Girls volleyball: Kaneland cruises past Marian Central

In all likelihood, the Kaneland girls volleyball team expected a much tougher nonconference match Thursday night in Maple Park.

But the Knights needed only 35 minutes to dispatch reigning Class 3A state runner-up Marian Central in straight sets 25-20, 25-11.

"I was really surprised (by the final score)," said Kaneland sophomore Grace Franz. "I was ready. We played really well."

Marian (1-2) scored the first point of the match when the Knights failed to return the opening serve.

But Kaneland (4-3) would never trail again in the first set.

The Hurricanes negated the first of three Kaneland 4-point leads with a Mae Novskoski ace, but the three deadlocks over the following 8-point sequence were soon a thing of the past.

Kaneland outside hitter Shieka Mushunduzi, who paced her squad with 5 kills, had an ace to complement a Franz block on the proceeding point.

Lauren Steers' play at the net highlighted the Knights' ability to close out the first game with authority.

Steers' had 3 of her 4 kills, including back-to-back winners, over the last third of the set for Kaneland.

Marian closed to within a pair of points on three separate occasions later, but an equal number of mistakes by the Hurricanes earned Kaneland not only its largest first-set lead but also the final points the Knights required to close out the set.

"I was really in the game, in the moment," Steers said of her consecutive kills. "Last year we lost to them as sophomores, and the varsity did, too. We wanted to get them back. It was really exciting."

In the second set, Marian would secure its only two leads behind Marian Davis, the only Hurricanes' returning starter.

The Hurricanes' 1-point advantages were soon a distant memory as Kaneland setter Shelby Hannula had aces in succession.

Katie Jablonski more or less settled the affair from the service line.

The Knights' junior turned the last tie of the match at 3-3 by completing a 10-1 Kaneland run with a 5-point service run.

The outcome was never in doubt again with Kaneland enjoying a 13-4 cushion.

Steers and Sydney Fedderly had kills in the sequence.

"In the second game, we realized that we were the more skilled team," Jablonski said. "We didn't make many mistakes and made them pay for it."

Kaneland trebled its second-set lead to 24-3 on its penultimate kill from Franz.

Hannula clinched the match moments later.

"We know where we want to go this season," Mushunduzi said. "We're going to have fun and play our game."

"I know we have a lot of athletes on the court, but it's going us time to jell," Marian coach Patty Brummond said. "We just need to get out of our own heads and play the game."