Joliet West tops Yorkville for 24th straight win, 5th straight regional championship

The Joliet West Express keeps moving on.On their home court Thursday evening, the Tigers overcame some shaky moments in the first set, then dominated in the second set for a 25-21, 25-15 victory over Yorkville in the title match of the Class 4A Joliet West Regional.It was Joliet West’s 24th consecutive victory.“We also beat Yorkville in the regional title match last year,” Joliet West coach Chris Lincoln said. “They are a really athletic team, but playing on our home court helped. We dug our heels in and took off.”Joliet West (34-3) has certainly taken off since Lincoln became coach before the 2022 season. This was the Tigers’ fifth straight regional championship, and they are now 162-32 in the span. Before 2022, Joliet West had five total regional titles, including a district title in 1978. Now the Tigers will face another familiar foe, Minooka, next Tuesday in the late semifinal of the Champaign Central Sectional. Minooka won its second straight regional title and its 11th since 2010