LASALLE — A collective team effort was what fueled the Lady Hub varsity volleyball team on the road Saturday afternoon, when Rochelle defeated Interstate 8 Conference rival LaSalle-Peru in three sets before beating nonconference opponent Coal City in two sets.

The Lady Hubs outlasted LaSalle-Peru 27-25, 19-25, 25-20. Junior Sylvia Hasz led the Rochelle offense with 16 kills, while sophomore Addie Friestad added 11 kills and senior Clare Green commanded the attack with 32 assists. Sophomore Anna Harvey stepped up for the Lady Hub defense, securing eight digs as Rochelle continues to rally from an 0-4 start to the season.

“We started off a little shaky, but we really came together and our bench was cheering everybody on,” Harvey said. “Coming back to win the first set was a really big motivator for everybody… We knew we could come back after losing the second set and we really worked together. Our defense was much better and we were reading their hits more often.”

Rochelle had no trouble against Coal City, winning 25-14, 25-14 behind 14 kills from Hasz and four blocks from sophomore Payton Hale. Senior Morgan Haas recorded five digs in the match, while Green captained the Lady Hub offense with 18 assists in the Rochelle victory.

“Our offense was working really well and we had some great blocks up front,” Harvey said. “Payton had an awesome match and we made some really hard swings. I think our communication and our chemistry off the court have improved a lot since the season started and it’s been a lot of fun getting to know these girls. There’s such a positive environment around our team and I think that's really helped me since I haven’t played with many of these girls before.”