Woodstock rallies past Woodstock North to advance in Marengo Regional

Woodstock’s girls volleyball team celebrates its 21-25, 25-11, 25-21 victory against Woodstock North on Monday in the IHSA Class 3A Marengo Regional in Marengo. Woodstock advances to play No. 1 seed Marian Central. (Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com)

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MARENGO – Woodstock right side hitter Emily Palmer had more to celebrate Monday night than just her 17th birthday.

Tied 1-1 entering the third game against Woodstock North in the Class 3A Marengo Regional, the Streaks quickly took an early lead. The Thunder, led by hitter Rachael Landrey, erased that deficit, though, grabbing a 20-16 advantage.

Everything seemed to be in the Thunder’s control as they primed for a North win.

Woodstock believed otherwise. The Streaks rattled off eight consecutive points on a mix of stellar defense and Thunder errors to storm back and stun North. A kill and a block by Palmer, sandwiched around a Streaks service error, won the game and match for fifth-seeded Woodstock, 21-25, 25-11, 25-21, against its crosstown rival and No. 4 seed Thunder.

“I think it just shows how much they don’t want their careers to be over and how much they want,” Woodstock coach Michelle Stilling said.

“They did not want to lose and they went all out.

“It was really just a matter of intensity,” Stilling said. “They needed to pick it up and earn their points and play their game and not, in a way, play down a level.”

Five ties and six lead changes in the first set left both teams with little wiggle room. Each led by as many as three points during the game, but North took advantage of a Streaks hitting error that tied the set, 21-21, then rattled off three consecutive points. A Woodstock passing error sealed the Thunder’s first set win.

Woodstock didn’t dwell on the close loss, though, completely taking charge of the second game which it never trailed.

“We tried not to make the errors and we made the errors,” Thunder coach Greg Bruns said. “They tried but they just couldn’t quite get it.

“They were just trying too hard sometimes not to make mistakes.”

The Streaks (4-27) made the necessary defensive adjustments to give them a chance to rally against the Thunder. Woodstock’s coverage against North’s tip shots improved during the match, especially in the decisive third set. Stilling credited her front line for being ready for everything.

“Hitting is my No.1 strength and the most important thing, but I think it’s really important to be able to do both,” Palmer said of her blocking. “It’s really fun getting a big block. It’s my favorite thing.”

A strong blocking presence forced North (4-30) into tough angles and often the Thunder opted for tip shots. Palmer finished with five blocks and seven kills. Brooke Marshall posted a game-high nine kills.

“I talked to our middles, especially, but all our blockers about, ‘It’s your net to protect and protect your defense. Make your defensive players’ jobs a lot easier,’” Stilling said.

The Streaks now face the daunting task of playing No. 1 seed Marian Central today without any additional practice. It is the first meeting between the two teams this season.