Photo Gallery: Faces in the crowd & on the field

It was a gorgeous late-fall Saturday at Hicks Field. Filled hundreds of fans and entertained by a couple of unintentional flyovers by commercial flights taking off from nearby Willard Airport, two of the four best Class 3A teams in the state squared off to advance to the state championship game at Northern Illinois University.

After two momentum shifts and a quiet third quarter, the Rockets exploded on both offense and defense for a come-from-behind 28-21 victory. Here's a look at the fans who fueled both teams and the players who gave their all.

Check out more faces and game photos here.

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View more photos from this game in the PhotoNews Media archives. Follow this link to IHSA State semifinal Mt. Carmel at Unity.

SJO wins home volleyball match, faces in the crowd

SJO's Maroon Platoon making themselves known to the waiting Panthers at the start of the game.

A spectator closely watches set one action of the Spartans' home volleyball match against PBL.

On the left, SJO volleyball players engage in an interesting conversation. On the right, two fans pose for pictures on the gym floor after the Spartans beat visiting Paxton-Buckley-Loda in straight sets, 2-0. (All photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Student fans and SJO volleyball players celebrate the team's 12 victory of the season, a 2-0 win over PBL, after the game near the student section.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda fans display a look of concern for their team as the Spartans pound the ball into the mid-court. See more match photos here . . .

Spectators talk after the Spartans match. SJO home matches are always a great place to meet up with friends, family and other fans. Click here to see more than 300 photos of St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball coverage by PhotoNews Media.

More postgame photos with friends and athletes. Nothing better than a home win to put a smile on everyone's face.