Volleyball

As soon as Ben Fisher saw that the DeKalb girls volleyball coach position was open, he said he jumped at it the opportunity and applied.

DeKalb High School has hired Club Fusion South lead trainer Ben Fisher as its new girls varsity volleyball coach, DeKalb athletic director Dan Jones told the Daily Chronicle on Tuesday morning.

Volleyball has been good to Ray and Stephanie Gooden.

DeKALB – Northern Illinois had reservations booked to Cleveland before the Mid-American Conference tournament's first-round rematch against Western Michigan, which beat the Huskies at home earlier in the week.

Citing personal reasons, DeKalb girls volleyball coach Stephanie Gooden told the Daily Chronicle on Monday that she has resigned as the head coach of the Barbs.

DeKalb girls volleyball coach Stephanie Gooden, citing personal reasons, told the Daily Chronicle today that she has resigned as head coach.

Redemption, champions and inspiration across DeKalb County

First team

DeKALB – In a lot of ways, Emily Bemis was a perfect leader for this year’s DeKalb volleyball team.

Kaneland senior Kylie Siebert was named MVP of the Northern Illinois Big 12 all-conference volleyball team, which was announced Tuesday.

The Little Ten Conference announced its all-conference volleyball team on Thursday.

Kaneland senior Kylie Siebert was named MVP of the Northern Illinois Big 12 all-conference volleyball team, which was announced Tuesday.

CRYSTAL LAKE – It was one thing to prepare for the Cary-Grove volleyball team’s serve, or to see it on film, or to practice for it for three days.

DeKALB – Last year, the DeKalb volleyball team didn’t know what to expect when it walked into a sectional semifinal match against Cary-Grove. Those expectations had little to do with the opponent.

ELGIN – The DeKalb volleyball team is back where it was last year.

Indian Creek lost to Ashton-Franklin Center in the Class 1A Ashton-Franklin Center volleyball regional final on Friday, 20-25, 25-16, 25-18. The Timberwolves finished the season 22-13.

SYCAMORE – To the left of Sycamore’s gymnasium, a student raised a sign promising “We will Klock you.” To the right, a yellow banner hung, a long list of Elite 8 and Sweet 16 appearances.

SYCAMORE – Each day at practice in the past few weeks, Sycamore volleyball coach Debbie Klock has instituted a drill in which one group of Spartans trails the other, 3-1, first to five wins. If the losing team doesn’t come back, it runs the difference.

Indian Creek defeated Leland, 25-17, 22-25, 25-13, in the Class 1A Ashton-Franklin Center Regional volleyball semifinals on Tuesday. The No. 2 seed Timberwolves will play the regional’s top seed, A-FC, at 6 p.m. Thursday.

WHEATON – Kaneland volleyball coach Todd Weimer wanted to know what more his team could want. Needing only one point to advance to Thursday’s 3A St. Francis Regional championship match against the host, the Knights let a two-point lead slip away in a crushing, 19-25, 25-17, 26-24 loss at the hands of Glenbard South.

ELGIN – If DeKalb volleyball coach Stephanie Gooden had any doubt that her team is ready for the postseason, her players quelled it in the first game of Tuesday’s 25-8, 25-19 win over Larkin in the Class 4A Elgin Regional semifinals.

SYCAMORE – Cassidy Abraham said she was confused at first.

The Hiawatha girls volleyball team lost to Rockford Christian Life, 25-19, 25-8, in the Class 1A Ashton-Franklin Center quarterfinals.

The Indian Creek volleyball team finished in eighth place at the Stillman Valley tournament, losing to West Carroll, 25-18, 25-21 and Rochelle, 25-18, 25-6, but beating Freeport, to finish the regular season 21-12 overall.

DeKALB – On Tuesday, the DeKalb volleyball team won the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference title.

SPOTLIGHT ON...

The DeKalb-Sycamore co-op girls swim team enjoyed a blowout win on senior night Thursday at Huntley Middle School, defeating Elgin, 102-39. The Barbs took first place in every event but one on their way to the win.

DeKalb’s volleyball team beat Yorkville in straight sets, 25-20, 25-17, on Tuesday night to clinch the outright Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference title for the second straight season.

With two matches left in the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference season, DeKalb (7-1) and Morris (6-2) are still alive for a conference title.

A closer look at the girls volleyball scene

The DeKalb volleyball team swept Rochelle, 25-12, 25-14, on Thursday at DeKalb’s “Volley for the Cure” night. DeKalb is 23-4 overall and 7-1 in the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference.

MAPLE PARK – The Kaneland volleyball team was sorely in need of a pick-me-up.

MAPLE PARK – DeKalb senior libero Baleigh Euhus transformed into a right-side hitter with a simple jersey change Tuesday night.

There wasn’t much Indian Creek volleyball coach Stephanie Crutcher could do after the first set of her team’s match against Hinckley-Big Rock on Tuesday, except check it off to inconsistent play.

A weekly look at the area girls volleyball scene

KIRKLAND – The Hinckley-Big Rock volleyball team has been preparing to play Newark all season.

An own goal and a lack of intensity contributed to a 2-1 Genoa-Kingston boys soccer loss to Harvard on Thursday.

DEKALB – The DeKalb volleyball team outlasted Sycamore, 28-26, 25-19, in front of a boisterous crowd, but the Spartans showed they will be a team to be reckoned with in the future.

DEKALB – The DeKalb volleyball team outlasted Sycamore, 28-26, 25-19, in front of a boisterous crowd, but the Spartans showed they will be a team to be reckoned with in the future.

KIRKLAND – Hinckley-Big Rock is rounding into form at just the right time.

DeKalb's boys golf team advanced four individuals out of the Class 3A Larkin Regional on Tuesday. Mason Struthers, Zack Price, Nick Bourdages and Matt Hoyle all moved on to Monday's Bartlett Sectional.

Hiawatha’s boys soccer team got two goals apiece from Reyman Solis, Pancho Garcia and Mark Mlodzianowski and the top-seeded Hawks advanced to the Little Ten Conference tournament semifinals with a 6-0 win against eight-seeded Serena on Monday at Hiawatha.

Hannah Knox served the final 15 points of Game 2 against Sterling, as the Sycamore volleyball team won in straight sets, 25-20, 25-5, on Thursday.

A weekly look at the area volleyball scene

The Genoa-Kingston girls volleyball team rallied from a 12-4 deficit in Game 2 to sweep Harvard, 25-15, 25-23.

MORRIS – There are few things more dangerous in sports than the home underdog, and the DeKalb volleyball team found that out first hand Tuesday night when it traveled to Morris to play in front of a hostile Redskins crowd.

Indian Creek's volleyball team beat Hiawatha in straight sets, 25-15, 25-23, on Tuesday night. Timberwolves coach Stephanie Crutcher hopes her team learned a valuable lesson in the process.

Indian Creek scored three times in each half to beat Serena, 6-2, on Wednesday in boys soccer.

The DeKalb girls cross country team, led by first-place overall finisher Kelsey Schrader, won the East Peoria Invitational on Saturday.

SHABBONA – With star hitter Kate Thuestad on crutches, the Indian Creek volleyball team wasn’t able beat Serena, falling 25-22, 10-25, 25-22 on Thursday at home.