The Bloomington High School volleyball team had to lean on Lauren Seyller during Saturday's Jacksonville Tournament and she proved plenty sturdy, taking her team to the title match and earning tourney most valuable player honors.

"She did a great job," said BHS coach Joe Sanders, whose team lost to Metamora in a three-game title match, which was the Purple Raiders' third three-gamer of the day.

"She was pretty worn out by the end, we set her so much. She took 133 swings (in five matches) and had 56 kills. That's pretty good."

Seyller, a 6-foot junior outside hitter, took 88 more swings than any other Raider. She has had to carry the offense for 6-3 BHS while Louisville recruit Kasey Heckelman has been sidelined by a disciplinary suspension.

The 6-foot-2-inch Heckelman makes her season debut today in her the Raiders' second match in the two-day, 16-team Mount Pulaski Invitational, which includes Central Catholic, Eureka and the reigning Class 1A state champion hosts.

"Having Kasey back will take a lot of pressure off our younger kids," Sanders said.