Girls volleyball: Fox Valley sectional previews

Class 4A Lake Park sectional

Glenbard East regional

Play-in: Match 1 today at 5 p.m., No. 19 Elgin (6-20) vs. No. 13 South Elgin (14-16) Pairings: Winner of Match 1 advances to Match 2 on Saturday at 10 a.m. vs. No. 3 St. Charles East (24-11); Match 3 at 11:30 am: No. 6 Glenbard East vs. No. 12 Glenbard West (21-15); Regional championship match at 1 p.m.: Winner Match 2 vs. Winner Match 3. Outlook: Tonight's meeting between the Maroons and Storm is the third this season. South Elgin won both earlier matches. The Storm outlasted the visiting Maroons 20-25, 25-19, 25-15 in an Upstate Eight Conference match on Sept. 18. South Elgin swept the Maroons 25-17, 25-17 in Elgin Tournament play on Oct. 13. "Elgin plays with a lot of heart and has some nice defenders," said South Elgin coach Joni Melahn. "And that freshman outside hitter (Kendall Martin) can play." The Maroons enter this match on the heels of a well-played match against Streamwood that ended in a loss in three games. Martin leads the Maroons with 91 kills this season and has found a rhythm with setter Amanda Schwartz, according to first-year coach Keith Foster. Other positives add to Elgin's optimism. "Our back row is beginning to communicate with more efficiency, and it's just an overall fact we are playing more unified as a team," Foster said. "Playing South Elgin for the third time is a great opportunity for this program to prove its progression… We hope to come into this game and make a name for ourselves immediately by upsetting a good South Elgin team." The Elgin/South Elgin victor earns a date with St. Charles East in a regional semi on Saturday. "I'd say the St. Charles East match was our best match of the year, though we lost," Melahn said of a 25-19, 25-18 defeat on Oct. 4. Melahn student taught with and was a volunteer coach for St. Charles East coach Jennie Kull, who guided the Saints to a state championship in 2001.

Wheaton North regional

Play-in: Match 1 today at 6 p.m., No. 18 Larkin (4-32) at No. 15 Lake Park Pairings: Winner advances to Match 2 on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. vs. No. 2 St. Charles North (24-10-1); Match 3 at 1:30 p.m.: No. 7 Wheaton North (18-15) vs. No. 10 Streamwood (20-14); Regional championship at 2:45 p.m.: Winner Match 2 vs. Winner Match 3 Outlook: A date against powerful St. Charles North would be Larkin's reward for a win in tonight's play-in game. Larkin's leading point producer is Jessica Harris, who tops the team in kills. Junior defensive specialist Claire Sherman leads the team in digs. The Royals lost to Lake Park 25-19, 25-17 in an Upstate Eight contest on Sept. 13. "We played tough against Lake Park last time," said Larkin coach Gail Ortiz. "That was our only meeting. I think we have an opportunity to compete and win this next match. In the last few weeks a spark has hit the team and I hope it shows in (today's) match. I would like to see my girls play their best, play great defense and be completely satisfied with how the performed in the our match. When we play with confidence we play hard and it is a great game to watch." Streamwood will take on Wheaton North Saturday in what promises to be an evenly matched semifinal. Win and Streamwood will likely face highly regarded St. Charles North for the regional title. The Sabres extended the North Stars to three games before bowing on Sept. 25. Streamwood is led by Ohio University-bound outside hitter Katie Post, a versatile player just as comfortable on the outside as she is playing middle or back row. "She does everything," Sabres coach Kevin Kwon said. The Sabres come in hot, winners of the Elk Grove Tournament last weekend, where they went 5-0. "I just have a lot of confidence with our team going into regionals," Kwon said. "I think it's the best scenario we could have with St. Charles North there. We played well against them and took a game from them, which was a huge step for us. It's a huge confidence booster for us to play well against the best of the best from our conference. I won't say we'll beat Wheaton North, but we have a good opportunity to succeed at regionals.

Bartlett regional

Pairings: Match 1 today at 6 p.m., No. 17 Proviso West at No. 16 Glenbard North (8-22) Advancement: Winner advances to Match 2 on Saturday at 10 a.m. vs. No. 1 Wheaton Warrenville South (30-5); Match 3 at 11:30 am: No. 8 Bartlett (16-16) vs. No. 9 Batavia (19-15); Regional championship at 2 p.m.: Winner of Match 2 vs. Winner Match 3. Outlook: Bartlett has the firepower in sophomore outside hitter Carly Sahagian and middle hitter Emily Hayes to hang with any team offensively. The Hawks are at their best when their serve-receive is solid and the back row gets the pass to setter Megan Mangahas, who can then distribute to her hitters. "I am so proud of the way she has come on this season," Bartlett coach Jill Bergmann said of Mangahas. "She's so coachable. She does whatever we ask of her and she has really solidified the offense." The offense is at its best when the back row plays the kind of solid volleyball it demonstrated in a win over Hersey last weekend at the Lake Park tournament and Sahagian and Hayes are muscling up for big kills. Wheaton Warrenville South, champion of the DuPage Valley Conference, is the heavy favorite to advance.

-- Jerry Fitzpatrick