Hartsburg-Emden 7th Grade
volleyball team punches ticket to State
[March 11, 2026]
The HartEm Stags won the Class 1A Sectional Championship on
Monday night over Metamora St. Mary’s in two sets, 25-17 and 25-7.
The Stags hosted the sectional championship in Hartsburg.
Next up the Stags will play in the 2026 IESA Class 1A State Girls
Volleyball tournament at Clinton Junior High School on Friday night.
Game time is 8:15 p.m. The Stags (18-7) will play Carrollton St.
John's (14-4-1), the defending state champions.
Piper Leesman led the Stags with 14 kills and 10 service points.
Lila Cross had 10 kills and 8 service points.
Eisley Moos led the team with 7 assists.
Jaelynn Hinch received the IESA Sportsmanship Award for the Stags.
Year after year, playing in the state tournament is familiar
territory for the Stags volleyball program. But this year there were
a few obstacles to overcome and Coach Jennifer Hayes had to change
her game plan to adjust to injuries.
Her team’s resilience gives her extra reason to be proud of this
Elite Eight team.
“The 7A Stags played an incredible game of volleyball Monday night
in front of their home crowd,” said Hayes. “The bleachers were full
of orange and black. I was so nervous for them. We started the
season 10-0 and January was fantastic. We had just won the Round
Robin tournament at Illini Central, then everything went south. We
did not play a match for thirteen days due to weather and a team
forfeiting. Then we moved a game because our junior high boys were
in the 8A sectionals and most of my players were cheerleaders. So
when we were finally able to play, the Influenza A hit the team.
That wiped us out for the week.”
“I finally got the whole team back at our 7A Round Robin on
Valentine’s Day,” continued Hayes. “And that day we didn’t lose one
starter, but we lost two starters with broken fingers! We lost
Harper Whitted, my left-handed ace server and Avia Leesman, my
second setter. That put us in a real tailspin. So I had to re-work
our whole lineup and add brand new players with only twelve days
left in the regular season. Sixth grader Kacie Hardy stepped up to
play all-around and fifth grader Mia Westen (Alayna Briggs’ little
sister) stepped up as my ace server for Harper.
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The Hartsburg-Emden Stags 7th grade team is going to the 2026 IESA
Class 1A Girls State Volleyball tournament. Photo courtesy of
Jennifer Hayes
I had to move around players to play different
positions. Hitters became setters. Diggers became hitters. It’s been
amazing to watch them grow! We talk about adversity and how you
learn through hard times more than you learn through easy times.
Leaders are made, not born, and boy, I was watching that happen with
my two captains. As a coach it’s all I can ask for. And now here we
are…the State bound Stags!”
Congratulations and good luck at State!
Stags stats
Points
Piper Leesman 10
Lila Cross 8
Jaelynn Hinch 6
Eisley Moos 4
Kacie Hardy 3
Mia Westen 3
Kills
Piper Leesman 14
Lila Cross 10
Assists
Eisley Moos 7
Piper Leesman 2
Lila Cross 2
Jaelynn Hinch 2
Kacie Hardy 2
Emma Boerma 1
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