Unity tournament champions!

Photo: PhotoNews Media Archive

Emma Bleecher waits for a serve during Unity's road game against St. Joseph-Ogden on September 21. The senior collected 41 kills, 34 digs and 11 aces over five matches to help the Rockets win this season's Lady Warrior Classic title at Reed-Custer High School on Saturday.

The Unity volleyball team dropped just one set on their way to winning the Lady Warrior Classic volleyball tournament title on Saturday. Winning all five matches, the Rockets now boast a 20-0 record.

Cissna Park was the only team that challenged this season's so far undefeated squad during tournament play. After dropping the first set 25-10, the Timberwolves adjusted their offense and won the second set 25-15. Tightening up their play, Unity won the tie-break set, 15-10.

The Rockets defeated Morris in two sets, 25-20, 25-21, and cruised by Dwight 25-5, 25-13. They also went 2-0 against Putnam County (25-13, 25-13) and Maroa-Forsyth (25-15, 25-10).

Emma Bleecher notched 41 kills, 34 digs and served up 11 aces for Unity during the five tournament contests. Payton Kaiser led the team in blocks with seven. She also added 17 kills and eight digs to her season stats.

Three-sport standout Taylor Henry amassed 46 digs and Macie Knudsen added another 22 along with her 20 tournament kills. Setter Maddie Reed tallied up 57 assists and another 20 digs for the Rockets.

Unity's two matches are on the road week. Bleecher and the Rockets travel to St. Teresa tomorrow to take on the Bulldogs and then head to Monticello on Tuesday for an Illini Prairie Conference battle.

IPC names volleyball First Team

Payton Vallee lines up a kill during St. Joseph-Ogden's Class 2A third place game against Rockford Lutheran. Vallee and six other Sentinel area volleyball players earned all-conference recognition for their efforts during the shortened 2020-21 season. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Last week, the best volleyball players this season in the Illini Prairie Conference were announced late last week. Kennedi Burnett and Payton Vallee from St. Joseph-Ogden High School join Unity's Emma Bleecher were awarded First Team All-Conference honors by the Illini Prairie Conference last week.

Rockets' Emma Flesman and the Spartans' Hannah Fox were two of ten players who earned Second Team honors from the conference coaches.

Three-sport athlete Taylor Henry and teammate Macie Knudsen, both from Unity, received Honorable Mentions.

Below is a complete list of this season's honorees.

2020-21 IPC All-Conference Volleyball Team

First Team

Kenna Wollard, Illinois Valley Central
Kaitlin Dean, Olympia
Caroline Kerr, Saint Thomas More
Renni Fultz, Monticello
Kennedi Burnett, Saint Joseph-Ogden
Payton Vallee, Saint Joseph-Ogden
Colleen Hege, Saint Thomas More
Emma Bleecher, Unity

Second Team

Mairen Mannon, Illinois Valley Central
Amaya Webb, Illinois Valley Central
Allie Carr, Monticello
Brooke Fox, Pontiac
Jenni Slagel, Prairie Central
Bella Shields, Rantoul
Hannah Fox, Saint Joseph-Ogden
Mallory Monahan, Saint Thomas More
Maci Walters, Saint Thomas More
Emma Felsman, Unity

Honorable Mention

Abby Cox, Central Catholic
Steph Hebel, Central Catholic
Mia Brady, Pontiac
Addison Masching, Pontiac
Natalie Graf, Prairie Central
Briley Hoffman, Prairie Central
Ashlee Freeman, Rantoul
Taylor Henry, Unity
Macie Knudsen, Unity

32 juniors make Unity's first semester high honor roll

Malia Fairbanks, Phillip Hartke and Grace Renfrow are three of 32 members of the junior class who achived a grade point average of 3.75 or better at Unity High after the first semester. Forty-eight students from the class of 2024 will also be recognized as high honors students on January 26 along with the entire list of students below who made the honor roll or attained high honors status from their efforts between August 19 and December 22.

Students earning a GPA of 3.20 to 3.74 are recognized as honor students.

Seniors

High Honor: Emma Aders; Evelyn Atkins; Rachel Branson; Marissa Charleston; Gracie Cox; Brooke Garretson; Shay Haluzak; Maggie Hewing; Elizabeth Hulilck; Taylor Joop, Olivia Kleiss; Madelyn Moore; Korie Novak; Kimberely Pruitting; Daisy Rawlings; Annie Schmidt; Mia Shannon; Lillian Styan; Jonah Sullivan; Cerra Thompson; and Kyleigh Weller.

Honor: Caroline Bachert; Alyson Bagwell; Brandon Bates; Isabella Bryant; Corbin Cox; Summer Day; Nathan Drennan; Corrina Duvall; Emma Felsman; Shannon Flavin; Alyssa Hartman; Ellen Henning; William Jokisch; Evan LeFaivre; Emily Lopez; Suzanne Migut; Andrew Miller; Aubryanna Norman; Connor ODonnell; Brady Porter; Chloee Reed; Conner Sharp; Ryan Vasey; Nolan Wallace; Caden Wingler; and Laela Zook.

Juniors

High Honor: Katelyn Allen; Marie Baxley; Emma Bleecher; Zayne Bonner; Grace Brock; Sarah Butler; Thomas Cler; Sophia Darnell; Nolan Decker; Allyson England; Malia Fairbanks; Harper Hancock; Cameran Hansen; Phillip Hartke; Elise Johnson; Annabell Jokisch; Delaney Kamradt; Carli Keller; Lauryn Kennedy; Carson Kleparski; Addison Montgomery; Sydney Olson; Kaitlyn Reedy; Grace Renfrow; Samantha Ruggieri; Allison Shonkwiler; Sara Steffens; Erika Steinman; Shelbee Taylor; Isabella Warner; and Destiny Williamson.

Honor: Savannah Alagna; Cody Broadfoot; Calli Chandler; Marshall Church; Kystal Crossin; Evelyn Eastin; Hunter Evans; Hailey Flesch; Grace Frye; Tristania Hansen; Bridget Henry; Taylor Henry; Tyler Hensch; Clayton Jamison; Payton Kaiser; Blake Kimball; Macie Knudsen; Alexandrea Lemon; Alida Maggio; Claire Markstahler; Cameron Marvin; Hanna Mataya; Nolan Miller; Cole Newell; Konnor Orwick; Trustan Price; Madeline Reed; Dillion Rutledge; Alaina Scroggins; Kelley Street; and Taylor Wiersema.

Sophomores

High Honor: Rachel Aders; Caleb Amias; Emily Anderlik; Emmalee Atkins; Mary Bryant; Anthony Chaney; Anna Clark; Lauren Cooke; Hunter Duncan; Brendan Graven; Roger Holben; Erin Lopez; Andrew Manrique; Jayci McGraw; Jolie Meyer; Lauren Miller; Dylan Moore; Andrew Mowrer; Mason Perry; Abigail Pieczynski; Julia Ping; Audrey Remole; Sarah Rink; Reece Sarver; Kaitlyn Schweighart; Annabelle Steg; Raena Stierwalt; Sophia Stierwalt; Avery White; and Luke Williamson.

Honor: Calvin Baxley; Maria Buffo; Haley Carrington; Jayden Clem; Annah Cloin; Joshua Davidson; Paige Farney; Boden Franklin; Brandon Goyne; Haylen Handal; Tyler Liffick Worrell; Kayla Nelson; Ellen Ping; Cale Rawdin; Alivia Renfoe; Emma Stratton; Emmilia Tieman; Ava Vasey; Garrett Wingler; and Kara Young.

Freshmen

High Honor: Evelyn Albaugh; Payton Bradley; Connor Cahill; Analyse Carter; Rebecca Carter; Kendra Cromwell; Desire De Los Santos; Taylor Drennan; Natalie Ellars; Bailey Grob; Madison Henry; Brooke Hewing; Shelby Hoel; Caroline Jamison; Eden Johnson; Cassidy Keller; Caelyn Kleparski; Reagan Little; Zachary Lorbiecki; Tatum Meyer; Eric Miebach; Katelyn Moore; Lauren Neverman; Dalton O’Neill; Anna Polonus; Ava Price; Meredith Reed; Maci Richmond; Briana Ritchie; Isaac Ruggieri; Aubrey Sanders; Aubrey Schaefer; Olivia Shike; Grant Siuts; Logan Siuts; Carsyn Smith; Piper Steele; Lily Steffens; Brock Suding; Ruby Tarr; Andrew Thomas; Henry Thomas; Breanna Weller; Jeremy Wells; Erica Woodard; Abigail Woolcott; Emberly Yeazel; and Madysen York.

Honor: Brendan Bachert; Kiersten Bash; Nathan Bleecher; Brenlee Dalton; Elianna Duo; Kamryn Edenburn; Emma Fish; Mike Gray; Margaret Ingleman; Bayleigh Jones; Jocelyn LeFaivre; Trevor McCarter; Dean Niswonger; Gabriel Pound; Zachary Renfrow; James Rennels; Amelia Rinella Flores; Santiago Sanchez Castillo, Erin Sanders; McKayla Schendel; Carly Scroggins; Matthew Short; Josephine Stierwalt; Lynndsay Talbott; Kate Thomas; Aileen Vasquez Munoz; Aidan Ward; Bailey Wayne; Bryson Weaver; Kolten Wells; and Tanner Wells.

Unity fall semester honor roll students

TOLONO -- Students who achived a grade point average of 3.75 or better at Unity High School earn High Honor Roll recognition. Students earning a GPA of 3.20 to 3.74 are recognized as Honor students.

Senior High Honor Roll

Zayne Bonner
Grace Frye
Elise Johnson
Marie Baxley
Katelyn Allen
Shelbee Taylor
Annabelle Jokisch
Sydney Olson
Isabella Warner
Delaney Kamradt
Allyson England
Kaitlyn Reedy
Sara Steffens
Emma Bleecher
Lauryn Kennedy
Elise Swanstrom
Thomas Cler
Taylor Henry
Sarah Butler
Payton Kaiser
Erika Steinman
Malia Fairbanks
Alaina Scroggins
Taylor Cloud
Kelley Street
Samantha Ruggieri
Nolan Miller
Tyler Hensch
Carli Keller
Allison Shonkwiler
Hailey Flesch, Evelyn Eastin, Krystal Crossin
Tavius Hosley, Addison Montgomery
Grace Renfrow
Destiny Williamson
Madeline Reed
Savannah Alagna
Anna Burgoni
Shaelynn Carrier
Nolan Decker
Marshall Church

Senior Honor Roll

Ivy Wright
Phillip Hartke
Bridget Henry
Harper Hancock
Grace Brock
Calli Chandler
Macie Knudsen
Bailey Rice
Cole Newell
Riah Inman
Hanna Mataya
Carson Kleparski
Dillon Rutledge
Ryan Cole
Cameron Marvin
Claire Markstahler
Joseph Thompson
William Thompson
Carson Willard
Alida Maggio
Cameran Hansen
Nathan Weakley
Clayton Jamison
Christopher Conley
Christian Hite
Joel Neverman
Sophia Darnall
Blake Kimball
Anna Wodtka
Cody Broadfoot
Tristania Hansen
Grant Albaugh
Lucas Sommers

Junior High Honor Roll

Erin Lopez
Caleb Amias
Sophia Stierwalt
Sarah Rink
Brendan Graven
Raena Stierwalt
Kaitlyn Schweighart
Dylan Moore
Rachel Aders
Calvin Baxley
Mary Bryant
Jacob Maxwell
Anna Clark
Lauren Miller
Roger Holben
Andrew Mowrer
Avery White
Ellen Ping
Abigail Pieczynski
Annah Cloin
Emmalee Atkins
Ava Vasey
Audrey Remole
Julie Ping
Emily Anderlik

Junior Honor Roll

Ian Russell
Hunter Duncan
Mason Perry
Andrew Manrique
Emmilia Tiemann
Tyler Liffick Worrell
Jayce McGraw
Haylen Handal
Jolie Meyer
Kayla Nelson
Cale Rawdin
Annabelle Steg
Maria Buffo
Paige Farney
Lauren Cooke
Anthony Chaney
Lillian Montgomery
Kara Young
Logan Allen
Reece Sarver
Kiersten Reasor
Natalie Weller
Madison Loftsgaard
Anna Hamilton
Alivia Renfroe
Peyton Weckle
Garrett Wingler
Brandon Goyne
Boden Franklin
Bobby Kirkland

Sophomore High Honor Roll

Eden Johnson
Anna Polonus
Ava Price
Carsyn Smith
Madysen York
Lily Steffens
Shelby Hoel
Olivia Shike
Erica Woodard
Katelyn Moore
Rebecca Carter
Cassidy Keller
Jocelyn LeFaivre
Aubrey Sanders
Natalie Ellars
Analyse Carter
Caelyn Kleparski
Desire De Los Santos
Tanner Chilton
Isaac Ruggieri
Abigail Woolcott
Tatum Meyer
Briana Ritchie
Madison Henry
Lauren Neverman
Taylor Drennan
Dalton Oneill
Margaret Ingleman
Breanna Weller
Andrew Thomas
Logan Siuts
Caroline Jamison
Eric Miebach
Reagan Little
Ruby Tarr
Brooke Hewing
Henry Thomas
Meredith Reed
Brock Suding
Brenlee Dalton
Connor Cahill
Evelyn Albaugh
Jeremy Wells
Castillo Sanchez
Emberly Yeazel
Michael Porter
Piper Steele
Kamryn Edenburn
Bridget Vazquez
Maci Richmond

Sophomore Honor Roll

Bailey Grob
Nathan Bleecher
Bayleigh Jones
Dean Niswonger
Emma Plackett
Kendra Cromwell
Gabriel Howard
McKayla Schendel
August Niehaus
Zachary Lorbiecki
Kate Thomas
Carson Parker
Trevor McCarter
Aubrey Schaefer
Jay Saunders
Tanner Wells
Rylee Richardson
Gillian Rice
Sophia Wozencraft
Brooklyn Haas
Ava Holladay
Emma Fish
Darren Weckle
Keaton Roether
Thayden Root
Bryson Weaver
Grant Siuts
Carly Scroggins
Alexis Ritchie
Kolton Wells
Sebastian Allen
Trevor O'Bryan
Mason Davis

Freshman High Honor Roll

Joseph Temple
Ashley Rennels
Faith Hall
Avery Watson
Catharine Ford
Molly Baxley
Ashlyn Denney
Alex Mowrer
Ryan Robinson
Savannah Rubin
Camryn Reedy
Kade Dubson
Elle Cheely
Madelyn Darnall
Chloey Duitsman
Paige Brewer
Ryan Rink
Rylee Refisteck
Lauren Hellmer
Jordan Daugherty
Lindsey Johnson
Daniel Stein
Ava Fenter
Sophia Hartke
Meagan Rothe
Kadence Goff
Josephine Cler
Lindy Bates
Hunter Eastin
Lydia Rossi
Dallas Hollingsworth
Lauren Shaw
Kolton Black
Wyatt Huffstutler
Tessah Williams
McKinley Weller
Sophia Beckett
Sophia Frye
Gracie Meharry

Freshman Honor Roll

Ava Davis
Ezekiel De Los Santos
Reigna Price
Emily Decker
Noah Bryant
Brady Parr
Michael Bromley
Nolan Wishall
Paige Garretson
Estella Dodd
Caleb Hoewing
Bentten Cain
Alexis Gady
Gavin Weaver
Emmerson Bailey
Cohl Boatright
Lindsey Lewis
Logan Zumbahlen
Taylor Prough
Maddie Wheeling
Austin Mikeworth
Makayla Nonman
Riley McNeely
Grant Steinman
Jacob Davidson
Kathryn Lancaster
Logan Church
Brianna Blakley

Prep Sports Notebook: SJO beats BCC in two, Rockets go the distance at Rantoul

Bleecher, Knudsen notch 12 kills at Rantoul

The Eagles of Rantoul proved no match for the visiting high-powered Unity volleyball team on Thursday. The Rockets added another mark in the win column after a 2-1 finish on the road in their final regular-season match of the season.

Both Emma Bleecher and Macie Knudsen tallied 12 kills apiece in the three-set affair. Bleecher also led the team with eight digs, Knudsen had five.

Unity won the first set 25-13 and was forced into a third after dropping the second set, 25-19. Back in system, the Rockets rolled to a 25-11 third set finish.

Maddie Reed was credited with 31 assists and contributed seven digs in the three-setter. Taylor Henry was the defensive leader with 13 digs.

Spartans overpower Central Catholic

St. Joseph-Ogden picked up a road win in their last regular-season dual match on Thursday. Addie Roesch notched seven kills and Kennedi Burnett chalked up six more in the 2-0 Spartan volleyball win over Central Catholic.

Roesch, a sophomore, had three digs and an ace. Burnett had nine of her own and served up five aces.

SJO won the first set of the conference match 25-18 and took the second one, 25-10.

Becca Steinbach dished out 20 assists while Rachel Divan led the team's defensive effort at the net with three blocks. Divan, also a sophomore, had four kills.

Prep Sports Notebook: Unity, St. Joseph-Ogden post senior night wins

Reed tallies 21 assists on Senior Night

After honoring seniors Maddie Reed, Gracie Renfrow, Taylor Wiersema, Emma Bleecher, Macie Knudsen, Taylor Henry, and Payton Kaiser, the Unity volleyball team added another tick in the win column after defeating visiting Rantoul 25-17, 25-21.

As she has done all season, Bleecher led the Rockets' offense with 10 kills and five digs. Knudsen supported her effort with six kills of her own and four digs.

Reed distributed 21 assists in Unity's last home match of the season. Renfrow took advantage of four of those passes to earn four kills for herself.

Wiersema rounded out the stat leaders in Tuesday night's match with eight digs and three aces.

The Rockets finish the final week of the regular season on the road at Olympia on Thursday. Hosting regional competition in the Monticello sectional, the squad returns to action on Tuesday as the #1 seed. The senior-laden team starts postseason play against the winner of the quarterfinal match between Paris (10-seed) and Sullivan (9-seed) on Monday.

Burnett leads SJO in Senior Night three-set thriller

After dropping the first set by two, the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team rallied back to defeat Paxton-Buckley-Loda 23-25, 25-21, 25-17.

Kennedi Burnett finished the final regular-season home match of her high school career with five aces, eight kills and 13 digs. The senior, who was honored before the start of the contest was also credited with two blocks and one assist.

Fellow senior Becca Steinback had 29 assists, 10 digs and one kill in the Senior Night match. Hannah Fox, also appearing in her last home match, delivered 13 digs, two assists and added another ace to the Spartans' effort.

Shayne Immke and the Spartans take the floor again on Thursday evening in Bloomington to face the Lady Saints of Central Catholic. Immke, a junior, had 11 digs and eight kills in SJO's three-setter on Tuesday.

Area Sports Scores

Soccer
2A IHSA Regional
Urbana 6 - Danville 0

Volleyball

Unity def Rantoul
25-11, 25-10

St. Joseph-Ogden def PBL
23-25, 25-21, 25-17

Prep Sports Notebook: Two volleyball teams advance, two fall in regional openers

Spartans blast past Blue Devils

Kennedi Burnett collected 11 kills and six digs in St. Joseph-Ogden's 2-0 win over Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin on Tuesday. The senior added a match-high five aces to her season stats and Shayne Immke pounded three of her own over the net in the two-setter.

Immke (5 kills, 1 block, 6 digs) and the Spartans advance to the regional title match against Decatur St. Teresa.

After nearly even play, SJO pulled away on the scoreboard in the first set with a six-point run reaching 10-5. BHRA, unable to sustain any momentum with Immke and Burnett on the other side of the net, lost the first set, 25-14.

"Our girls are playing confidently," said head coach Abby McDonald. "We're excited to be where we are at the end of October. Our goal was to be at our best at the end October."

The second set was much of the same with the Spartans jumping out to a 7-1 one lead. Taking their foot off the gas, SJO allowed the Blue Devils to erase a seven-point deficit to get within two at 11-9.

McDonald called timeout after the Blue Devils scored six unanswered points. When play resumed, Burnett notched another kill and rotated to the back line to serve. She promptly hit a well-placed ace to help her team go up 13-9 on the scoreboard. From that point on, the Spartans were firmly back in control of the reigns on their way to a 25-16 finish.

On a scale of 1-10, McDonald said the team's effort was a 7.

"I always think we can play better," she said. "We will work on what we need to in practice tomorrow."

St. Joseph-Ogden's Becca Steinback was credited with 21 assists, a block and four digs.

Rockets continue to soar with win over Sullivan

Macie Knudsen led the Unity volleyball team's effort in their 2-0 regional semifinal victory on Tuesday over the 5-26 Red Skins.

The Rockets took the first set 25-10 and delivered a similar effort to take the second one, 25-13.

Knudsen delivered 10 kills and eight digs and Emma Bleecher added six kills and six digs of her own for the #1 seeded Rockets. Maddie Reed served up four aces and distributed 14 assists in the two-setter. Bleecher served three aces of her own against Sullivan.

Now at 33-3, the Rockets will face #5 Monticello tomorrow night. In their first meeting of the season a month ago, UHS prevailed by way of a 25-19, 25-16 victory.

Urbana volleyball seasons are over

Both Urbana and University High volleyball seasons came to an end on Tuesday.

U-High dropped their postseason opener to Salt Fork in the Class 1A bracket, 25-10, 25-3.

Meanwhile in Class 3A, Urbana suffered a 2-0 loss in their postseason opener at the Mahomet-Seymour Regional. Normal University ended the Tigers' season after a 25-7, 25-10, loss.

Volleyball team's road to state blocked, Unity falls 2-1 in nailbiter against Monticello

Heading into Thursday's regional title match against Monticello, the #1 seeded Unity volleyball team enjoyed a six-match win streak and hadn't lost a match in 19 days. The clear favorite, with a 33-3 record to back it up, the Rockets suffered an unexpected, bittersweet ending in an otherwise promising postseason run in a 2-1 loss to the Sages.

Senior Maddie Reed makes a pass in the last match of her prep career during the Unity's regional title match against Monticello last Thursday. The Rockets, who beat the Sages earlier in the season 2-0, lost to the Sages on their home court at the Rocket Center, 2-1.

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

It was clear from the get-go that fans from both teams were in for a gritty dog fight between the two Illini Prairie rivals.

"This is one of their rivals outside of St. Joe, I suppose. They were ready for that," said Unity first-year head coach Erika Yerry about her squad, which featured seven battle-tested seniors. Given the proximity of the two schools and their blooming rivalry, she anticipated a deafening and highly-charged match environment. "They were expecting that. We knew there would be a lot of fans and a lot of screaming."

What the Rockets were not prepared for were Monticello's tenacity and grit.

Yerry said, "We were ready for the battle. I don't think we ready for them to push us as much as they did."

Unity trailed on the scoreboard for the first 25 points in the opening set. Down by three at 14-11, Yerry called a timeout. Soon after, the Rockets pieced together a four-point run to tie things up at 17-all. A return error on the next serve gave the Rockets their first lead in the set.

There would be two more lead changes before the Sages prevailed, 25-23.

Yerry was not overly concerned after losing the first set by two points.

"I wasn't worried. I was more upset about some of the mistakes that we made," she said. "We just had way too many unforced errors in the first set and Monticello only beat us by two. We cleaned that up in the second set and then the third set was just a dogfight."

Behind Emma Bleecher's down-the-line kills and cross-courters from Katey Moore Unity took the second set easily, 25-11. Unfortunately, the shift in energy and momentum for the Rockets did not last.

(Left to right) Unity's Reagan Little, Ruby Tarr, Julia Ping, Jayci McGraw, an unidentified player and Katey Moore cheer for teamates after winning a point in the second set of their Class 2A regional title match. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Before two teams entered the deciding third set, Monticello head coach Kim Allison delivered a message to her team that they took to heart.

"I told them: 'Go out there and put everything out on the court. Be competitive all the way through and truly believe you can beat Unity.'"

Allison told the Sages to focus on how they played in the opening set and to take the energy back out on the floor.

"It was nice to be able to say it 'it's a whole new match,'" she told her players. "Think about how you came out that first set. That's the way we're coming out this set."

Yerry had a different message for her squad between the second and third set of the evening.

"I thought we would be more in-system, be more in rhythm going into set three," she said. "But, you can never underestimate Monticello. I told them to be ready and that they would come out firing."

Unity senior Taylor Henry serves the ball during third set action against the Sages. (Photo: PhotoNews Media)

Monticello won the first three points in the final set, but the Rockets held their ground working their way back to their only lead of the game at 4-3. The Sages then scored six unanswered points to go up 9-4 for their largest lead of the do-or-die set.

With a renewed sense of urgency, Rockets' Macie Knudsen and Taylor Henry intensified their play. The burst of energy helped the Rockets outscore Monticello 7-1 and trail by one at 12-11. Bleecher & Co. would get within one to tie three more times but the Sages repelled their efforts each time to win the final set, 25-20.

"We played a tough Monticello team. I don't think we were ready for their defense on every single ball," Yerry said after her first season at Unity came to an unexpected close. "As the rallies go longer and longer, you get more and more tired, and you start to make mistakes. I think that threw us for a loop a little bit."

While their prep career had come to an end, she said three of her seniors plan to play at the collegiate level and were ready to "move on to the next step." Without their dedication, work ethic, and leadership the Rockets would not have concluded their season with an impressive 33-4 finish.

"Overall, our season was amazing," Yerry said.

Prep Sports Notebook: SJO, Unity posts volleyball wins

SJO's Shayne Immke tallied five kills on Monday against Hoopeston Area. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Spartans deal aces

Hannah Fox and Kennedi Burnett slammed three aces apiece in St. Joseph-Ogden's home volleyball match against Hoopeston Area. The Spartans defeated the visiting Cornjerkers 25-11 in two sets.

Fox was also credited with eight digs and two assists. Burnett contributed another seven digs and led the team in scoring with nine kills. Senior Becca Steinbach had 19 assists and five digs while junior Shayne Immke tacked on another five kills.

Rockets knock off Clinton in straight sets

Emma Bleecher collected 12 kills in Unity's 25-19, 25-12 win over Clinton.

Macie Knudsen added another five kills to the book and had eight digs. Taylor Henry led the team defensively with 12 digs.

Uni falls 2-0 to STM

Uni-High gave up two first-half goals to fall 2-0 to visiting St. Thomas More. Goalkeeper Arjun Kala made three saves for the Illineks.

Unity soccer suffers road loss

Georgetown-Ridge Farm scored four unanswered goals to beat the Rockets, 4-0. Before hosting back-to-back home matches starting Thursday, Unity travels to Bloomington to take on Central Catholic today at 4:30.

Prep Sports Notebook for September 23

Unity continues to roll

The Unity volleyball team picked up win number 15 after a 2-0 win over visiting Paxton-Buckley-Loda. Emma Bleecher had eight kills and seven digs while teammate Payton Kaiser added another six kills and four digs in the 25-22, 25-15 conference victory.

Chemla score four goals

Teo Chemla scored his first of four goals for University High within the first minute of his team's 8-1 road win against Judah Christian. The junior found the net again 10 minutes later to give the Illineks a 3-0 lead. Later, in a two-minute span, he added goals #3 and #4 starting at the 39-minute mark.

Noah La Nave produced a hat trick on passes from Arya Thirodira, Chemla, and Benji Chang.

Senior Ryland Graham, on an assist from Lawrence Zhao, scored the team's final goal of the match in the second half.

Roesch pounds nine kills

Shaking off Tuesday's conference loss to Unity, the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball team bounced back to beat Pontiac on the road 25-16, 25-12.

Addie Roesch put away nine kills and Kennedi Burnett added another six to the stat book. Becca Steinbach was credited with 23 assists. Senior Hannah Fox led defensively with 10 digs.

The Spartans are back on the court on Monday at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley for another non-conference test.

Hoopeston Area knocked off Oakwood-Salt Fork for a 3-1 conference win. The Cornjerkers improved to 9-0 in conference play and 13-4-1 overall.

After OSF's Carlie Thompson scored the first, and his team's only goal on an assist from Saul Carrillo, Hoopeston's Kayden Wallace, Ben Brown, and Isias Diaz scored one goal each.

Unity soccer shutout

The Rockets dropped their Illini Prairie Conference match against Rantoul, 7-0. The Rockets, still looking for their first win this season, will play their next two contest away.

The two-match road campaign starts with a trip to Illinois Valley Central on Saturday for another conference match against the Grey Ghost. Then on Monday, the team plays at Fisher.

Unity High School announced first semester honor roll students

The students named below earned recognition for their academic performance and attention to excellence at Unity High School. Congratulations to each on their exceptional scholastic effort last semester.

Seniors

High Honors: Evelyn Albaugh; Connor Cahill; Analyse Carter; Rebecca Carter; Brenlee Dalton; Taylor Drennan; Natalie Ellars; Bailey Grob; Brooklyn Haas; Madison Henry; Shelby Hoel; Margaret Ingleman; Caroline Jamison; Eden Johnson; Cassidy Keller; Caelyn Kleparski; Jocelyn LeFaivre; Reagan Little; Tatum Meyer; Eric Miebach; Lauren Neverman; Dean Niswonger; Anna Polonus; Aiden Porter; Meredith Reed; Maci Richmond; Briana Ritchie; Aubrey Sanders; Tsihon Shotton; Logan Siuts; Carsyn Smith; Piper Steele; Lily Steffens; Brock Suding; Ruby Tarr; Andrew Thomas; Darren Weckle; Erica Woodard; Abigail Woolcott; Emberly Yeazel; Ava Price; Erin Sanders; Bayleigh Jones; Isaac Ruggieri; Jeremy Wells; Madysen York; Brooke Hewing; Kendra Cromwell; Emma Plackett; Alexis Ritchie; Lynndsay Talbott; and Henry Thomas.

Honor Roll: Emma Fish; Trevor McCarter; Keaton Roether; Bailey Wayne; Caedmon Cazares; Zachary Lorbiecki; Carly Scroggins; Elianna Duo; Matthew Short; Santiago Sanchez; Rylee Richardson; Bryson Weaver; Isabel Sellers; Dalton ONeill; Aubrey Schaefer; Bridget Vazquez; Kolten Wells; Nicholas Brown; Desire De Los Santos; Ava Holladay; Raegen Stringer; Hector Jimenez Gil; Aileen Vasquez Munoz; Tanner Chilton; Kamryn Edenburn; Gabriel Pound; Jay Saunders; McKayla Schendel; Breanna Weller; Addison Ray; Aidan Ward; Sophia Wozencraft; Anna Wood; Olivia Hosley; Gillian Rice; Kate Thomas; Riley FitzGerald; Tyler Gumm; Grant Siuts; Nathan Bleecher; Kaylin Owen; and Thayden Root.

Juniors

High Honors: Avery Alagna; Noah Bryant; Elle Cheely; Madelyn Darnall; Ashlyn Denney; Kade Dubson; Chloey Duitsman; Ava Fenter; Catharine Ford; Kadence Goff; Sophia Hartke; Dallas Hollingsworth; Wyatt Huffstutler; Alex Mowrer; Camryn Reedy; Rylee Reifsteck; Lydia Rossi; Savannah Rubin; Lauren Shaw; Daniel Stein; Avery Watson; Ashely Rennels; Jenna Adkins; Lindy Bates; Paige Brewer; Faith Hall; Lauren Hellmer; Ryan Rink; Josephine Cler; Emily Decker; Maegan Rothe; Estella Dodd; and Molly Baxley.

Honor Roll: Joseph Tempel; Oscar Boldt; Gracie Meharry; Gavin Weaver; Sophia Beckett; Paige Garretson; McKenzie Hart; Nolan Wishall; Jordan Daugherty; Logan Church; Hunter Eastin; Tessah Williams; Austin Mikeworth; Logan Zumbahlen; Bentten Cain; Franke Davis; Sophia Frye; Andrew King; Brady Parr; McKinley Weller; Lindsey Johnson; Sydney Jackson; and Nathaniel DeNeal.

Sophomores

High Honors: Anna Amias; Mylie Castle; Eli Crowe; Ella Darnall; Crewe Eckstein; Callie Ellars; Camden Fairbanks; Margaret Garcier; Collin Graven; Isabel Grob; Faith Lampe; Kallista Lancaster; Mylie Loftsgaard; Claire Meharry; Harry Polonus; Dallas Porter; Mackenzie Pound; Ty Rodems; Katie Ruggieri; Vanna Schriefer; Hunter Shike; Annalise Shunk; Caden Stierwalt; Ginna Stierwalt; Madelyn Stierwalt; Emma Swisher; Carter Tiemann; Anna Vasey; Lucille Wiesbrook; Paula Wilson; Lucas Hood; Deakin Moore; Isaac Neverman; Olivia Egelston; Olivia Rawdin; Claire Zorns; Kaylee Cooke; Caden Hensch; Logan Jeurissen; Bailey Tompkins; Savanna Cruz; Chason Daly; and Kenley Harris.

Honor Roll: Chloe Cousins; Samantha Gumbel; Ian Taber; Phoenix Molina; Mason ONeill; Shelby Smith; Aria Battaglia; Maddix Buchanan; Jillian Schlittler; Andrew Ray; Dane Eisenmenger; Anna Kuhns; Analea Popovics; Shelby Zoch; Brayden Henry; Tyler Henry; Desmond Winfrey; Johanna Langley, Ethan Mohr; Heath Stringer; Cameron Kaiser; Brody Osterbur; Kyla Reed; Kamden Schuckman; Olivia Tempel; Bryan Crosby; Abram Davidson; Tanner Gallivan; and Joshua Heath.

Freshmen

High Honors: Dominic Baxley; Clare Bryant; Caleb Coy; Lillian Daly; Hudson DeHart; Danika Eisenmenger; Allison Fenter; Journey Gabbard; Bailee Gadeken; Colton Harmon; Avery Kamradt; Kathryn Knoll; Audrey McDaniel; Emily Osterbur; Adam Reedy; Allyson Shaw; Evalyn Skibbe; Piper Staley; Grace Tempel; Jacob Ward; Leah Watson; Maggie Weckle; Grace Wherley; Rylan Wolf; Broderick Irwin; Cash McCann; Elizabeth Wayne; Grace Bickers; Max Rossi; Alex Bromley; Berkley Cloud; Lucy Kleiss; Cadence Chandler; Reese Frye, Brooklyn Mumm; Kendal Zerrusen; and Aidan Ellis.

Honor Roll: Addison Davis; Olivia Hall; Madison Spohn; Paige Bradley; Braedyn Dalton; Taylor Finley; Landrey Mohr; Addison Wyatt; Alyssa Shields; Isaac Siegwald; Ethan Schaefer; Nicole Paeth; Evan Puckett; Juan Acosta Toro; Noah Conde; Sadie Polonus; Ava Wolf Rice; Natalie Haas; Nicholas Montgomery; Elizabeth Farney; and Rush Little.

Prep Sports Notebook: Rockets, Spartans sweep volleyball opponents

Unity football celebrates senior night

Unity's unblemished record will be on the line as the Rockets will host 5-2 Paxton-Buckley-Loda at Hicks Field tonight. It is the first time the two teams have met on the gridiron since 2006.

Fourteen senior athletes, who have already clinched a playoff spot for their 7-0 team, will be recognized at the football team's last home game of the season prior to kickoff.

This year's senior players include Nat Nosler, Blake Kimball, Tyler Hensch, Braxton Manuel, Dillon Rutledge, Damian Knoll, Trustan Price, Liam Alt, Oran Varela, Karson Richardson, Austin McDaniel, Cameron Marvin, Colby Loftsgaard, and Chance Ingleman.

Rockets pick up 23rd win

The Unity volleyball team battled past Pontiac in straight sets 27-25, 25-19 improving to 23-3 on the season after the conference match.

Emma Bleecher pounded 12 kills and had nine digs against the Indians. Three-sport star Taylor Henry had 13 digs of her own.

The Rockets also got 14 assists and 8 digs from senior Maddie Reed. Payton Kaiser, also a senior, contributed a pair of kills of her own next to seven digs.

Up next, Unity hosts Urbana on the upcoming Monday evening. A freshman bout will start at 5pm and the varsity main event somewhere around 6pm.

Burnett double-double lifts SJO

Outside hitter Kennedi Burnett posted 10 kills and recorded 10 digs in the St. Joseph-Ogden road match at Olympia last night. Libero Hannah Fox also contributed 10 digs to help SJO cruise past the other Illini Prairie Conference Spartans, 2-0.

Becca Steinbach notched 19 assists while Rachel Divan, who was a wall at the net with three blocks, contributed three kills.

SJO's Shayne Immke added another four kills and chipped in another seven digs in the conference sweep that ended, 25-8, 25-15.

The Spartans play again at Illinois Valley Central tomorrow at noon.

Prep Sports Notebook: Unity volleyball gets conference win, Spartans miss the cut in golf

Unity cruises to win over Paris

Emma Bleecher posted 10 kills and three digs in Unity's 2-0 win on the road against Paris. Sophomore Katy Moore added another four kills as Unity roared past the Tigers 25-13, 25-12.

Meanwhile, Maddie Reed served up three aces and had 33 assists to help the Rockets improve to 22-1 on the season.

SJO golf season ends

Two St. Joseph-Ogden golfers who advanced to today's sectional at Beecher failed to make the cut for a slot at this weekend's state tournament in Bloomington-Normal.

Jacob Kern finished 24 strokes over with a 91 on the PAR 72 course at Balmoral Woods Country Club on Monday. Teammate McGwire Atwood turned in a score of 102 in 85th place.

Kern was 70th in the overall standings and Atwood in 85th place in the field of 110 athletes at the sectional meet.

Cornjerkers post shutout

Hoopeston Area held Clifton Central scoreless winning 3-0 at home. Talan Gredy-Nelson and Ben Brown scored a goal apiece in the first half. Brown, a senior, scored the third goal for a 3-0 lead on a header. Nick Hofer book the assist on all three scores.

Goaltender Derek Drayer had seven saves to earned another Cornjerker victory and shut-out.

Hoopeston Area will have their Annual Pink Night Kick Cancer and celebrate senior night at Tuesday's home game against Bismarck-Henning Rossville-Alvin.

Oakwood football field dedication on Friday

Oakwood - This Friday, the Oakwood High School football field will have a new name. The athletic program will christen the field with its new name, "Marty McFarland Field" before the Comets kick off their week seven game against visiting Hoopeston-Armstrong.

During his 23-year career guiding the OHS football program, McFarland won 126 games, four conference championship titles, and led the Comets to nine IHSA playoffs appearances. He is also the only coach in school history to reach a state football quarterfinal game. A 1998 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, he was selected as an assistant coach for the annual East/West All-Star football game during his final season with the Comets.

The dedication ceremony are scheduled to begin at 6:30p on Friday.

Academic Honors |
Parkland Fall 2024 Dean's List

CHAMPAIGN - Parkland College announced the names of students whose academic performance landed them a spot on the Fall 2025 Dean's List. One of the highest honors a student can receive for their academic performance, the Dean's List is awarded to Parkland College students who earn a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 grade scale for the semester in 100-level courses or higher.

Below is a list of students in our area who earned academic honors last fall. The complete current list can be found on the Parkland College website.

Broadlands
Kayla Pickett

Catlin
Jackson Dines
Joseph Kedas
Christine Wyant

Champaign
Amira Abedelsalam
Dalal Abudayya
Elana Abudayya
Anahi Alanis
Jonathan Alanis
Elizabeth Allen
Saad Al-Zoubi
Charlie Anderson
David Ard
Grace Bailey
Maya Baker
Josiah Barlow
Alyssa Bartolome
Stretton Beal
Shane Beard
Makenna Beaulin
Robin Betka
Selena Bien
Brady Boatright
Thomas Bradley Jr
Mackenzie Britton
Heidi Brya
Lonnie Buggs
Manny Cabrera-Paredes
Jaden Campbell
Katrina Catizone
Franklin Chen
Yijun Chen
Jonathan Chen
Taylor Clark
Ry Cline
Carly Coats
Jazzmine Cole
Oscar Contreras
Melissa Corley
V H Cronenberg
Valencia Crosby
Andrea Dalton
Conrad Damrau
Ryan Delehanty
Alex Deluna
Jasmine Diep
Consolet Djamba
Jerome Isaac Domingo
Kylan Dorner
Gavin Dorsla
Laney Duden
Megan Eastham
Tanaja Edwards
Nickoy Edwards
Amina Fairley
Jesse Fewkes
Addison Fisher
Sierra Foltz
Destiny Frickensmith
Ayanna Fuller
Dalila Garcia
Tristin Gardner
Victoria Garrett
Rachael Goekler
Jake Green
Abigail Grena
Keira Hadley
William Hansen
Curtis Harvey
Miles Haug
Leo Havey
Zoey Hayes
Kaia Helbling
Marlen Hernandez
Delaney Hesch
Ariana Hopkins
Yufei Hu
Charlene Huang
Harold Indra
Weddie Jackson
Sarah Jacobson
Sofiyyah Jempeji
Araceli Johnson
Abigail Johnson
Chai Jones
Minjoon Kang
Shounok Kar
Fefe Kayembe
Cupid Keiper
Selena Kim
Sani Kimura
Mathias Kirkland
Jarred Koerner
Gianna Kreps
Kasie Lajeunesse
Eunseong Lee
Dohyung Lee
Mackenzie Leigh
Rebekah Leighton
Evan Li
Joshua Loftus
Kristin Lopez
Daniel Lopez
Jakob Luhrsen
Ruth Mambo
Cass Marino
Erica Markell
Emmanuela Martinez
Rayane Marzouqi
Madison McCoy
Greyson McDonald
Bailey McMahon
Melissa Meza
Sylvia Middleton
Richard Miller
Zoey Mitchell
Kennadie Mitchell
Colin Monti
Allison Morenz
Ian Moriarty
Jessica Mueller
Gina Naumann
Angelica Ngoho
Ngoc Tran Qua Nguyen
Tiffany Nguyen
Jesse Nguyen
Tommy Nguyen
Kenny Nham
Timothy Norcross
Immanuel Nwosu
Tyler Odom
Jessica Palmberg
Clare Pate
Mahi Patel
Cameron Patten
Arthur Pawlik
Lawanda Peeples
Joviane Pembele
Kylia Pierson
Jude Pisarczyk
Ethan Plankell
Taniya Reinhart
Riley Ries
Craig Riggle
Theresa Rollings
Alyssa Rosborough
Brian Rose
Jenna Royer
Elijah Ruggieri
Cody Rummenie
Burak Safaker
Martha Samuel
Lauren Sanders
Landon Sanders
Lizbeth Serrano-Betanzos
Anya Shannon
Ayush Sharma
Fedor Shemetov
Yu-Chen Shih
Michael Skaj
Ryan Slifer
Avery Smith
Skyler Smith
Jason Smith
Rasidat Sodiji
J.J Standerfer
Isabelle Swanson
Tommy Thi
Elaysha Thomas
Pierce Thompson
Jaden Tohill
Julian Torres
Gavin Tousignant
Lucius Tran
Johnny Tran
Thuan Trinh
Jasmine Turnbo
Kaitlyn Valentine
Tori Ann Vandegraft
Erik Walk
Shawn Walker
Lyssa Walker
Jack Walters
Julia Wang
Calvin Wetzel
John White
Lauren White
Bayleeella Whitney
Sarah Whittington
Inyzhe Wilson
Jason Winters
Winter Wolford
Syafino Yunalfian
Allen Zhang
Yixing Zhang
Artie Zhang

Fithian
Kayla House

Homer
Renate Alant
Lilli Montgomery

Ivesdale
Quinn Flavin

Oakwood
Shelby Doggett
Dylan A Dillow
Carlie Reitz

Ogden
Bridget M Blackburn

Philo
Nathan Bleecher
Brenlee Dalton
Bailey Grob
Jocelyn Lefaivre
Reagan Little
Amy Ray
Isabel Rivera
Kyleigh Weller

Sadorus
Hayden Hudson
Victoria Wells

Saint Joseph
McGwire Atwood
Mason Behrens
Taylor Burch
Kennedi Burnett
Shanice Edwards
Hailey Gaines
Cailey Horatschki
Kya Jolley
Hayden Lewis
Sam McDade
Jack Robertson
Addison Roesch
Rylee Stahl
Jill Uken
Andrew Wells
Emily Wheeler
Raegan Young

Savoy
Edith Ahondju-Olela
Evy Atkins
Patrick Brand
Siarah Brown
Charlie Cekander
Grace Chong
Kalissa Davis-Milam
Sean Flom
Rebecca Fonner
Ludvig Granlund
Mahillan Kalaimani
Moon Su Kang
Daniel Kang
Katelyn Kennedy
Gaelle Mayala
Leyton McGeary
Isaac Molloy
Kyle Moon
Erica Mueller
Marcos Park
Hyunjune Seong
Davi Yoo

Sidney
Lauren Cooke
Emma Fish
Emma Graham
Jodi Hamilton
Tyler Liffick-Worrell
Carson Parker
Piper Steele

Tolono
Maria Buffo
Calli Chandler
Hunter Duncan
Brooke Hewing
Shelby Hoel
Jayci McGraw
Jolie Meyer
Tatum Meyer
Julia Ping
Gabriel Pound
Meredith Reed
Maci Richmond
Reece Sarver
McKayla Schendel
Sara Steffens
Raena Stierwalt
Lynndsay Talbott
Jeremy Wells
Luke Williamson
Emberly Yeazel
Madysen York

Urbana
Rachel Aders
Dilichukwu Agu
Jose De Jesus Aguilera Contrera
Arifat Alabi-Taiwo
Luciana Alvarez
Deanna Auxier
Tevi Balekita
Ciel Baptiste
Yael Beretta
Pilar Bernad Ortega
Brandon Bianco
Ebenezer Boti
Audrey Boudreau
Janai Brown
Evan Bullock
Ryan Burns
Ariana Chambers
Charles Chambers
George Clancy
Yali Cohen
Tom Compere
Jeron Coulter
Jalyssa Crede
Lisa Curtiss
Breanna Davis
Jordan Ennis
Sofiia Fedina
Morgan Frush
Aaron Gabel
Lisette Gasser
Abigail Gillespey
Ella Gilmore
Santiago Gonzalez Ahuerma
Jessica Hamilton
Shion Hayashi
Tony Heckenmueller Drew Howard
Hoda Ismail
Robert Jenkins
Joanna Jiang
Amari Johnson
Marcus Johnson
Benjamin Joselyn
Lorris Kanteng
Kaya Karabeyaz-Cowling
Iver Krogstad
Carmen Lopez-Irineo
Sebastian Major
Jennifer Marquez Ramon
Gabrielle Mboyo Meta
Keith McAbee
Lauren Miller
Shaylie Miller
America Moreno-Duran
Lea Nicky Mar Nkenlifack Miaffo
Christophin Ngassam
Fabio Daniele Novais Da Rocha
Rebekah Olheiser
Oscar Orozco
Santiago Pinilla Leon
Dragos Popa
Matteo Puli
Justin Pulver
Lula Randolph
Bruce Rexroad
Leire Rodriguez Najera
Megan Rucker
Dakoda Sabin
Yu-Chen Shih
Joseph Solava
Sumaya Islam Tonney
Umberto Tucceri
Chioma Ugwu
Evan Unzicker
Stacie Vonderheide
Willow Weisman
Cora Welch
Alexandria Westfall
Maurion Wicks
Gage Dorian Wiggins
Lera Wilson
John Winter
Qilin Xie
Nathan York