Road block: Koerkenmeier’s stuffs turn tide in third set as Mater Dei ends QND’s season

The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball players react after the final point in a 22-25, 25-19, 25-19 loss to Breese Mater Dei was scored Monday night in the Class 2A Pana Super-Sectional in Pana, Ill. | Shane Hulsey photo

PANA, Ill. — Even after a season-ending loss, Danielle White could not help but smile when thinking back on her first season as the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball coach. “That’s these girls,” White said of the source of that smile. “Our girls really set a great example, especially for my first year coaching, of what…

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‘It’s through the roof’: Regional title continues to boost Raiders’ confidence state crown is possible

The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball players celebrate with the Class 2A Warsaw Regional championship plaque Thursday night after beating Illini West in straight sets in Warsaw, Ill. | Shane Hulsey photo

WARSAW, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team has already cleared a hurdle it couldn’t get over last season, but their quest for the ultimate prize is far from over. The Raiders swept Illini West 25-16, 25-11 in Thursday’s Class 2A Warsaw Regional championship. “This is another step in the journey,” Raiders coach Danielle…

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Schuckman: Boyer, Raiders able to smile after meeting challenge of facing her former team

Quincy Notre Dame senior middle hitter Madalyn Boyer smiles after winning a point late in Thursday's match against Illini West at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Madalyn Boyer’s trepidation made sense. “I was nervous about it all day,” she said. Danielle White could relate. “It was a little emotional for me,” she said. When your hometown team becomes your nemesis for one night, it’s challenging.  Boyer, a senior middle hitter on the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team, and White,…

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‘You have to have that confidence’: Raiders bring swagger, experience to volleyball court

Led by senior setter Annie Eaton, center, the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team expects big things from a talented lineup. | Shane Hulsey photo

QUINCY — Danielle White feels like she is right where she belongs, but sometimes it doesn’t seem real. “I catch myself like, ‘Is this really happening?’” White said. The former Carthage Middle School volleyball coach took the reins of the Quincy Notre Dame program in March, and from the first day she stepped foot on…

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