Hersey relaxes ... and prevails

The top-seeded Hersey girls volleyball team got off to a slow start against host Waukegan at Saturday's Class 4A regional final.

But after making a few adjustments and getting over early jitters, the Huskies rolled to a 25-21, 25-22 victory over the No. 10 Bulldogs to earn their second straight regional title.

Waukegan's attack was vicious in the early going and the Bulldogs went up 12-8 in the first game. At that point, Hersey coach Nancy Lill wisely used a timeout to get her girls back on track.

"She told us to relax and not to worry and just put it in perspective," said senior Katie Lill, the coach's daughter. "Because these games get us really anxious at the end of the season. She really just told us: 'We're Hersey. We can do this.' "

The Huskies (34-3) won the next 5 points, spurred by the serving of senior libero Becca Haraf.

"It was just jitters, just nerves," Nancy Lill said of the Huskies' uneven performance in Game 1. "That happens a lot in the state series. Were a pretty senior-laden team, and the girls know that this is it. So they came out a little tense."

The Bulldogs didn't help their cause in the first game, committing 7 service errors to help boost the Huskies. Such was the case when Waukegan senior Katie O'Conner's serve sailed long with the score tied 16-16. The Huskies took the lead and never look back.

Hersey never trailed in the second game, either.

Katie Lill, the Daily Herald's Cook County All-Area honorary captain, was 19-for-21 on attack with a game-high 11 kills. Senior Jamie Welter was 9-for-9 with 6 kills.

Senior setter Joanna Hoffman added 20 assists and 3 aces on 7-of-9 serving.

"It feels amazing," Katie Lill said. "It's been our goal all year, just step by step, and I really think we can make it all the way this year."

The Huskies were knocked out by Fremd in last year's sectional final. Hersey will face the winner of the Lake Forest regional in the sectional semifinal at Stevenson on Tuesday.