Fremd exits with heads held high

The Fremd girls volleyball team wasn't able to come away with a victory at Saturday's Mundelein supersectional.

But the Vikings were able to walk away with their heads held high.

Led by seniors Natalie Bruck, Sarah Welsh, Stephanie Alesia and Kaitlyn Pascus, Fremd staged a stirring rally against a tall, talented Evanston team before falling short.

The Vikings (33-7) led Game 2 by 24-23 before kills from 6-foot-1 Evanston middle Chelsea Lawrence and 6-foot right-side hitter Ali Gossen spurred the Wildkits to a 25-17, 27-25 victory.

"I'm proud of the way they played today and the way they played the entire season," said Fremd coach Curt Pinley. "I told them not to hang their heads - they did a great job. This group of young ladies achieved more than even they thought they could this season. That's a great lesson in volleyball and in life, and that's how I'll remember them."

Elly Knepper and Megan McCareins led the Wildkits with 6 kills apiece.

"We knew what they (Fremd) were all about," said Evanston coach Pam Macpherson. "We scouted them, and we knew we had to hit hard, hit everywhere and hit deep."

Fremd trailed by 5 points midway through Game 2 before rallying. A block kill from Pascus (4 blocks) brought the Vikings to game point.

"I think that for awhile we got away from our game, and started to worry too much about what they were bringing," said Pinley. "We needed to be more aggressive and we did that near the end of the match."

Evanston (29-10) roared back to tie at 25-25 when Knepper hammered a kill, then Lawrence blocked a Fremd spike attempt for the match victory.

Setter Natalie Bruck finished 31 of 31 with 7 assists in her final high school match as Alesia (6 kills), Welsh (5 digs), Pascus and fellow seniors Jessica Tackett, Kathleen Burns and Michelle Withey went out on a high note.

This Fremd team was the first to advance to a supersectional in 21 years.

"We hadn't been this far in a long time, so it's a nice way to end my senior season," Bruck said. "We knew we had a great team, but I don't think any of us imagined we'd get this far. This team stayed strong and showed a lot of heart and will power."