Oswego’s Sidney Hamaker knows the history. It’s why the junior outside hitter was hurting.

The Panthers don’t have a rich and storied tradition in girls volleyball, but they’re having a breakout season that had them believing this just might be their time.

With a win Thursday in the regular-season finale at Joliet West, Oswego could have taken the first conference title in program history, which dates back to 1972.

A slow start in the first game was too much to overcome and a valiant comeback in the second game fell short in a 25-17, 25-23 Southwest Prairie Conference setback.

“It really stings,” first-year Oswego coach Gary Mosley said. “They wanted to bring that plaque home for the school. We’ve got a young group with a couple of seniors.

“They’re the ones I’m really sad for.”

Joliet West (32-3, 10-1) was powered by 14 kills from Northern Illinois recruit Ava Grevengoed, a 5-foot-11 senior outside hitter whose well-placed spikes lived on the lines.

“We took the line away, she came short cross,” Mosley said. “We took the short cross away, she went deep cross. She plays chess.”

The 6-1 Hamaker, a Long Beach State commit, struggled to find her rhythm but answered with nine kills for Oswego (27-6, 10-1).

The win in the head-to-head matchup was the tiebreaker that gave the conference plaque to the Tigers, who also won a tournament match with the Panthers two weeks ago.

Third-place Romeoville (25-10, 9-2) lost twice this season to Oswego, but took two of three from Joliet West.

It could make for an interesting Class 4A Oswego Sectional, where Joliet West, Oswego and Romeoville are seeded first, third and fourth, respectively.

“It’s super frustrating,” Hamaker said. “I really wanted to come out this time and prove we’re better than that, but we didn’t.”

Hamaker added two service aces, the second forcing a 22-22 tie in the second game, but she thought she should have had a third,

With a 23-22 lead, Hamaker felt she painted the line with another serve but it was ruled wide. Joliet West then closed out the match.

“I knew we were gonna get the momentum at some point and we did, but then we lost it on a bad call,” Hamaker said. “That serve was in.”

Senior middle hitter Riley Borrowman thought the early struggles were the difference.

“It took us a little bit to adjust,” she said. “They kept smacking line and made us work to keep up with their tempo. I hope we’ll see them (in the sectional final). We won’t do that again.”

This team holds the program record for wins in a season, only the sixth time Oswego has had 20 or more wins. The Panthers also have won three regional titles, the last in 2011.

Coaching continuity has been a problem. Mosley is the 12th head coach since 1995 and only one of them held the job for more than three seasons.

Mosley is familiar with the program, having coached from 2011 through 2019 before taking three seasons off. He returned last year with a daughter set to join the program this season as a freshman.

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“It’s not the fault of the kids in the school,” he said of the struggles. “You have to put people in front of them that want to lead. Hopefully, they’re buying in.”

Hamaker and Borrowman are.

“He’s been a really good fit for us and the reason we’ve gotten this far,” Hamaker said. “He listens and he understands the fact he’s still learning.”

Led by this year’s strong junior class, Borrowman said the future is bright.

“Next year, they’re gonna win this conference,” she said of the Panthers. “I wish it was this year, but I think they will next year.”

First things first, however.

“We’re so close,” Mosley said. “We’ve got a bigger trophy to win, and that’s in this postseason.”