EDWARDSVILLE - Libero Brynlie Loomis served up 15 points and four aces, while both Ciara Cunningham and Madelyn Ohlau had 10 kills a piece, as Edwardsville's girls volleyball team came from behind to take a 23-25, 25-15, 25-10 win over Belleville West in a Southwestern Conference match Thursday evening, Sept. 25, 2025, at Lucco-Jackson Gym
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The first set featured a comeback for the Tigers that the Maroons held off, but the momentum had swung Edwardsville's way, and the Tigers took the second set to even the match, then dominated the deciding set to take a decisive win to stay undefeated in the league.
"I am glad that we pulled out the win," said Edwardsville head coach Heather Ohlau. "We've still got to get some work, we've got to be able to start strong at the very first whistle. We came out a little timid, I think last year's ending (where the Maroons eliminated the Tigers in the regional final) kind of was on their mind a little bit, so it took some time to get them in the mindset of play confident, play aggressive, and take every shot that you can."
Which is exactly what Edwardsville did in the second and third sets, and it helped the Tigers tremendously.
"Yeah, they stepped up their game," Ohlau said, "the energy, the communication, everything was raised to another level, and we started playing the volleyball we knew that we could."
It was a typical Southwestern Conference match, where matches are unpredictable and highly competitive all evening long.
"Every team in the Southwestern Conference is a formidable opponent," Ohlau said. "On any given night, any team can win. So, you've always got to come ready with your A game."
The second half of the season is about to get underway as well, and there is still a tough road ahead for the Tigers, with conference matches and tournaments awaiting.
"We'll see all of our conference opponents again," Ohlau said, "And then, we also have two very tough tournaments we'll travel to in the second half of this season. We go to Chicago on back-to-back weekends to see some of the larger (Class) 3A and 4A schools up there."
There is indeed much to look forward to in the second half, and Ohlau sees it as opportunities for the Tigers to get better as the postseason chase begins.
"A lot of chances for growth and competition," Ohlau said. "And just seeing where we're at as we head into the postseason and the second half."
The two teams exchanged points for most of the first part of the opening set, with neither team taking more than a two-point lead, but with the score tied at 10-10, the Maroons, behind the service of Addie Trankle, used a pair of kills from Lela Stinson to take a 14-10 lead. The Tigers came back to cut the lead to 15-13 behind Ohlau's serving, with the Maroons eventually growing the lead to 24-19 and reached set point. Back came the Tigers, with Livia Goebel serving Edwardsville, who got a critical kill from Ohlau and a combined block from Goebel and Bella Bollman, to come within 24-23, but West got the final point and clinched the set, winning 25-23, going up one set in the match.
In the second set, it again started out with the sides exchanging points, with the Tigers going ahead 9-5 later on. Edwardsville took a 10-0 lead, and an 11-10 lead, and from there, the Tigers reeled off six points in a row to go up 17-10. Eventually outscoring the Maroons 8-5, with the final point being a Cunningham kill to make the final 25-15, tying the match at one set each, forcing the third and final set.
The Tigers jumped to a quick 7-2 lead early in the final set, as Ohlau delivered a key kill, and eventually extended the lead to 13-6 and 19-8. It soon became 24-9, as Edwardsville played with confidence and poise, with Ohlau serving and Lucy Malawy delivering the match-clinching point to make the final 25-10, giving the Tigers their three-set win.
To go along with Loomis' 15 points and four aces, Goebel came up with nine points and an ace, Ohlau served up eight points and an ace, Malawy had six points, Ohlau also had 10 kills and two blocks, Cunningham had 10 kills and a block, Goebel had six kills and a block, Collins Cleland had five kills and a block, Savannah Ford had 19 assists. and Malawy had 12 assists.
The Tigers are now 12-5, and are at Alton Tuesday in a 5:45 p.m. match, then play in one of the Chicago tournaments on the weekend, and return home to meet O'Fallon Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
