Cissna Park, Watseka Face Off Thursday

Cissna Park and Watseka will meet in the IHSA Class 1A Iroquois West Regional championship game on Thursday. The two teams secured their spots in the final after winning their respective semifinal matches on Wednesday.

Cissna Park defeated Iroquois West 25-12 and 25-19. The Timberwolves, who finished the regular season with a 21-13 record, will compete for a fifth consecutive regional title. Ava Henrichs recorded six kills, and Marina Day added five. Mady Marcott provided 12 assists, while Kendyl Neukomm posted seven digs.

Watseka overcame an opening set loss to defeat Clifton Central 18-25, 25-17, and 25-18. The Warriors, who hold a 16-17 record, advanced to the final. Gabby Kohl led the team with 13 kills, and Betsy Newell contributed 10. Liana Navas recorded 30 assists. Addissen Ulitzsch made 13 digs, and Leigha Covarrubias served five aces.

Clifton Central players Gemma Sifrit, Katelyn Schultz, and Chloe Cotter posted key stats in the loss. Sifrit recorded eight kills, 10 assists, and five aces. Schultz had 10 digs, and Cotter had 11 assists.

In other IHSA Class 1A regional semifinals, Grant Park beat Momence 25-20 and 25-20. The Dragons extended their winning streak to 18 games and will face Morgan Park Academy on Thursday. Adelyn Karstensen hit .308, and Camryn Karstensen hit .400. Abigail Garcia had 10 assists.

Gardner-South Wilmington defeated Islamic Foundation 25-11 and 25-11. The Panthers, with a 19-16 record, will play Aurora Christian for a regional title. Grace Vitko had 12 kills and three aces. Jaci Wilkey recorded seven aces, four digs, and five assists. Liv Siano had nine assists, two kills, and two aces.