Immaculate Conception advances

SERENA -- Immaculate Conception escaped a scare from Newark, and it was all downhill from there.

The Knights' girls volleyball team was on the wrong side of a 15-3 game-closing run by the Norsemen in the opener of the Class 1A Serena sectional semifinals Thursday evening.

"We didn't want to go home like we did last year," said Meg Kowieski, the lone senior on the squad. "We have a lot of heart."

The Knights came back to defeat Newark in convincing fashion in the final two games, and Indian Creek was no test for the hardened group from the Suburban Catholic Conference.

The Knights opened up comfortable leads in each game against Indian Creek and cruised into the South Beloit supersectional Monday with a 25-12, 25-14 triumph.

Immaculate Conception (28-11) will be making its first appearance in the final supersectional since 1993; the Knights will face Rockford Keith School, which turned back Dakota in three games at East Dubuque.

The Knights ended the Newark and Indian Creek seasons at 23-11 and 22-12, respectively.

Danielle Remy was an unstoppable force against both sectional opponents as the junior middle hitter had match highs of 11 and 8 kills, respectively.

The junior was ably supported by MaryKate Manion and Mary Cheng as well, but it was the twin setting of Kowieski and Abby West that fueled the Knights' attack.

The duo combined for 50 assists in the two matches, and Remy was the main beneficiary of the their fluid sets.

Remy had four consecutive kills as part of an 8-point run that easily negated the Timberwolves' opening point of the first game, and Indian Creek never found an answer to the Knights' subsequent onslaught.

"(The girls) were overwhelmed and didn't know what to do," said Indian Creek coach Stephanie Crutcher. "We looked a little scared out there."

The Knights' first-game lead was soon in double digits, only to see the Norsemen make a stand with 6 straight.

But IC put the first game on ice with a 10-2 run as West set up Remy with the last of her 5 first-game kills.

"Our team totally stepped it up," Remy said. "We knew we were doing our job. We've really been working our attack."

IC blitzed Indian Creek with another extended salvo in the second game; the Knights were on cruise control with a 24-8 lead, and the two setters collaborated on the match point.

"We couldn't do anything without (Kowieski)," West said.