Box Score

September 21, 2022
Harper College defeated #11 Joliet 25-22, 21-25, 25-19, 26-24

Palatine, IL: Joliet College, ranked #11, visited Harper College for an important N4C Conference and Region IV match. 
In the first set, scores were tied at 1-1 and 3-3.  Harper took a slim 7-3 lead, but Joliet stormed back with 7 unanswered points to 7-10, until Katie Hofmann (Des Plaines/Elk Grove H.S.) nailed one.  The score was knotted again at 11-11 after another Katie Hofmann (Des Plaines/Elk Grove H.S.) slam, and again at 12-12 on a Natalia Smiech (Sleepy Hollow/Dundee-Crown H.S.) attack.  Harper led 17-14 due to a Natalia Smiech (Sleepy Hollow/Dundee-Crown H.S.) ace; 19-17 on a Cassie Schweikle (Lombard/Glenbard East H.S.) kill; 21-18 on an Ava Belluomini (Mount Prospect/Resurrection H.S>) ace – her first of 5 aces on the night – and won 25-22 on an Abby Greenberg block to end the first set.
 
In the second set, the score was tied at 2-2 and 3-3.  Joliet took a 3-7 lead before Abby Greenberg killed one.  Katie Hofmann's (Des Plaines/Elk Grove H.S.) kill tied the score at 7-7. There was another tie at 12-12 on a Natalia Smiech (Sleepy Hollow/Dundee-Crown H.S.) kill.  But Joliet pushed forward to a 12-16 lead, and finished the game with leads of 13-17, 14-18, and 15-21. Harper didn't go quietly and pulled within 20-22, but Harper eventually lost 21-25.
 
In the third set, Harper started out ahead with leads of 3-1, 6-3, 8-4, 12-6 and 13-7, but Joliet won a string of points to pull within 12-13.  Harper pulled ahead again 17-13 and 20-15 on the way to a 25-19 win.
 
In the last set, Harper took a 5-1 lead, then an 8-2 lead on an Ava Belluomini (Mount Prospect/Resurrection H.S>) kill.  Harper extended to 11-5 on an Abbie Greenberg (Schaumburg/Schaumburg H.S.) ace and 12-6 on a Katie Hofmann (Des Plaines/Elk Grove H.S.) kill.  Joliet didn't go away and tied the score quickly at 13-13, then 15-15, and 17-17.  Harper took a 19-17 lead on a Katie Hofmann (Des Plaines/Elk Grove H.S.) slam, and 20-18 on an Ava Belluomini (Mount Prospect/Resurrection H.S>) attack… Jocelyn Mercado's (Schaumburg/Schaumburg H.S.) ace extended Harper's lead to 23-19.  Although Tess O'Gara (Chicago/Resurrection H.S.) had a kill to extend Harper's lead to 24-21, Joliet came back to tie the score at 24-24 when Tess O'Gara (Chicago/Resurrection H.S.) hit another one to lead 25-24.  Harper earned the last point for a 26-24 win.
 
Harper is now 1-1 in N4C Conference play.
 
Next match – Harper Volleyball travels to Judson College to avenge its loss to Elgin College, and also play Judson University's JV team.
 
On Saturday, Harper Volleyball travels to Heartland College in Normal, IL to play John Wood and #6 ranked D2 team Heartland – in a volleyball only facility, which is quite the treat!
 
Tonight's home game was streamed on YouTube.  Details for future matches to follow!  There was a good crowd at Harper College supporting the volleyball team.

GO HAWKS!!!