Arlington Hts. Lightning medal at National Senior Games

The Arlington Heights Lightning, a volleyball team of women from ages 70-79, from throughout the Northwest suburbs, won a silver medal in the volleyball women's 70 plus age division at the National Senior Games (Senior Olympics).

The event was held at the new Cleveland, Ohio, Convention Center in July.

The women, who met at the Orchard (Evangelical Free) Church of Arlington Heights gym and play at Arlington Heights Frontier Recreation Center, have been playing casually together for several years. Team Lightning played 29 games of volleyball over four days, competing against eight other teams in their age division, and was coached by Ray Carlsen.

Players on the Silver Medal team included Jan Pihl, Marty Landorf, Sylvia Nolan and Nancy Thomson all from Arlington Heights; Sharan Wagner from Des Plaines; Ellen Sypura from Glenview; and Blaze Carlsen of Poplar Grove. In pool play, they earned a 14-5 record, earning the third seed for playoffs.

In the 28th game of their age division (the 11th game of the final day of playoffs), Lightning's libero, Marty Landorf, a defensive specialist, was injured near the end of the game and was unable to play the final game. The Lightning had to play the first seed, Texas Alamo Stars, from the winners bracket without their libero. The Lightning defeated the Stars two out of three games to emerge from the losers bracket. However, the Alamo Stars defeated the short-handed Lightning in a one-game playoff to win the gold, relegating the Lightning to the Silver Medal.

Chicago Heat placed third in the women's 55 plus age division. Chicagoland Masters placed fourth in men's 75 plus age division.

• Send Your news to nbrcalendar@dailyherald.com.