Wauconda bows out after tough battle with Crystal Lake Central
Jonathan Grandt looked at his dejected Wauconda volleyball players as they sat on a floor outside Vernon Hills' gym and was pleasantly surprised.
While the Bulldogs' historic season dried up with a 25-21, 25-19 loss to top-seeded Crystal Lake Central in a Class 3A sectional semifinal Tuesday night, their eyes were dry, despite their disappointment.
The Bulldogs weren't crying about their season-ending defeat because they had experienced too much of a feel-good season.
"We did such a good job," said Maddie Westman, who pounded 13 kills and notched 5 digs in her final high school match. "I'm so proud of us. I'm sad it's over, but I'm so impressed with how we did today."
Wauconda won a share of the North Suburban Prairie Division championship and then captured its first regional title in school history last Saturday at Chicago Senn.
The fourth seed was competitive in each game against Crystal Lake Central (35-3), which earned a berth in Thursday's 7 p.m. sectional final at Vernon Hills. The Tigers will face No. 2 St. Viator, which rallied for a 17-25, 25-22, 25-18 win over No. 3 Prairie Ridge.
Wauconda ended its season at 23-14.
"We made volleyball history and it was awesome," said senior libero Michelle Waltenburg, who had a Bulldogs-best 6 digs. "It was a great way to end it. We never expected to do this at the beginning. To come out and prove everyone wrong, and to be able to win a regional, was beyond what I ever expected."
Wauconda never led in Game 1 but got within 20-18 before serving long and then committing a violation at the net to send Crystal Lake Central on its way to the win. The Bulldogs scored 7 of their points on missed serves by the Tigers.
Wauconda enjoyed a 16-12 advantage in Game 2, but after a serve landed in the net the Bulldogs never recaptured the momentum. While a Westman kill tied it at 18-18, back-to-back kills by Amelia Anderson and Tara Weber put the Tigers in front for good.
Lindsay Anderson, a 6-foot-1 middle, had a kill and block to help the Tigers finish it off.
"Crystal Lake (Central) has such a great team," said Westman, who plans on signing with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas next week. "We did a great job getting ahead (in Game 2)."
Bulldogs freshman Megan Tallman dished out 15 assists, while Erinn Hellweg posted 2 blocks. Senior Stephanie Olson slammed 2 kills and delivered an ace in her finale.
"We played really well," Grandt said. "Crystal Lake (Central) is a great team and has been for quite a while. For us to come out and compete at the level we did tonight was great. It was a victory in itself for us."