There was a moment late in Dundee-Crown’s wild win Thursday night over Jacobs that showed coach Tiffany Dumas how her Chargers were still in it.
That moment was provided by senior setter Kylie Hanson.
During a marathon third game, Hanson saved what appeared to be a sure point for the Golden Eagles with a dive out of bounds, a point Dundee-Crown eventually won.
“When Kylie picked up that ball over there in the corner and got it over, that play told me they were going to fight no matter what,” Dumas said. “I knew it was going to be back and forth, but like I told them, ‘Try not to tip. Be aggressive.’
“Go up there and don’t play scared.”
From there, the Chargers put the finishes touches on a 23-25, 25-18, 30-28 Fox Valley Conference victory, avenging an earlier loss to Jacobs.
Experience and desire definitely paid off for Dundee-Crown (18-10, 10-8).
“We wanted it so bad — it was our seniors’ last time on this court,” Hanson said. “It was a great game. Both teams did really well.”
Hanson played junior varsity her first two seasons as Jenna Brown, now setting at Georgia State, ran the offense. Hanson took over last season for Brown.
“She learned a lot from her,” Dumas said Hanson apprenticing under Brown. “When she came back last year as a junior, she was ready to run the court.
“This year especially, she’s become one of our top three kill leaders in every match — much better at blocking and a great zone server, which we really needed at the end.”
Hanson’s block in the third game pulled Dundee-Crown even at 22-22. She then had an ace on a serve that hit the tape and trickled over the net, giving the Chargers a 26-25 lead.
Hanson finished with four kills and seven assists. For the season, she sits second on the team with 157 kills. She also splits setting duties with Courtney Komperda, who had 11 assists and eight digs Thursday.
Megan Pearson, Audrey Prusko and Nicole Wagner added four kills apiece for Dundee-Crown.
After winning the first game but dropping the second, Jacobs (12-22, 8-10) held a 17-13 lead in the third. The Chargers chipped away, however, setting up the frantic finish.
The last time either team held a lead larger than two points was 21-18 for the Golden Eagles.
Although the Chargers eventually came back and won, Jacobs coach Michael Depa looked at the positives.
“We had no subs,” Depa said. “We had our defensive specialist in the front row. We couldn’t put our other setter in. Fun game, I don’t really even care. The energy, the noise, it was great.
“Even though it’s a loss, it’s the happiest I’ve seen them after a loss in a while. That says a lot. We’ve had some struggles the last few games, but this can change it.”
Alicia Pierre led the Golden Eagles with nine kills and six blocks. Teagan Van Stone added six kills and three blocks.
Dumas thought back to her playing days after the match.
“I love that feeling,” Dumas said. “I thrived on that feeling. I tried to convey that same feeling to them. This is what it’s all about, win or lose, this intensity.”
The Chargers earned the second seed in their half of the Class 4A Machesney Park Harlem Sectional. They open the postseason Tuesday against eighth-seeded Larkin at the Hampshire Regional.
Hanson hopes the Chargers can roll with this momentum into a run to the program’s first regional title since 2010.
“This is the best the program has been in a very long time,” Hanson said. “It’s crazy. We’ve always been the team that everybody expects to beat. We wanted to change that.
“It’s been amazing to be a part of that. It’s like watching history happen.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.