Unified St. Viator volleys past Vernon Hills
The coaches and many fans at Thursday's annual Volley For A Cure between St. Viator and Vernon Hills wore similar T-shirts.
On the back they read, 'Believe There Is Hope For A Cure.'
"That is a team effort," said Lions senior Grace Fedus of the choice phrasing. "Everyone collaborates on it."
Sounds likes she is also talking about the sizzling start to the season for the Lions' girls volleyball team.
St. Viator ran its record to 12-2-1 with a hard-fought 25-23, 26-24 victory at the Cahill Gymnasium in Arlington Heights.
It's a been a team effort all the way for coach Charlie Curtin's outfit, which even got clutch play from a player who was still in middle school a year ago.
With Set 3 tied at 23-23, freshman defensive specialist Michaela Mueller passed the ball up to veteran setter Kaitlin O'Brien, who alertly lofted it right back into the swing of Mueller.
From the back row, the 5-foot-4 rookie put down the kill for a 24-23 lead.
A feisty Vernon Hills team answered when setter Tori Smith found Katie Brettmann for a kill to tie it at 24.
But a Cougars hitting error and an ace by Fedus ended the match and another successful fundraising night to find a cure for breast cancer.
After the match, PA announcer Tom Hohenadel announced the names of 19 fans who won prizes through a raffle.
"I really wasn't expecting this big of a crowd but everyone came out," said O'Brien, who collected 20 assists from 64-of-64 setting. "It's nice to have our community here and then to pull out the win.
"It's been an unbelievable season so far. I've never been part of a team that has so much energy and love for everyone."
"That's our secret," Fedus (4 kills, 2 aces) added about the 12-2-1 start. "It's how we act toward each other on and off the court. We are a team outside of practices as well. We are a family."
Mueller, who joined the family this school year, has fit right in.
"I knew she had it in her," said O"Brien about delivering the set right back to Mueller in one of the match's most pressure-filled situations. "She's a little fireball, that's what we call her."
"She hits real well out of the back row so we will go to her any chance we have," Curtin said. "She has great ball control and can put it where she wants."
Juniors Emily Hayes and Alyssa Forbes put the ball down frequently, lead the Lions' attack with 6 kills apiece. Teammates Gabi Thomas and Audrey Nuelle each had 2.
"The girls are scrappy and having fun, which is good, Curtin said. "We just need a consistent match under our belt."
Vernon Hills stayed close in both sets. Set 1 was tied on every point from 13 to 18 before the Cougars went ahead 20-18 on an ace by Jade Goldufsky.
Like the second set, the score was tied at 23-23 but Viator won it on kills from Hayes and Forbes.
Sienna Spiglanin, Kasey Firnbach and Jenna Joyce, taking their cues from senior setter Tori Smith, led the Cougars (4-13) on attack.
With the Cougars trailing 21-17 in Set 2, Joyce's back-to-back blocks got her team back into the match.
An ace by Haley Lieberman pulled the Cougars to within 21-20 before Thomas answered with a block to make it 22-20.
"It was the same thing both sets," said first-year Cougars coach Ray Rugebregt. "We made it close. These girls want to play. They want to get better.
"We're very young. And they are ready to break out. I can feel it. Their volleyball IQ is definitely getting better. They're smart kids."
Rugebregt makes changes every day.
"We make sure they learn one new thing every practice before they leave," he said.
Everyone left the gym on Thursday feeling good they were able to participate in 'Volley for a Cure.'
"This is nice," Rugebregt said. "I think we'll do it next year at our place. Obviously it's a great cause and the kids get excited about it. I was obviously excited because it was my first time."