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

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 White said.

QND lost to Macomb in last season’s regional title game, so the Raiders had some extra motivation to make a statement.

“We all knew coming into this that this was the one we wanted to win really badly to show everyone that we’re better than what we were last year,” senior libero Kourtney Keck said. “Winning this and getting past this really shows some growth.”

The top-seeded Raiders (34-2) advance to face No. 3 seed Athens in the Class 2A Riverton Sectional semifinals Tuesday. The winner of that match will face either Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin or Tremont in next Thursday’s sectional championship. Tremont upset Macomb in straight sets to win the Farmington Regional title.

QND didn’t have to worry about an upset, and White, who is in her first season as the QND coach, understands the magnitude of the victory for her players.

“To get farther than they did last year has been a goal of theirs, and they’ve accomplished it,” White said. “They have their eyes set on the prize, and I’m waiting for someone to stop us. They’re ready for the challenge. It feels great, and I know it feels even better for them.”

This night was even sweeter for Madalyn Boyer, a senior middle hitter who transferred from Illini West to QND prior to this season. Boyer had six kills, including an emphatic swing that stopped a 3-0 Chargers run late in the first set and extended the Raiders’ lead to 21-14. Boyer also had the set-clinching kill six points later.

“It’s really special,” Boyer said of playing against Illini West. “It’s kind of hard playing your hometown team, but QND has really helped me relax a little bit, and it’s a game at the end of the day.”

While there wasn’t a lot of chatter between Boyer and her former teammates on the court, she did crack the occasional smile toward the Chargers bench.

“Sometimes I’d look over at the bench and smile at them, but there really wasn’t much talking,” Boyer said. “Just a little smile gets a little weight off my shoulders and lets me know they still love me.”

Boyer could smile even more when the Raiders pulled away in the second set. The Chargers led 4-3, but QND exploded for an 8-0 run, capped by junior outside hitter Nora Wiley’s showcase of athleticism and determination. Wiley dove to save a ball that was close to landing in the back right corner, then she sprinted back to her spot at the left pin. After the Chargers got the ball back over, Wiley finished the point with her seventh kill.

“After that dive, I was like, ‘Give me the ball. I’m ready. This is my play,’” Wiley said. “I put it away, and it was awesome.”

White said that effort epitomized the Raiders’ drive to avenge last season’s early exit from the postseason.

“For her to run down then come back, hit it and put it in the ground, it just shows we have the ability to do what we have to do,” White said. “She played phenomenal tonight. She picked it apart, different spots on all her hits.”

Illini West first-year coach Sawyer Johnson guided the Chargers to a 28-9 record. She encouraged her players not to hang their heads after falling to a Raiders team that has only lost two games all season.

“That’s the thing I told the girls. We lost to one of the most respectable teams to lose to, and we made them fight for it, too,” Johnson said. “There were a lot of long rallies in that game, so that’s something the girls should be proud of.”

On the other side, White made some defensive adjustments to counter Illini West’s offensive tendencies.

“We moved our defense in a little bit. I wanted them to force us back,” White said. “We knew they tipped quite a bit, so when we pulled that in, Kourtney was picking those up left and right, and that was able to give us the offensive opportunities we wanted.”

Boyer has unwavering faith in this Raiders team to make a deep run.

“I’m over-the-top confident,” Boyer said. “I know this team can do great things. We’re going to go far.”

Keck feels the same way.

“It’s through the roof,” Keck said of her confidence in this group. “We know what we can do, and we know where we want to be.”