York continues to be Geneva's nemesis
Just when it looked Geneva was finally going to get that 100-pound gorilla named York off its back, the Dukes responded with their final - and most painful - kick in the gut yet.
For the third straight year, York ended Geneva's season, this time by coming from behind for a 19-25, 25-16, 25-16 victory Tuesday night in the Class 4A Geneva sectional.
This one hurts the most, coming on Geneva's home court and ending the careers of what Vikings coach KC Johnsen called the best senior class he's had.
"You've got to give York a ton of credit," Johnsen said. "I thought we were going to get them and they just really played tough those last two games."
No. 3 York (28-8), now 24-2 in its last 26 matches, will play No. 1 St. Charles East Thursday night for the sectional championship in a rematch of last year's sectional final. Geneva's season ends at 35-3.
"It is really upsetting," Geneva senior Lauren Wicinski said. "This is our home floor and it is really hard to lose on our home floor. I know I didn't want to end the season like this and no one else did. It really gets you, we're done, but we played our hearts out."
After a shaky start - a hitting error, serve-receive error and net violation on the game's first 3 points - Geneva quickly found its footing by feeding Wicinski.
The Northern Illinois-bound senior delivered 10 of her game-high 18 kills in Game 1. Geneva made 11 errors in the first game but overcame the mistakes with power; Kelsey Augustine and Katie Sommer combined with Wicinski for 17 kills in Game 1 to just 5 for the Dukes. With the score tied at 18, Geneva went on a 7-1 to end the game.
"Even if we were there she hits right over," York senior Lauren Zerante said of Wicinski. "She's an awesome player. We just tried to do our thing on our side and not worry about what they were doing. It worked for us second game."
York also changed its rotation in Game 2, getting the Bradley-bound Zerante, who had missed their regional opener with plantar tendinitis, into the front row at the start. After the back-and-forth Game 1, Game 2 was never in doubt.
Zerante had 6 of York's 13 kills as the Dukes more than doubled their Game 1 attack output, while also taking Geneva out of its offense with tough serving. Caroline Rose led the Dukes with 5 aces.
"We work on serving a lot and we give awards for serving," York coach Patty Iverson said. "And we played scrappy, got balls up."
It was more of the same in Game 3. York led from 2-1 until match point, a kill by Rose.
Johnsen pointed to his team being a little off on serve-receive, which has been a strength all year, as one problem. He also tried Megan Odenthal in brief spurts at setter.
"They really had momentum," Johnsen said. "Our girls really fought to get it back. We got it back a couple times but we couldn't get it back and take it. And they blocked us a little better than we are used to being blocked."
Zerante led York with 11 digs and 13 kills. Morgan Semmelhack added 6 kills, 5 blocks and 2 aces and Emily Iverson had 15 assists.
Augustine (9 kills, 4 blocks), Katie Sommer (6 kills), Brooke Morphis (34 assists) and Wicinski (15 digs) paced Geneva, who will say goodbye to seniors Shannon O'Neal, Odenthal, Augustine, Wicinski, Andie Fowler, Grace Burns, Maddy Kolquist and Katie and Alexa Sommer.
"She'll (Wicinski) do great things (at NIU), she sure did her share of great things here the last four years," Johnsen said. "That's one of those kids you want to see keep playing this time of year and going a little farther because she sure deserves to. And so does Kelsey and all those seniors."