Alleman hasn't had much luck against Orion recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Pioneers will head out on the road to challenge the Chargers at 8:00 a.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Megan Hulke
| 10/02/25 @ East Moline United | 7 |
| 09/30/25 @ Galesburg | 6 |
| 09/29/25 vs Morrison | 6 |
| 09/25/25 @ Sterling | 6 |
Alleman won the last time they faced East Moline United and Megan Hulke did her part to make sure it happened again. The Pioneers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over the Panthers on Thursday for which the team can thank Hulke, who had ten digs, seven kills, two blocks, and two aces. She has been hot recently, having posted six or more kills the last four times she's played.
The match was a true back-and-forth as no team won consecutive sets, but in the end it was Alleman who won the one that mattered. The match finished with set scores of 25-16, 23-25, 25-22.
Alleman found their leader in sophomore Hulke, who had ten digs, seven kills, two blocks, and two aces. Another player making a difference was Charlotte Meskan, who had ten digs and one assist.
Meanwhile, Orion posted their closest win since September 9th on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Mercer County 2-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Chargers.
Orion had a slow start but a hot finish: after dropping the first set, they turned around to win the next two. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 19-25, 25-18, 25-21.
Alleman better keep an eye on Delaney Tapscott. She was instrumental in Orion's win, getting 16 digs and two aces. Those 16 digs gave Tapscott a new career-high.
Orion was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 11 aces. They are a perfect 5-0 when they serve at least ten aces.
Orion now has a winning record of 10-9. As for Alleman, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's matchup: Alleman has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 4 aces per game. However, it's not like Orion struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Alleman came up short against Orion when the teams last played back in October of 2021, falling 2-0. Can the Pioneers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
