Fremd foiled by familiar foe
Fremd girls and boys volleyball coach Curt Pinley, who has won a combined 281 career matches since 1992, used to be the Palatine boys volleyball coach.
He remembers coaching those Pirates boys teams against Buffalo Grove, which was led by all-stater Matt Aiello.
Monday night, Pinley was coaching against Aiello again.
This time, Aiello was on the sidelines as the Lake Zurich girls varsity coach.
"They're very tough," Pinley said of the Bears. "And Matt does a great job with his teams."
After seeing a 6-0 lead in Game 3 disappear, Aiello's Bears finally edged a stubborn Fremd team 25-20, 14-25, 25-20 in a nonconference match in Palatine.
It was Pinley's first time directing the Vikings (5-3) this fall. He recently returned from China, where he was adopting a girl.
Nine-month-old Rheann was at her first volleyball match Monday night.
Pinley wished he was not at his first one of the season.
"I thought we played very well in Game 2, but it was tough when you're coaching your team for the first time," Pinley said.
"I have to put this loss on myself. I just haven't been here for the team. It's just hard to make adjustments when you're seeing them for the first time in a match, and it was hard because we were running a 6-1 offense for the first time this season."
In the Vikings' first eight matches, assistant coach Nick Vassos was able to run a 5-2 offense with senior Michele Gonnella and junior Natalie Bruck.
However, Gonnella had to assume sole setting responsibilities Monday because Bruck has been sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Gonnella was 39 of 39 while handing out 12 assists.
Her top targets were junior Stephanie Alesi, (10 kills), senior Danielle Warner (6) and sophomore Colleen Andersen (4 kills).
Sarah Welsh contributed 11 digs, while Alesi had 10 and Warner 7.
Fremd jumped ahead 11-3 in Game 2, thanks to 8 straight service points -- including 2 aces by junior Kaitlyn Pascus.
The Bears never got closer than 6 points.
Lake Zurich (7-3) raced out to a 6-0 lead in Game 3, but Fremd (5-4) battled back.
Senior Bridget Morton's kill brought the Vikings to within 11-10, and they tied the game at 11-11 on a service point by senior Patricia Fehr.
The game was tied at 20-20 before the Bears ran off the final 5 points, ignited by Lydia Bauer's quick set to Brittany Murawski.
Crystal Wright served the final 4 points, getting 2 kills from Amber Miehkle and 1 from Jenn Grunden.
Bauer, who helped lead the Bears girls basketball team to the sectional finals a year ago, collected 17 assists, 5 kills and 4 blocks.
"Lydia is basketball star, but she isn't too bad in volleyball, either," Aiello said. "While it was a brand-new sport for her coming into high school, she is starting to understand the game and seeing the floor better. She is such a competitor. "