Burnett hits the ball down-the-line for one of her 10 kills. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

"I thought we played one of the best matches we've played all season," said head coach Abby McDonald, now three victories away from hitting the 300-win milestone. "They really embraced the changes we made this week and rose to the challenge."

Completely in the zone, Burnett collected a double-double with ten kills and ten digs. The senior also booked two of the team's four blocks. Classmate Katelyn Berry, hitting .467 for the evening, contributed eight kills and four digs to the cause.

Then there was Bigger. Outdoing her four-ace performance against Rantoul earlier in the week, she added another six to her career stats. The senior also had three digs and smashed a pair of kills on Saints.

Rounding out the total team effort, Payton Vallee was credited with five of the team's 31 kills in the conference win to help the Spartans pick up their 18th win of the season. Rylee Stahl, Kenly Taylor and Lacey Kaiser with three kills, each had five digs apiece.

75 SJO seniors named to 3rd quarter Honor Roll

St. Joseph-Ogden's Dillon Uken provides protection on the line of scrimmage in his team's first-round game against Monticello on October 27 during last fall's IHSA football postseason playoffs. Uken was one of 75 SJO seniors who made the third quarter Honor Roll. (PhotoNews File Photo/Clark Brooks)

Seventy-five seniors, 67 juniors, 57 sophomores and 69 freshmen earned recognition for academic excellence in the third quarter at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Students named to the High Honors earned GPAs of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Those attaining GPAs of 3.25 to 3.74 are recognized as Honor Roll students.

High Honor Roll

Seniors: Gage Atwood, Cassidy Bagby, Erin Beyers, Kaylee Blanchard, Rebecca Campbell, Sarah Chahine, David Cummins, Emmy Daniels, Liam Davis, Abigail Dunham, Avery Edwards, Nathan Emmert, Emory Ericksen, Jasmine Febus, Emilie Fox, Adam Frerichs, Rachel Gherna, Zachary Hill, Kalli Ingram, Kenneth Lahners, Hannah Lewis, Nathan Logan, Erinn Miller, Caroline Moore, Eve Owens, Angela Palmer, Benjamin Reitmeier, Adam Rose, Madison Rubin, Abigail Schlueter, Elizabeth Schluter, Samantha Schmidt, Benjamin Setterdahl, Jacob Shaw, Kaitlin Shoviak, Grant Siegmund, Rylee Sjuts, Brianna Suits, Maclayne Taylor and Nathan Walden.

Juniors: Lindsey Aden, Jenna Albrecht, Mallory Ames, Taylor Barnes, Katelyn Berry, Emily Bigger, Kaylee Blackburn, Ginny Bytnar, Payton Cain, Trevon Carr, Kristen Costa, Drew Coursey, Kathryn Cramer, Andrea Cunningham, Faith Dahman, Hannah Dukeman, Asjah Fonner, Jaiden Freeman, Robert Gebbink, Payton Grimsley, Lucas Grindley, Erica Guelfi, Emily Hardimon, Chance Izard, Cody Johnston, Lacey Kaiser, Danielle Kelso, Eliza Lewis, Nathan Maier, Sara Milioli, Ava Mills, Carson Mills, Alivia Norem, Nolan Peacock, Taddy Pettit, Eric Poe, Dyllan Price, Hannah Rajlich, Lexi Ribbe, Jenna Schaefer, Joshua Sexton, Rylee Stahl, Kenly Taylor, Stephanie Trame, Anna Tranel, Isabelle Vliet, Madie Warfel, Brayden Weaver, Sam Wesley, Zoey Witruk and Jackson Wooten.

Sophomores: Isabelle Brooks, Crayton Burnett, David Bytnar, Taylor Campbell, Kylie Duckett, Hanna Eastin, Nadirah Edwards, Emily Fisher, Dakota Franzen, Atleigh Hamilton, Emmy Houston, Lukas Hutcherson, Logan Ingram, Cailer Kellenberger, Shelby Kofoot, Spencer Lahners, Ethan Lane, Aiden Livesay, Alyssa Maddock, Tyson Madsen, Sophia Martlage, Brandon Mattsey, Flannery McCorkle, Garren Meeker, Abigail Moberg, Samantha Naylor, Alec Painer, Erin Patton, Aidan Roberts, Indira Robinson, Mazie Ronk, Evan Schmitz, Max Shonkwiler, Tessa Smith, Payton Vallee, Nora Walden, Brayden Wendt, Rachel Wilson and Logan Wolfersberger.

Freshmen: Addison Allen, Tyler Altenbaumer, Kailyn Anderson, Ella Armstrong, Madison Atwood, Abigail Behrens, Ella Besson, Andrew Beyers, Brandie Bowlin, Mara Burkhalter, Angela Chahine, Anastasia Conerty, Deanna Cummins, Benjamin Cunningham, Sidney Davis, Zander Dressen, Ashley Eldridge, Jared Emmert, Hannah Fox, Zella Fuqua, Brennan Haake, Liam Hamer, Alyssa Hamilton, Lauren Harper, Anthony Hoang, Claire Huffman, Payton Jacob, Alison Kearney, Ava Knap, Jacey Lewis, Kelsey Martlage, Sophia McDade, Coby Miller, Conrad Miller, Elijah Mock, Keaton Nolan, Jessica Palmer, Emma Parkinson, Hope Rajlich, JoLeena Reynolds, Kendra Riddle, Taryn Sexton, Alyssa Shoviak, Luke Stegall, Rebecca Steinbach, Mackenzie Trame, Ethan Vanliew and Taylor Wells.

Honor Roll

Seniors: Sullivan Alwes, Nicholas Boggs, Joel Branson, Makayla Buskirk, Brooke Butorac, Ripley Campbell, Kayla Cañas, Daniel Carlson, Amanda Craddock, Ashtyn Cromwell, Peyton Crowe, Chloe Duckett, Michael Foreman, Cole Franzen, Bryce Froeschl, Mikayla Harshbarger, Kaitlyn Hess, Michelle Jervis, Dylan Johnson, Shelby McElroy, Ryan Miller, Joel Orcutt, Karsyn Peters, Raymond Plotner, Kathryn Poulter, Hanson Rieches, Libby Rowland, Niko Russell, Clare Smith, Savannah Smith, Dillon Uken, Rylee Walsh, Jack Ward, Seth Wedig and Alyssa Whitlock.

Juniors: Kendall Ayers, Kolton Batty, Erin Bridgewater, Payton Clements, Brendan Cooperider, Bailey Dowling, Tristan Fuqua, Ethan Hinrichs, Conner Hodge, Keegan McCarty, Mason McLain, Allison Monk, Luke Renfrew, Brodie Sullivan, Anna Wentzloff and Karsyn Wetzel.

Sophomores: Haven Atwood, Hunter Brooks, Joshua Buttjer, Raegan Crippen, Jacob Dwyer, Alex Frerichs, Emily Froman, Carter Huffman, Hayden Knott, Brock Loschen, Alyssa Lynch, Gunnar Olson, Brianna Reifsteck, Lizzie Reitmeier, Jackson Rydell, Lauren Trankina, Kaylee Ward and Mitchell Whitlock.

Freshmen: Nicolas Anzelmo, Jaden Barton, Alanna Bensyl, Kennedi Burnett, Braden Clampitt, Mackenzie Fulk, Hailey Gaines, Avian Gerdes, Kailyn Ingram, KayLeigh Kamphaus, Olivia Klotz, Ashlyn Lannert, Wyatt Loghry, Madelyn Mabry, Braden MeElroy, Ava Miller, Jett Morris, Nathaniel Nosler, Jonathan Poulter, Isabelle Scott and Karsten Wayland.

79 freshman earn honor roll status, strong finish by 2020 SJO seniors

Seventy-six St. Joseph-Ogden High School seniors earned honor roll recognition in the final quarter of the year. Of that number, 50 students were awarded earned High Honor Roll status.

Students who earn a grade point average of 3.25 or higher on the school's 4.0 scale are recognized as Honor Roll students. Those whose GPA soared above 3.74 are receive High Honor Roll recognition.

Click on individual names to discover more Sentinel articles about each Honor Roll student.