Stew-Stras 8th grade volleyball were underdogs, but on Tuesday, the Comets claimed the Stew-Stras 1A Regional crown. They beat Sigel St. Michael's, 25-27, 25-18, 26-24

Stew-Stras came into the regional as the 5th seed out of six teams. They knocked off the #1 seed Martinsville on Saturday in a marathon, 25-23, 10-25, 25-22. On Tuesday, the Comets had another barn-burner, beating the #2 seed in a nip ' tuck 3-set match.

The Comets seemed to be the sharper squad from the outset. They received, passed, and set for the attack like a machine, while Sigel looked more improvisational in their way to stay competitive.

Sigel served and drew first blood, but the Comets ran their offense. Chloe Dasenbrock dished a clean assists and Hannah Hayes delivered from the 2nd row, 1-1. Dasenbrock served and ace and Hayes swung for the kill form the 2nd row again, 3-1.

The refs then called Stew-Stras on a double-hit on a pass. It wasn't obvious. The refs didn't make that call again, until they called it on Sigel for the final point of the match, giving the Comets the title.

Despite at tie at 3-3 and 4-4, Stew-Stras continued to lead in the first game. Hope Bueker was the Sigel heavy-hitter, almost unstoppable when she got a good set.

Grace Vonderheide dug a ball, it cleared the net and scored, 5-4. Mariah Hoene then killed off a block attempt, 6-4. Grace Rincker served and Hayes swung again with a kill down the line, 8-5.

At 9-7, Hoene killed off the tip, then Sigel hit into the net, 10-7. Stew-Stras had a good dig, but it gave Sigel a free ball. However, they missed. Hoene then served an ace, 12-8. Hayes then finished off a good offensive play with another kill from the 2nd row for a 5-point lead, 13-8.

At 14-12, Maggie Kelly killed off the block. Heidi Caudill served and Sigel was called for a lift. Caudill served a short ace and Sigel had to call time-out, down 17-12.

The time-out didn't seem to help, thanks to great net defense from the Comets. Sigel missed into the net, then Bueker missed a shot, 19-13. Mikala Nichols then stuffed a ball at the net causing a Sigel lift, 20-13.

After alternating misses, the Comets were on the the verge of a rout, 21-13. After a Sigel time-out, the Sharpshooters went on an unbelievable 10-1 run to claim the lead down the stretch.

It started with Bueker smaching a kill into a block attempt. The Comets missed a kill, then the Comets collided on a ball near the net and there was a foot fault. Sigel served an ace and the 4-0 run made the score, 21-17.

Stew-Stras swung for a kill, Sigel returned it, but Hayes 2-handed it back for the score, 22-17. But here came another Sigel run.

A missed Comet kill, then Sigel had a fortunate carom kill off the net. Sigel was good at tipping and they scored again. Sigel scored on a kill off the block to make it a 1-point game, 22-21.

Stew-Stras called time. Out of the time, Sigel scored a kill for the tie, 22-22. The Comets overhead shot, missed and was down 23-22. Stew-Stras called time again.

Bueker swung after the pause into the net and it was another tie, 23-23. Hayes served, but Sigel tipped over the front line. They served game point. on the return Sigel hit out, 24-24.

The battle for game 1 was key. Hoene served and ace and Stew-Stras was up, 25-24. They served game point, but missed, 25-25. Sigel served an ace, 26-25. They served game point and the deep serve couldn't be handled. After six ties and three serves for game point, Sigel won game 1, 27-25.

In game 2, the Comets got a lead and Sigel never caught them. Down 1-0, Dasenbrock tipped for a point, 1-1. Caudill served an ace, 2-1. Mikala Nichols served after a bad pass from Sigel, 3-2. Hayes was set and killed. Bueker missed a kill, 6-2.

Sigel missed again, but then Bueker got a good set and delivered, 7-3. A bad pass and it was a 2-point game, 7-5. A side-out gave Rincker then serve, and she delivered an ace.

Sigel answered with an ace, but a bad pass brought a side-out. Hayes went to serve and she smoked an ace. Kelly scored on a free ball tip. Hoene defended the net and scored, 13-7. Sigel missed into net for a 7-point lead.

Stew-Stras then hit a bump. They missed a kill, missed at the net and bumped the ball into the net, 14-10.

Hoene had an answer, a free ball stuff. However, bad sets and service error made play inconsistent. Sigel missed a free ball into the net and the Comets got lucky and the serve, 17-13.

Caudill had a short service run. On the serve, Sigel hit it back to the net and the Comets stuffed it, 19-13. Bueker hit long and Stew-Stras had the serve and a 20-14 lead.

Hayes swung for the kill, but the ref called someone in the net. The other ref conferred and they couldn't confirm which team hit the net. So it was declared no point, serve again. Sigel missed, 21-14.

A long Sigel bump landed on the line for a point at 21-16. Sigel then served on the line deep, but it was called out, fortunate for the Comets, 22-16. Hayes swung for the kill and the Sigel overhead was short, bringing a Sigel time-out, 23-16.

A Comet tip went deep and bad set made it 23-18. Sigel swung wide and Hayes served game-point. Hayes' ace brought on game 3, 25-18.

Game 3 would have 13 ties and 9 lead changes before the outcome was decided.

Sigel scored first on a tip, but Nichols' overhead tied it, 1-1. Sigel tipped again, 2-1. A bad pass tied it, 2-2. Bueker was in the net on a shot, but Sigel blocked a 2-hand shot, 3-3. Sigel served an ace to lead, 5-3 and Stew-Stras called time.

Hayes answered with a kill. Sigel hit long, 6-5, and Rincker served and ace for the tie, 6-6. Sigel hit wide for the Comet lead. A miss tied it and another Comet missed gave Sigel the lead, 8-7. A bad Sigel pass tied the game, 8-8, but a Comet service error gave the ball right back, 9-8.

Stew-Stras missed twice and Sigel served an ace for a, 12-8, lead and a Comet time-out. Dasenbrock had a good save and Sigel missed the ensuing kill attempt. Hayes had a good dig and Stew-Stras scored off the net, trailing 13-10.

Down 14-10, the Comets started a comeback, culminating with a 7-0 run with Caudill serving. Hayes swung for the kill to get the side-out. Sigel had a bad pass and hit into the net. Bueker had a massive block of a strong Comet kill shot. But the block caromed out of bounds. Caudill then served an ace for the tie, 14-14.

Sigel missed a tip and Dasenbrock digged a ball over the net to the open floor for a point. Sigel missed a tip again and Stew-Stras was up 17-14.

Bueker responded with a kill and the Comets missed a shot, 17-16. Hayes tipped for a point to keep the lead, 18-16. However, Bueker swung for a kill. The Comets killed long and had a bad serve receive for a 19-18 Sigel lead change.

Hayes tipped for a point and Sigel hit long for a Comet lead change, 20-19. A Comet was in the net and then bumped out for a Sigel lead change, 21-20.

Dasenbrock tipped at the net and the dig return went out, 21-21. Sigel tipped for the lead, 22-21 and the Comets missed a free tip. Stew-Stras hit an overhead and Sigel mis-handled it.

Hoene got the serve down 23-22. Hoene delivered an ace for the tie. Sigel called time-out. After the pause, Stew-Stras tipped over the Sigel front line to bring game point, 24-23.

Sigel called time-out. Out of the time, Sigel swung for the kill, 24-24. On the next point, Hayes had a great save, then swung for the kill, 25-24. Dasenbrock served match-point. Sigel was called for a double-hit on the set and it was game over.

Stew-Stras 8th will advance to the Sigel St. Michael 1A Sectional on Monday night at 6:30 p.m. They will play Grayville (19-0) for the right to advance to 1A State. Grayville 8th took 3rd in the state last year as 7th graders (22-1).

Tuesday

Stew-Stras 8-1A Regional Final

Stew-Stras def. Sigel St. Michael, 25-27, 25-18, 26-24

Stew stats: Hannah Hayes *3 aces, *13 kills, *17 digs; Chloe Dasenbrock 1 ace, 1 kill, *14 assists, 13 digs; Mikala Nichols 2 kills, 2 assists, 10 digs; Mariah Hoene 1 ace, 3 kills, *4 blocks; Grace Rincker 2 aces, 1 assist, 6 digs; Heidi Caudill *3 aces, 5 digs; Grace Vonderheide 4 digs.

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