The Illini Bluffs Tigers secured third place in the Illinois High School Association Class 1A state volleyball tournament on Saturday.
The team finished its 2026 season on a high note by defeating Okawville in two sets, 28-26 and 25-23, according to Yahoo Sports.
This result marks the program’s highest state finish since the Tigers earned runner-up honors in 2019.
The victory followed a difficult semifinal loss to Athens in three sets on Friday at CEFCU Arena in Normal, as reported by the Journal Star.
In the third-place match, Illini Bluffs overcame a late deficit in the opening set to gain momentum.
Addi Woertz led the offensive effort for the Tigers with a match-high 18 kills.
Woertz also contributed eight digs and 1.5 blocks to the winning effort, per local outlets.
Emerson Eeten, an Illinois State commit, added 12 kills, five digs and two aces to the team total.
Setter Maddy Stephens facilitated the offense by providing 29 assists throughout the match.
The Tigers concluded their impressive campaign with an overall record of 31-5.
On the opposing side, the Rockets of Okawville finished the season with a 26-14 record.
Jaycie Buss paced Okawville with 11 kills and seven digs, while Kenley Hackstadt recorded 19 assists.
The first set was particularly competitive, featuring multiple lead changes before Illini Bluffs secured the final points via a kill from Woertz, an ace from Kelsey O’Connor and an attack error by the Rockets.
The second set saw the Tigers establish an early 6-2 lead before Okawville battled back to tie the score at 21-21.
Illini Bluffs ultimately pulled away late in the frame behind a kill from Woertz and consecutive kills from Eeten to seal the victory.
Both the Journal Star and Yahoo Sports noted the significance of the win in concluding the high school volleyball season on a positive note for the Tigers.