Southeastern makes history with fourth straight regional volleyball championship

The Southeastern volleyball team won the Class 1A Havana Regional championship Thursday night, giving the Suns four consecutive regional titles for the first time in program history. | Submitted photo

HAVANA, Ill. — For all of the success the Southeastern volleyball program has enjoyed over the past four decades, there are still certain historic achievements yet to be reached. Thursday night, the Suns eclipsed one of those. For the first time in program history, Southeastern won its fourth consecutive regional championship, dispatching Triopia 25-13, 25-20…

Read More

‘This is only the beginning’: Lady Suns Classic title start of something special for Southeastern

The Southeastern volleyball team celebrates winning the championship of the Lady Suns Classic after capturing two matches in the championship pool on Saturday in Augusta, Ill. | Shane Hulsey photo

AUGUSTA, Ill. — Amanda Stephens knows the Southeastern volleyball team has bigger fish to fry, but that doesn’t diminish the excitement of winning a tournament on their home floor. “This is only the beginning,” Stephens said. Southeastern went 5-0 and didn’t lose a set en route to a Lady Suns Classic title. The Suns swept…

Read More

Sister, sister: With knee fully healthy, senior Amanda Stephens joins younger sibling to lead Suns

Amanda Stephens, left, and her younger sister, Kara, will lead the Southeastern volleyball team in pursuit of a trip to the Class 1A state tournament this fall. | Shane Hulsey photo

AUGUSTA, Ill. — Amanda Stephens’ troublesome knee isn’t giving her trouble any longer. A senior setter and hitter on the Southeastern volleyball team, who has committed to Indiana University-Indianapolis, missed the final 12 matches of her junior season and watched the Suns fall in the Class 1A sectional semifinals all because the pain in her…

Read More

After stealing first set from St. Thomas More, Suns’ season sets with second-place finish

Suns coach Tim Kerr, right, and the Southeastern volleyball team celebrate with their state trophy after Saturday morning's match against St. Thomas More in the Class 1A championship game at the IHSA state volleyball tournament. The Suns fell to St. Thomas More 22-25, 25-18, 25-17. | PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

NORMAL, Ill. — The incomplete team with the imperfect defense nearly pulled off the improbable upset. Tiny Augusta Southeastern, vying to become the school with the smallest enrollment to win the Illinois High School Association Class 1A volleyball state championship, stunned No. 1-ranked Champaign St. Thomas More 25-22 to win the first set Saturday morning…

Read More

Volleyball official gets rare opportunity to watch from stands during daughter’s state tournament run at Southeastern

Southeastern's Amanda Stephens (19) celebrates with her teammates after scoring a point during the second set of Friday's Class 1A semifinal match at the Illinois High School Association's volleyball state finals. The Lady Suns defeated Springfield Lutheran to advance to the Class 1A state title match on Saturday morning. | iPhotoNews photo by Clark Brooks

NORMAL, Ill. — Christine Stephens got to watch most of her daughter’s volleyball matches this fall, but not in the way most moms do. Arguably the best high school volleyball official in West-Central Illinois, Stephens is in gymnasiums many nights during the fall. When her freshman daughter, Amanda, takes the floor for the Augusta Southeastern…

Read More

Blaze of glory: Stephens, Suns reach first volleyball championship match in school history

Southeastern's Summer Ramsey hugs Taylor Wagner, who raises her fist, as they celebrate their 25-16, 25-23 victory over Springfield Lutheran at the Illinois High School Association Class 1A state volleyball finals in Normal. At right is Abbey McMillen. | iPhotoNews Photo by Clark Brooks

NORMAL, Ill. — Springfield Lutheran volleyball coach Katie McCulley knew what was coming. Her team played Southeastern in the finals of the New Berlin Tournament in September, and she saw first-hand what 5-foot-10 freshman Amanda Stephens could do when the Suns won in two sets. So it didn’t surprise McCulley when Stephens dominated Friday morning’s…

Read More

No messing around: QND strong in all facets, hands Southeastern first loss

Quincy Notre Dame's Abbey Schreacke hits the ball past the block of Southeastern's Amanda Stephens during Tuesday night's volleyball match in Augusta. David Adam

AUGUSTA, Ill. — From the moment her team stepped on the bus Tuesday night, Quincy Notre Dame volleyball coach Courtney Kvitle liked what she saw. “Tonight was the first time I felt like they were on a business trip,” Kvitle said. “They weren’t goofy, they weren’t overly excited, they were just happy. They were here…

Read More