Pancratz faces tough choice between volleyball, basketball

Schaumburg setter Drewann Pancratz is one of the top volleyball players in the area.

She also is one of the top basketball players in the area.

Her mother is one of the top volleyball coaches in the state.

Her father was one of the top basketball players in the state.

So which sport does Drewann (father's name Andrew backwards) want to play in college?

"It's so hard," she said. "I love both sports. It would be nice to get it out of the way. But I don't think I'll know for a while."

The 5-foot-8 setter in volleyball and guard in basketball, who has received interest from colleges for each sport, feels she'll know when the time is right to make the decision.

"People assume I have a lot of pressure from my parents to play the sports which they are involved with," Drewann added. "But that's not the case at all. I've got so much support from them both. They've even said I don't even have to play in college if I don't want to. They're so supportive. They say to do what's going to make me the happiest."

Drewann's father Andy starred at Hersey High School and then for coach Ray Meyer at DePaul University. Today, he coaches AAU basketball.

Her mom Jeanette is one of the winningest high school coaches in the state with 636 girls volleyball victories in 26 seasons.

Drewann is one of the rare high school female athletes to play for a team coached by her mother for four varsity seasons.

Hersey's Katie Lill is in her first season playing for her mother Nancy at Hersey High School.

Like Jeannette Pancratz, Nancy Lill (637-207) has also won more than 600 girls volleyball matches.

So what advice can Drewann offer Katie Lill playing for her mother?

"Just listen to your mom," said Drewann, whose three older brothers went on to play for Division I college basketball programs. "Both of our moms are very good coaches and have a great knowledge of the game.

"And don't take any year for granted. Because your senior year comes very fast."

Drewann and Katie were on the floor at the same time last Saturday when Schaumburg defeated Hersey in the semifinals of the Hersey Invite.

"I was kind of thinking about that," said Katie, who put down 20 kills in the tourney. "That was cool to see someone else out on the floor in my same position.

"And she's (Drewann) such a good player. She got us on a lot of dumps."

In addition to her 73 assists, Drewann also had 21 kills in the tourney, which Schaumburg won for the first time in the four Pancratz years.

Seven's heaven: With the switch to four classes for the state tournament, volleyball teams will only have to win seven matches to earn a state title rather then the eight it took for the two-class tourney.

Sectional assignments have been announced, and all area teams will play in the Class 4A tourney, which features the schools with the largest enrollments in the state.

All 12 Mid-Suburban League teams will compete in the Buffalo Grove sectional with that winner advancing to the Hersey supersectional.

The supersectional is no longer the Sweet Sixteen. It is actually the Elite Eight.

With fewer schools in each class, winning a supersectional advances a team into the Final Four, which will be at Illinois State's Redbird Arena.

The BG sectional includes all the MSL teams, except for Elk Grove, which will participate in the Niles North sectional.

St. Viator, Warren, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Carmel, Mundelein, Round Lake, Waukegan and Zion-Benton are also in the BG sectional.

Elk Grove is joined by Maine West in the Niles North sectional.

The winner of the Niles North sectional meets the champion of the Buffalo Grove sectional at the Hersey supersectional.

That supersectional champ will face the champion of the DeKalb supersectional (Crystal Lake South and Lake Park sectional winners) in the Final four in Normal.

Tourney action: ŒFour area teams will participate in tournament action on Saturday.

Prospect hosts its own invite, which includes Wheeling and Palatine.

Rolling Meadows makes the trip west to participate in the Harlem Invitational.

Big win: Schaumburg became the first team this decade to own a spot above Barrington in the MSL West standings.

The Saxons (4-0) pulled in front of the Fillies (3-1) on Thursday with a 23-25, 25-17, 25-19 victory Tuesday night.

"Schaumburg is a tough place to play with the intensity from its crowd," said second-year Barrington coach Chris Bronke. "We knew that coming into the match.

"I thought we did the best job we could simulating it in practice. But it's a tough place to play and they are a tough team to play."

The Fillies, who were fourth in the Class AA state tourney last fall, have only a few returning varsity players on the roster this season.

"With our youth and inexperience on this team, our season starts in October," Bronke added. "Not to diminish these conference and regular season matches, but we want to be ready for the state tournament."

Clutch performer: ŒWhen all-area setter Drewann Pancratz had to leave Game 2 in Tuesday's win over Barrington, Schaumburg coach Jeanette Pancratz had to revise her lineup on the floor.

One move she made was calling on Sam Kelly for right-side defensive help, and the 5-foot-4 senior stepped in like she'd been playing the position the entire match.

"I just cared about my team," said Kelly, who dug up 3 attacks. "I wanted to keep the intensity up on the floor.

"I knew Drewann was getting her ankle taped, and I was just worried about her condition and keeping my teammates' minds on the match."

jleusch@dailyherald.com