Urbana remained unbeaten in conference play Thursday night, defeating Bloomington, 2-0.
by Clark Brooks
Sports
URBANA - Urbana’s volleyball team is beginning to look like a team that has no interest in settling for last year’s results. The Tigers continued their unbeaten start in conference play Thursday night, defeating Bloomington 25-23, 19-25, 25-18 at home in a competitive three-set match. Urbana improved to 5-5 overall and 4-0 in conference play, adding the Raiders to a conference win list that already includes Richwoods, Peoria and Centennial.
The Tigers needed three sets to put away Bloomington, but the victory reflected the balanced effort that has fueled their early conference run.
Senior Sophia Sheyko-Frailey led Urbana with 11 kills and added 13 digs, giving the Tigers a steady presence on both sides of the net. Sheyko-Frailey also collected three of Urbana’s six blocks.
Junior Sharrea Smith added four kills, two digs and an ace, while senior Janasia Dillon closed out the game with four kills and contributed two solo blocks.
Urbana’s defense continued to provide support behind its front line. Margaret Weber led the Tigers with five digs, followed by Luana Schwartz with nine and Omega Lugano with eight.
Aidyn Leming gave Urbana another lift from the service line, serving 13 points and recording three aces across the three sets.
The victory represents another significant step for a program that has already surpassed its conference win total from last season. The Tigers won three conference matches a year ago. They now have four conference victories and need one more win to exceed last season’s five-win overall record.
With Urbana carrying a two-match winning streak, that milestone could arrive quickly.
“It currently still feels incomplete because this season is far from complete,” said head coach Sarah Fisher. “I am excited and am proud of the girls for how far we have come, but we still have so much work to do before we are done.”
Fisher said the Tigers’ progress has been rooted in a mindset that emphasizes resilience and continued improvement rather than becoming satisfied with what they have already accomplished.
“The girls have grasped onto being a resilient team no matter the situation. They aren’t willing to settle or be comfortable with results,” Fisher said. “They want to be better and are willing to strive for it, and everyone on the team keeps that mindset.”
Urbana will have a chance to keep building on its conference start Tuesday when the Tigers return home to host Peoria Notre Dame.
The schedule then takes them across town Thursday for a matchup with twin-city rival Champaign Central. The Maroons enter the week 8-9 overall and 3-1 in Big Twelve Conference play.
