Cary-Grove dismantles Barrington
Cary-Grove must feel like a prized heavyweight.
The Trojans took Barrington's best shot, got off the canvas and then won the bout.
The top-seeded Trojans, who remain perfect for the season at 37-0, defeated second-seeded Barrington 25-18, 25-14 to claim the championship of the Class 4A Cary-Grove girls volleyball regional Saturday night.
“It was good to be tested,” said Cary-Grove coach Patty Langanis. “Barrington really came out with a lot of intensity and played very well. Once we settled in we were able to go point to point and we were able to force some defensive errors.”
Cary-Grove, the defending Class 4A state champions, has now won 53 straight matches, second best in IHSA girls volleyball history.
The Trojans, ranked No. 1 in the nation by prepvolleyball.com and ESPN Rise, will play DeKalb at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a semifinal match of the Jacobs sectional.
In Game 1, Barrington (20-17) grabbed a 13-12 lead when Joy Johnson hammered a kill over the Cary-Grove block.
With the score tied at 17, Cary-Grove took the lead for good on a kill by Ashley Rosch.
An ace by Colleen Smith gave the Trojans Game 1.
The Fillies, who went 18-8 after a 2-9 start, kept the pressure on the Trojans early in Game 2.
A kill by Annabel Perry gave Barrington an early 5-3 lead. But the Trojans took control of the game and match by scoring 10 unanswered points to take a 15-5 lead on a kill by Allison Whimpey.
The Trojans, whose largest lead was 20-8, scored the game and match winner on a kill Kelly Lamberti.
Melanie Jereb paced the Trojans with 7 kills.
“This match was nerve-racking at times, but we were able to match Barrington's intensity,” said Jereb. “We are having a lot of fun right now.”
Smith, who is headed to Indiana, had 17 assists, 4 kills and 3 aces.
“Barrington played an incredible match,” said Smith. “They really tested us and we had to play well to beat them.”
Perry paced the Fillies with 8 kills.
‘We wanted to start fast and the girls gave a great effort,” said Barrington coach Chris Bronke, who coached his final match at Barrington. “I am very proud of them. Cary-Grove is a better team. Colleen is a great setter who makes great decisions and they have so many great hitters. I thought we could maybe quit in the second game when Cary-Grove got a good lead, but they didn't.”