Lincoln-Way Central tops West to win first regional title since 2012

Lincoln-Way Central defeated host Lincoln-Way West 22-25, 25-13, 25-11 Thursday night in New Lenox to capture the Class 4A Lincoln-Way West Regional championship. The win marks the first regional title for the Knights since 2012. Senior right-side hitter Stella Davis, who had only one kill before the final game, recorded a team-high four kills in the deciding set to help secure the victory.

Davis missed their first matchup of the season on October 1 due to a sprained left ankle. She described being in a boot during that loss, noting she was nervous facing the Warriors for the first time since the injury. “I was really in my head a little bit,” Davis said. “My teammates cheered me up and got me out of my head and I went with the flow.”

Megan Hoy led the Knights with nine kills and 15 digs. Mya Donnelly tallied 15 digs, Tessa Garcia recorded 26 assists, and Isabella Bendoraitis added 10 kills. Coach Amy Bernhard called the team “a very, very, very special group of girls” who wanted the title. The Knights finish the season with a 24-11 record.

Lincoln-Way West (15-17) had their best performance in the second game, where sophomore Bailey Voss recorded six kills. Emma Novotny added five kills and five blocks, while her twin Brooklynn Voss contributed four kills and two blocks. The first game between the two schools was closely contested, featuring 13 ties.

Davis helped break the momentum in the third game with two kills during an 8-1 run. This sequence gave Lincoln-Way Central an 11-5 lead. Teammate Megan Hoy noted that Davis “was just putting balls away and that’s what we needed” in that set. Bernhard described Davis as a “spark plug” who brings energy and positivity to the team.

The fourth-seeded Knights will play top-seeded Porters (32-5) at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Lockport Sectional semifinals. Porters beat Lincoln-Way Central twice this fall. Davis, who will not play college volleyball, plans to major in nursing or exercise science. She started playing the sport in eighth grade after a friend pressured her to try out.

Davis said the game was important because it was her first return to the court against West. “It was huge that we had Stella back,” Bernhard said. “We used that to our advantage.” The Knights will look to rebound against the top seed after losing to them earlier in the season.