Sports
Conference Debut a Tough Battle For North Volleyball
St. Charles North volleyball team takes Batavia to three games.
If the rest of the Upstate Eight Conference River Division volleyball matches are anything like the one played between St. Charles North and Batavia Tuesday night, fans will be guaranteed some thrilling action in the future.
The North Stars (6-5) staged a tough three-game battle before dropping a 17-25, 25-22, 21-25 decision to the visiting Bulldogs (9-1) in their conference debut.
After losing the first game and falling behind 10-4 in Game 2, the North Stars responded with an 11-4 surge to grab their first lead at 15-14.
Find out what's happening in St. Charlesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
With the score tied at 22-22, Jacey Bell and Katie Fuerst combined for a block-kill to give St. Charles North the lead for good. Kills from Kim Juriga (6 kills) and Bell (6 kills) sealed the victory and forced a decisive third game.
"I was proud of the way our team came back and didn't roll over in the second game," said Fuerst, who finished with a team-high 12 kills. "We played really hard and played together as a unit."
Find out what's happening in St. Charlesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Looking for its first home win, St. Charles North led 18-16 in Game 3 but was unable to hold on despite a valiant effort.
"We haven't started off the season that well but we do have the talent to come together," said Fuerst. "If we get more consistent with our serve receive, our offense is great."
It marked the North Stars' second loss in as many tries against Batavia, as they suffered a 16-25, 20-25 defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs in the fifth-place match of the Plainfield North Invitational Aug. 28.
St. Charles North recorded its first win of the season with a 25-19, 25-19 triumph over Crystal Lake South at Plainfield North. The North Stars began the season with a 25-14, 25-22 loss to York Aug. 24 in St. Charles.
North Stars coach Lindsey Hawkins remains optimistic about her team's chances this season.
"Our blocking is picking up," said Hawkins, who guided the team to its fifth regional title in six years last season. "We were a good blocking team last year so I'm hoping for the same thing as the season progresses."
