The Taylorville Tornadoes responded from a difficult road loss earlier in the week with a strong performance on their home floor Thursday night, defeating the Lincoln Railsplitters in straight sets, 25-21, 25-18.
Taylorville entered the match looking to rebound after falling to Mt. Zion on Tuesday. Back inside the THS West Gym against Lincoln, the Tornadoes were able to get their offense going while receiving contributions from several players throughout the lineup.
The opening set proved to be the tighter of the two. Lincoln challenged Taylorville throughout the frame, but the Tornadoes did enough to create separation late and secured a 25-21 victory to take a 1-0 advantage.
Taylorville carried that momentum into the second set. The Railsplitters continued to battle, but the Tornadoes were able to build on their first-set success and close out the match with a 25-18 win, completing the sweep.
Elsie Williamson helped lead Taylorville’s attack with seven kills, while freshman Ella Bertelsen contributed six kills and three blocks. Senior Nora Thomas added five kills as the Tornadoes received production from multiple options at the net.
Taylorville’s offense was directed in large part by junior Reagan Fassero, who finished with 17 assists. Fassero also contributed a kill, an ace, four service points and six digs.
The Tornadoes also found success from the service line. Thomas recorded three aces and nine service points, while Molly Smith added two aces and five service points. Charleigh Whitehead contributed an ace and three service points, while Thea Suslee added an ace and four service points.
Defensively, Taylorville received several strong efforts. McKynlee Siempelkamp led the Tornadoes with eight digs, while Thomas collected seven and Fassero and Smith each finished with six. Suslee added five digs.
Lincoln made Taylorville work for the victory, particularly during a competitive opening set. The Railsplitters entered Thursday having already shown their ability to compete with quality opponents this season, including a three-set victory over Mahomet-Seymour earlier in September. This time, however, Taylorville was able to hold off Lincoln in both sets and prevent the match from reaching a third.
The win was an important response for the Tornadoes after Tuesday’s loss and marked their second straight-set home victory in their last two matches at THS West Gym, following a 25-14, 25-11 win over Mattoon on Sept. 17.
FINAL: Taylorville def. Lincoln, 2-0
Set 1: Taylorville 25, Lincoln 21
Set 2: Taylorville 25, Lincoln 18
