Girls volleyball: There's no stopping Lakes in Grant regional final
Before every match, the players on the Lakes volleyball team get out their quote books, tiny little notepads that they use to write down ideas and inspiration.
They add a quote before each game.
One player per game is assigned to find a quote, type it up and bring enough copies for her teammates. The Eagles then paste the quote into their quote books.
Libero Alyssa Bombicino brought the quote before Thursday's regional championship match against Stevenson at Grant.
It was, "When you feel like stopping, think about why you started."
The Eagles remembered that they started their journey this season with the distinct goal of advancing further in the state tournament than any team in school history.
Stevenson tried its best to derail the Eagles from that goal, but the Eagles, with that quote on their minds, never stopped pushing forward. Lakes powered through to a 25-22, 25-21 sweep of Stevenson to win the Grant regional title, its second regional title in school history.
"We try to use our (quote) books to inspire us before every game," Lakes freshman setter Devinn Bell said.
Bell certainly seemed inspired to push her team across the finish line in the second set. She was subbed in to serve and wound up serving 6 straight points, including 3 aces, that helped Lakes turn a 17-15 deficit into a 21-17 lead.
Lakes would keep that lead for good.
"I just came into the game from the bench with a fresh mindset," said Bell, who finished with 4 aces in the match and a team-high 10 assists. "At first, I was kind of nervous but once it (the serve) got going, I was like, 'OK, this feels really good.' And the adrenaline kicked in and that really helped."
Lakes, which went 3-0 against Stevenson the season, improves to 29-3 after starting 19-0. The Eagles will now face Prairie Ridge in the Wauconda sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. Monday.
"This is a sweet feeling," Lakes assistant coach Tyler Boyce said. "We made it happen. Serving was key. We pulled to together. And to have it all come together was super sweet."
Erica Grant and Paule Ceneac led Lakes in kills with 5 and 4 respectively while Bombicino had 12 digs.
Chloe Robinson led Stevenson (23-14) in digs with 16. The senior was a three-year varsity player for the Patriots and was sad to see her career come to an end.
"It hit me on the last point," Robinson said. "I've been on this team for awhile, it's been a huge part of my life. It's hard to see it end. But we had a good season, it was a good run and we played our hearts out."
Sophie Sorenson topped Stevenson with 8 kills while Lillian Cozzi added 7 kills. The Patriots were without starting setter Alex Cuc, who badly injured her ankle at practice on Wednesday. Backup setter Grace Tully stepped in and finished with 18 assists.
"They always seemed to have (an answer) for us," Stevenson coach Tim Crow said of Lakes, which found a way to weather any run that Stevenson put together. "Our girls did a good job of battling to tie the score a few times or even take the lead. But they (Lakes) were able to make plays at the net. They were winning pretty much every single battle there.
"I was proud of how we kept at it and kept battling. There were just a few times we couldn't catch a break. But they (Lakes) are a great team and definitely a worthy champion. They played some nice volleyball and responded well to adversity when they gave up several points in a row a few times."