WW South advances, but West Aurora makes it difficult
Wheaton Warrenville South's girls volleyball team moved on to the Class 4A Glenbard South regional semifinal, but it will have to forget a nervy finish against West Aurora by match time.
WW South won 25-14, 26-24 Monday in the regional quarterfinal in Glen Ellyn.
The Tigers took the first game against the Blackhawks pretty handily, but West Aurora showed what a team fighting for its season looks like.
The Blackhawks (10-26-1) barley missed out on a third game and fought to close a 21-15 deficit by going on a 9-3 run, scoring 6 straight points after being down 24-18 to make it 24-24. West Aurora eventually fell 26-24 from a bad serve and a block attempt that forced the ball out of bounds.
"I think that we really wanted it. We worked hard for it and we came up short," said West Aurora coach Kari Nicholson-Riguad. "I'm happy we went out swinging. I'm happy we went out making the smart play, but it's sad."
For the first game and most of the second, the Tigers (12-24) benefitted off an on-form Rachel Burau. The senior setter - and Wake Forrest commit - put the ball on a platter for her teammates for most of the night and made some strong defensive plays.
Burau tallied 18 assists, 6 digs, 4 blocks, 2 kills and 2 aces on the night.
"She's a difference-maker," said Tigers coach Bill Schreier. "There's a reason why she's going to Wake Forest on scholarship. You can see that she's able to keep the defense guessing and our hitters did a nice job terminating balls. But when it's right there life gets pretty easy."
Reaping the pleasures of Burau's play was senior Erin Stauton and junior Kristin Martin. Martin led the game with 8 kills, while Stauton chipped in with 6 of her own and added a match-high 4 blocks.
Helping her teammates find success is certainly part of Burau's game plan, but it's her defense that she tries to motivate them with.
"I feel like if I try my hardest then it will be contagious to my teammates. Diving has just always been my forte, I'll go for everything and I feel like the kind of player that I am. I try to get other people to do that. I feel it gives your teammates accountability for each other."
West Aurora's Jordyn Poppen had a team-high 5 kills and Lucy Currie - who had some big kills in that second game - finished tied with Mallory Jones with 4.
The Tigers will face St. Charles East in the regional semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Glenbard South.