Girls volleyball: Libertyville's aiming high downstate

Fed frequently, Francesca Fusco flourished.

Fabulously.

"It was really a great moment for her to come through for us," Libertyville girls volleyball coach Greg Loika said of the 5-foot-11 senior's career-high and match-best 14 kills in the Wildcats' 17-25, 25-19, 26-24 win over Crystal Lake South in the Class 4A Fremd supersectional last Saturday.

"She was fantastic."

Fourteen kills was fun for Fusco, a three-year varsity player, because it means the Wildcats will finish their season downstate.

Libertyville (34-6) faces Loyola (27-9) at 9 p.m. today in a state semifinal at Illinois State University's Redbird Arena in Normal. The winners plays the winner of today's 7:30 p.m. semifinal between Benet Academy and Normal Community.

"We're coming down with the same mentality we came with in 2012," said Loika, whose Wildcats finished fourth at state two years ago, losing to Benet in three sets and Mother McAuley in two. "We're not satisfied with just showing up. We're coming down to win."

Libertyville has won lately due to a balanced attack orchestrated by senior setter Lizzie Apgar. Fusco's super effort in the supersectional was fitting.

In their five state tournament matches, the Wildcats have had four different girls lead them in kills. Hannah Zerwas' 8 kills led the way against Carmel in the Glenbrook North sectional final. Zerwas, a 6-2 junior, and 5-9 junior Erin Dunleavy each racked up 6 kills in the sectional semifinal against Glenbrook South.

Cornell-bound Alex Basler had 7 kills in the Wildcats' regional-opening win over Lake Forest at Warren, before Zerwas slammed 6 kills in the regional final against New Trier.

The 6-2 Basler - who started on the 2012 squad - tops Libertyville with 293 kills, while Zerwas' 198 are a distant second. Annika Hawkinson, a 6-2 junior middle, and Anna Lillydahl, a 5-10 sophomore, also have stepped up in the postseason.

"I wouldn't say (balance) has been a theme all year, but certainly in the last three weeks that's been our focus," Loika said. "I think teams that have been out to see us might think we're pretty one-dimensional."

That Apgar (685 assists) has several options when she sets has helped on multiple fronts.

"It's made us, hopefully, very difficult to prepare for and also really confident that we can go anywhere with the ball and feel like we got a point scorer who's going to be making that third touch," Loika said. "Our focus this week has been on continuing to diversify our offense."

Loika added that his team has used a "hot-hand rotation" on the outside recently and joked that it's been like setting a "fantasy lineup." The coach certainly has had a hot hand himself.

Against Crystal Lake South, after the Gators "pretty much fried us in the first set," Loika said, he matched up Apgar against 6-foot Cincinnati-bound Carly Nolan.

And Apgar and her teammates executed.

"She blocked her a few times, and I think that changed the tone of the match a little bit and at least slowed her down," Loika said. "We knew we weren't going to stop (Nolan) altogether, but we thought if we could just slow her down a little bit that we were going to be able to hang in there and be in the thing."

Apgar, mind you, stands 5-9.

"She's got really good timing and a really good spread of hands," Loika said.

The Wildcats will need more of the same against Loyola, which also boasts a strong outside attack. The Ramblers, who are competing downstate for the first time, boast 6-2 junior outside Christina Reed (243 kills) and 5-11 junior Olivia Van Zelst (192 kills).

"Their pin hitters are tall and strong, and certainly seem to be their area of focus when they're trying to execute points," Loika said. "Their setter (junior Katie Randolph) is really active and has really strong hands and likes to put the ball everywhere."

Facing formidable hitters is nothing new for Libertyville, which faced Grace Schofield of Carmel in the sectional finals before confronting Nolan.

"I think that lends itself to just having natural preparation for really trying to defend a strong outside attack," Loika said. "Which Loyola has."

Saturday's matches are scheduled for 7:25 p.m. (third place) and 8:55 p.m. (championship).