The Taylorville Tornadoes had revenge on their minds Thursday night.
After falling to Effingham in three sets earlier this season, Taylorville welcomed the Hearts back to town for Pink Out Night with a packed atmosphere and plenty of motivation. With CCYVB on hand and a large group of young volleyball players in attendance, the Tornadoes delivered a three-set battle and came away with a 25-16, 23-25, 25-22 victory.
From the opening serve, Taylorville played with energy.
The Tornadoes jumped out quickly and controlled the first set, taking it 25-16 and setting the tone for the night.
Effingham responded in the second.
Taylorville remained in control for much of the set, but the Hearts’ blocking began to create problems late. Mara Braun consistently got in front of Taylorville’s attacks, helping Effingham rally and eventually take the second set 25-23.
That sent the match to a deciding third set.
The final set featured plenty of back-and-forth action before Effingham made a push and took a 22-18 lead. With the match hanging in the balance, Taylorville found another gear.
Elsie Williamson stepped up behind the service line and helped spark the comeback, allowing the Tornadoes to regain momentum. Taylorville closed the set on a run to win 25-22 and secure the match.
For Taylorville, it was more than just another win.
“It does feel really good,” head coach Kim Peabody said. “We had a very similar match in Effingham earlier this season. We went three sets, we were up in the third set, and ended up losing. So we wanted a little revenge.”
Williamson’s serving run proved to be a major turning point, while Nora Thomas delivered several key attacks down the stretch.
Peabody said Thomas did a great job adjusting to Effingham’s blocking throughout the match.
“Nora Thomas put the ball down. She was smart with her head. She tipped it when she needed to. She hit off blocker’s hands high and out of bounds, so we got the point there,” Peabody said.
Thomas finished the night with 14 kills, leading a balanced Taylorville attack.
She knew Effingham would be looking to take away her opportunities from the left side.
“I have to realize whenever my set isn’t good and where those blockers are,” Thomas said. “Whenever I’m hitting, I have to realize if I’m going to go off the block, tip it, or swing. I just have to be able to process that really quickly.”
Thomas also believes Thursday night’s win could be a turning point for the Tornadoes.
“I think tonight was overall a turning point for us,” Thomas said. “We’ve had these ups and downs throughout this whole season, but we’re finally seeing it all come together and we’re excited for what the rest of the season is going to hold.”
Taylorville received contributions throughout the lineup, something Peabody emphasized after the win.
“We’re not like one of those teams who has just one standout stud. We all have to play hard, and I thought all the girls did their job really well tonight,” Peabody said.
Reagan Fassero finished with 32 assists, while Mckynlee Simpelkamp led the defensive effort with 16 digs.
The atmosphere inside the gym also played a major role.
Taylorville’s Pink Out Night brought a strong crowd, while CCYVB’s young players were in attendance to support the Tornadoes.
Thomas said seeing those young athletes in the stands gave the team an extra reason to fight.
“The little CCYVB kids were here, so I think, like, in our minds we were playing for them,” Thomas said. “We saw little kids looking up at us and we were like, ‘We have to perform for them.'”
With the postseason only a few weeks away, Taylorville now has an opportunity to build on the momentum from Thursday night.
For Peabody, however, the focus remains on the next day of preparation.
“We kind of take everything one day at a time,” Peabody said. “Every year I’m like, the whole season’s one big practice for the postseason, so we’re just taking it one day at a time.”
For a Taylorville team searching for consistency, Thursday night provided a big opportunity to show what it can do when the pressure is on — and the Tornadoes answered.
Taylorville got its revenge. Now, the Tornadoes will look to keep the momentum rolling toward the postseason.
