Odenthal's return highlights Geneva's win over Batavia
Always an emotional night on Senior Night, the Geneva girls volleyball team cranked that emotional level up a notch - or 10 - in a 25-15, 25-13 victory over Batavia Thursday night.
Geneva senior setter Megan Odenthal played her first match of the season, serving the first two points of Game 2 and playing one more point when Geneva reached 24 in Game 2.
Odenthal had 863 assists as a junior last year but suffered a torn ACL this summer that has sidelined her all season. Instead of enjoying a senior year lofting more sets to Lauren Wicinski and Kelsey Augustine on a Geneva team that's as good as any around, she's done her best to support her teammates from the bench.
That hasn't been the easiest transition to make.
"Every single game just gets more and more painful," Odenthal said. "I thought it would get easier to watch my teammates but it has gotten harder."
That made Thursday all the more special. Odenthal was cleared by her doctor this week to return, and Geneva coach KC Johnsen put her in to serve at the start of Game 2.
Odenthal, wearing a brace on her right knee, served two perfect floating jump serves, and even hustled up to set Alexa Sommer for a kill. Her knee obviously isn't 100 percent, and after the two points Johnsen pulled Odenthal, who received hugs from her teammates on the bench and cheers from the large crowd.
"It was really emotional," Wicinski said. "She did a fantastic job getting to where she was. She's worked so hard. I've never seen anyone work so hard. She wanted it so bad. I'm so happy for her to get it in. It was amazing to see her jump serve and move around."
Odenthal, who will return to volleyball next year at Washington University, said she felt fine afterward, overwhelmed by the support she has received.
"To be out there tonight with my teammates and to see my parents and friends in the stands, it was amazing," Odenthal said. "I can't even describe it. It was really, really emotional for me. When I came back out (of the game) the experience was surreal. I felt really supported by the community, by my teammates."
With Geneva (28-2, 14-0) leading 24-12, Odenthal came in one more time. Wicinski, who dominated all night, couldn't quite deliver a storybook finish by putting away a kill after a long rally. The match ended on the next point, a Shannon O'Neal kill on Brooke Morphis' assist.
Much of the rest of the night belonged to Wicinski. who finished with 7 aces, 9 kills and 4 blocks.
The NIU-bound senior served 8 points to turn a tight 16-14 Game 1 into a 24-16 lead. She drew oohs and aahs from the crowd with her missile serves that barely cleared the net and Batavia struggled to even get in play.
"It's (Wicinski's serve) really hard but we did the best we could. It's a tough serve," Batavia senior captain Katie Rueffer said.
Wicinski kept the show going in Game 2, first with her swings and then again her serves. Her three kills and a block gave Geneva an 11-5 lead after Mary Nilles' ace had put Batavia briefly ahead 5-4.
Leading 15-10, Wicinski fired three straight aces, landing one serve just down the back right line and the next one just inside the back left line.
"You have to give Lauren Wicinski a lot of credit," Batavia coach Lori Trippi-Payne said. "She is such a good server. She finds the holes. She goes after things, she goes after us. She elevates to a level. It was very obvious she wants the ball late in Game 2, setting her in the back row."
Batavia (20-14, 8-6) finished third in the Western Sun behind Geneva and Sycamore.
Caitlin Piechota (4 kills, 9 digs), Kelsey VandenBorn and Mary Kate Bryant (3 kills), Nilles (6 assists) and Stephanie Kinane (6 digs) led the Bulldogs, who play Wheaton Warrenville South Thursday in the Class 4A Addison Trail regional.
Augustine added 6 kills, 7 digs and 4 of Geneva's 17 blocks.
"Senior night is always interesting," Johnsen said. "You never know if you will get a little bump from it or a little distraction. When you play Batavia you know you need a bump. And I thought we did get a little boost tonight."
A little boost, and one of the feel-good moments of the year for a hard-working senior who deserved just that.