After early hiccup, Chargers beat Highland on Sophomore Night for 30th win

GALESBURG — The Sandburg volleyball team rebounded from a first-set loss to defeat Highland 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-21 on Tuesday at John Lewis Gym, giving the Chargers their 30th win of the season.

Playing on Sophomore Night, Sandburg (30-7, 8-2) fell into an early 11-6 hole as it dropped the first set. The Chargers, though, evened the match as they raced to an 11-1 lead in the second behind a 9-0 run that included three Natalie Burden aces.

Sandburg had a 17-15 lead in the third before winning four of the next five points. Setter Grace Vyhnanek had a kill and set up Burden for a kill during the key stretch. Taylor Wagner finished off the set with back-to-back kills to give the Chargers a one-set advantage.

The teams were tied at 20 in the fourth when Sandburg put together four straight points and five of the last six to close out the victory. Burden collected four kills during the final run, including one on match point.

Wagner totaled a team-high 18 kills in the win, hitting .341 and picking up 12 digs. Burden finished with a dozen kills, had 13 digs and served three of the Chargers' four aces. Sophomore Ayla Cannon added nine kills in the win.

Vyhnanek finished with 42 assists, and freshman Abigail Shaffer had a team-leading 19 digs for Sandburg. Libero Madeline Mooney had 15 digs, giving the Chargers four players who reached double figures.

Freshman Olivia Falborg had four blocks in the match, including two solos.

The 30-win season marks the Chargers' first since 2019, when they finished 33-12 overall.

The team honored sophomores Cannon, Mooney, Vyhnanek, Wagner, Burden, Lauren Powell, Erin Jackson and Bailey Ryan prior to the match during Sophomore Night festivities.

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