Rough start to season greets Cardinals

By Christopher Johnson

REPORTER

It’s an 0-2 start for the Stillman Valley Lady Cardinals volleyball team, following a weekend loss to Big Northern forcex Rock Falls and Dixon.

In the 2021 premiere, Stillman Valley took its game on the road and traveled along the Rock River to Rock Falls for an early look at top talents in the 2021 Big Northern.

The Lady Rockets force would be felt as they doubled up on their visitors in the opening salvo, winning 25-12.

Stillman Valley would be much more competitive in the second game on the scorecard. But the outcome would still be the same as Rock Falls held on for the win, 25-17.

Rock Falls claimed the night by a 2-0 margin and put itself in conversation circles in relation to control in the Big Northern this year.

On night two of the 2021spring season, Stillman Valley stayed along the banks of the Rock River, upstream at Dixon in another Big Northern get together.

The outcome would be just as disappointing for the visiting Cardinals though, as the Duchesses captured the evening by a two-one margin.

Dixon won the opening match by six points, 25-19, but would be pressured late by the Cardinals assault. The Duchesses controlled the chaos to hold on for the game one winner.

There was no controlling Stillman Valley in game two on the nightly game card. A reversal of fortune found the visitors taking the period by a matching margin that cost them victory one game earlier.

With the series tied at one game each, game three began with both teams finding ways to get the scoring going earlier.

Good passing and timely kills allowed each team short runs, and control of the game flow in the game three match claimer.

Dixon pushed back Stillman Valley 25-21 in the final set, dropping the Lady Cardinals to 0-2 on the 2021 adjusted spring season.

A non-conference match with Forreston greeted Stillman Valley to help close the first full week of the spring sports season.

On Saturday, March 20, the paired Cardinals were scheduled for a mid-day meeting in eastern Ogle County..

Big Northern play resumes this week with an unfavorable home schedule for the Stillman Valley Cardinals.

On Tuesday, March 23, North Boone visited. After that, it was back-to-back clashes away from the friendly confines for Stillman Valley.

Games against Mendota on Thursday, March 25, and at Oregon to open April will have to be worked through, before another away game at Winnebago appears on the radar, less than two weeks later.

The IHSA has elected to adjust the high school calendar to a four-season sports schedule this year as a result of COVID-19’s influence. That means fewer matches will be plaeyd.

Certain attendance requirements are in place this season.. It has also been explained that summer games will begin later in April, with match play extending into the month of June.