Community will play for a second straight regional championship Oct. 30, hosting Lincoln-Way West (20-15) in the IHSA Class 4A final after sweeping Rock Island in a two-set semifinal.

While the Iron didn’t face Lincoln-Way West in the regular season, head coach Ms. Christine Konopasek said the Ironmen gained a scouting edge by watching the Warriors play after Community’s win Tuesday.

“We’re going to try to make it so that we’re as prepared as we can be,” Konopasek said, so the Iron can limit the Warriors’ scoring opportunities.

Lincoln-Way, Konopasek said, has a variety of weapons in their arsenal, including middle Lily Goyer, a 6-foot-2 North Carolina-Wilmington commit.

To counter Goyer, Community will look to “move our offense,” Konopasek said, to “find some holes and make it so that she’s late.”

Offensively, the Iron will look to their senior hitters to set the tone. Against Rock Island, Maggie Michaels finished with 8 kills on 13 swings (.538) and Alana Whitfield added 8 kills on 14 attempts (.429).

Against the Rocks, Konopasek said, the Iron hit .469 as a team, “which is bonkers.”

Caroline Engle supplied 4 kills on 8 swings, Liv Gerrietts had 4 on 9 attempts, and Ella Michalak and Evie Mounce each added 1.

While Community was dominate at the net, the Iron know points start with first contact: serving and passing remain priorities.

In the first set against Rock Island, Konopasek said, the Ironmen “served really, really well. We had no serving errors.”

Community finished with 9 aces, led by Kate Prevo’s 3. Maggie Michaels recorded 2, Lauren Michaels and Whitfield and setter Evie Mounce each added 1.

Mounce ran the offense with 18 assists while Lauren Michaels, filling in for an injured Breely Bauer, added 3.

Health-wise, the head coach said, Community is close to returning to full strength.

“It feels like everyone’s relatively healthy,” Konopasek said, noting setter Bauer remains out with a concussion while Lauren Michaels “has filled that spot pretty well.”

The staff is limiting Engle’s practice workload, and Sam Lakamp, Konopasek said, is “better,” but the team remains cautious with her playing time.

Konopasek said sustained balance will be key as the postseason stiffens. If multiple hitters “are utilizing their ways… their toolboxes, to score points,” she said, “that’s going to make things a little bit easier” to notch a win.

Tonight’s match is set for 6 p.m. at home, with the winner advancing to the O’Fallon Sectional semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 4 to face Minooka or Bradley-Bourbonnais at 7 p.m.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to correct some statistical errors.