The Eagles are set to face off against Moraine Valley in the Region IV Championship game at Waubonsee Community College Saturday, March 11.

In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Eagles have defeated Olive Harvey at home and then South Suburban on March 4 at Waubonsee.

If they can win on March 11, the Eagles will return to nationals for the first time since 2011.

At the season’s commencement, it was easy to tell that there was a lot of excitement amongst the players and the coaches of the IVCC Women’s Basketball team.  The excitement is to be expected at the beginning of a season, but this time, the feeling lasted all season long. 

Following a disappointing 12-19 season last year, IVCC was ready to bounce back this year. 

This time around, the team felt like they really had something working for them.  The team has a perfect blend of experience and new faces thanks to a total of six returning sophomores and nine freshmen.  It would be normal to think that a team compiled of mostly freshmen may have its problems, but thanks to the leadership of sophomores and the coaching staff, the younger freshmen have stepped up in a big way. 

The freshmen are led by what has been a coming-out party kind of season for Julia Pohar.  Pohar is a freshman out of St. Bede Academy who has made an immediate impact on the women’s team.  Pohar has been averaging 15 points per game which is second on the team only to sophomore and team leader, Daniela Pavlovich.

Pavlovich has been the catalyst for the team all year long averaging 16.7 points per game and has clearly been the vocal leader for the team as well. 

Along with Pavlovich and Pohar, Hannah Wolfe has been a rock-solid presence down in the paint and is reliable on a night to night basis averaging 12.6 points per game. Wolfe has a terrific ability on the glass as well as she is averaging 8.5 rebounds per game as well and is always creating valuable second chance opportunities for the team. 

What makes this team special though, is the fact that everybody has an ability to step up and provide when it is needed.  It has been seen many times throughout the season and it seems like it is somebody different stepping up every single night. Players like Jill Wignes, Ellie Herrmann, Hanna Bima, Cassidy Murphy and Hunter Wright, as well as the rest of the team, have all come up big in spots when the team needed it.

Even though there are some talented sophmores who will be leaving the team, there is a good core group of freshmen that will be able to keep the good tides rolling with this women’s basketball program. 

Coach Tom Ptak has a lot to be happy about with this team and a lot to be excited about for the future.            

The women’s team finished the regular season this year with a 21-9 record and found themselves ranked in the state during the season. 

With two regional playoff victories under their belt, the team is getting ready for the Region IV Championship which will be played at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 11.  A win would send the team to nationals.