Eureka volleyball player Ellie Payne was voted the Journal Star high school girls athlete of the week for Sept. 7-13.
Payne ran the offense with 109 total assists as the Hornets finished the week 5-2. The junior setter began her week with back-to-back 20-assist matches, posting 25 against Fisher on Tuesday. She then had 27 in beating Lexington on Thursday. Payne was named to the all-tournament team at the Bullet Invite in Williamsville on Friday and Saturday. She almost posted a double-double with a 21-assist, nine-dig effort in a three-set win over Staunton on Friday.
The poll closed at noon Friday. Information about the nominees is below. If you have a nominee for the honor, email us at sports@pjstar.com or tag us on Twitter @pjstarsports. Last week, Lauren Poole of the Metamora tennis team was named JS athlete of the week.
Mia Lamberti, Limestone volleyball
The junior was named tournament MVP as the Rockets won the two-day Lincoln Tournament. In the title match and rematch of the 2024 Class 3A state championship title, Lamberti went for 16 kills as Limestone (13-0) beat Mahomet-Seymour, 25-15, 25-21. The Illinois commit posted a double-double of 13 kills and 11 assists to beat Quincy Notre Dame in the semifinals. Lamberti finished with 61 kills, 57 assists and nine aces for the tourney.
Tessa Arnott, Dunlap volleyball
Arnott helped the Eagles win the Jacksonville Tournament on Saturday. The senior outside hitter went for eight kills in beating Belleville West, 25-22, 25-21. She tallied 33 kills — 12 in the semifinal win over Richwoods — on the day as Dunlap didn’t lose a set in four matches. Her week also included 10 kills in a two-set victory over Pekin on Tuesday.
Audrey Dickinson, Illini Bluffs cross country
Dickson made her Detweiller Park debut in record fashion. The freshman was the highest-finishing Class 1A ninth-grader in the field, taking ninth in a personal-best 17:53.80 at the First to the Finish Invitational on Saturday. The eight runners in front of her were all seniors as 421 total runners crossed the finish line.
Gillian Tyra, Metamora golf
Tyra picked up a key Mid-Illini Conference victory last week. Her 38 gave her medalist honors against Morton and East Peoria at Pines Lakes Golf Course on Tuesday. The junior’s 47 helped Metamora (182) beat Geneseo (203) by 21 strokes on Thursday.
Lily Furrow, Galesburg swimming and diving
Furrow finds herself on the ballot for a second consecutive week. The senior won eight events last week, posting half of her victories last Tuesday against Western Big Six Conference foe Rock Island in a 109-66 dual-meet victory. Her week concluded on Saturday by beating Macomb, 119-49. She won the 500-yard freestyle (5:24.28) and 100-yard backstroke (1:03.30) along with being a part of the 200-yard medley (2:03.21) and 400-yard freestyle (4:03.05) winning relays.
Isabella Gusso, Dunlap tennis
Gusso went undefeated in a pair of matches last week. The junior posted a 4-0 mark, winning singles and doubles matches against Peoria Notre Dame and Normal U-High. She won both of her singles matches, 6-0, 6-0, then teamed with Katherine Brewer for the doubles sweep. She was also a part of Dunlap winning the Purple Invite in Bloomington on Saturday.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Eureka volleyball player voted girls athlete of the week for Sept. 7-13, presented by CEFCU
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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