Sycamore Volleballists Beat Dixon for 3A Regional Crown

Sycamore defeated Dixon to win the Class 3A regional title on Thursday night.

The Spartans took the match 25-14 and 25-16. Seniors Madilyn Patton and Khiara Thomas led the offensive effort with 20 total kills. Patton finished with nine kills, while Thomas recorded 11. This result ends the season for Dixon, which finishes with an 8-22 record.

Sycamore, the No. 2 seed, improves to a 25-11 overall record. The team advances to the Crystal Lake Sectional. It will face top-seeded Lakes, who hold an 28-6 record, in the semifinals. The matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Coach Jennifer Charles noted that her team struggled with service receive early in the second set. Dixon capitalized on those errors to build a 6-2 lead. Charles said the players needed to take deep breaths and regain consistency. The Spartans tied the set at 11-9 before Thomas delivered a kill to take the lead again. Sycamore allowed only five more points to Dixon for the remainder of the match.

Dixon coach Bunyan Cocar credited Sycamore with superior speed and power. He stated that his team held its own for the most part but could not match the Spartans' athleticism. Abby Hicks, one of four graduating seniors for Dixon, agreed that Sycamore was the better team. Hicks, who will graduate alongside Katie Simpson, Grace Ackert, and Mady Scully, noted that the Spartans were more athletic in the air.