Dundee-Crown wins first regional since 1996
Larkin and Dundee-Crown may have come into Saturday's Class 4A South Elgin girls volleyball regional championship match with a combined record of 13-60, but you wouldn't have known it by the intensity the Royals and Chargers brought to the floor.
After a high-octane three-game affair, Dundee-Crown registered a regional title, winning 25-19, 16-25, 25-23 as they raised their newly achieved plaque high in the air with pride. The regional crown is D-C's first since 1996 and fifth in program history.
The Chargers (8-30) will take on Rockton Hononegah at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the first semifinal of the Jacobs sectional.
“We've all been through so much together this year,” said Chargers senior outside hitter Alexis Holm. “We're so close, and the greatest of friends. This is the most memorable team I've ever been on. I've never been happier.”
The match was hard-fought on both sides.
In Game 2, valiant performances from Royals freshmen hitters Brianna Stewart (5 assists, 14 assists, 7 kills, 6 digs) and Olivia Kofie (5 blocks, 4 assists, 10 kills) led their team to switch the direction of momentum.
Game 2 showed six lead changes and seven ties. However, after a timeout called by the Chargers, the Royals never looked back going on a 7-0 run to grab the win.
Much like Game 2, Game 3 opened up with instant fireworks after the Royals gained momentum. There were seven lead changes and seven ties.
“I was so nervous going into the last game,” Holm said. “We had to keep ourselves composed, and have our team keep it together. We just wanted to fight for it.”
While the Royals were trying to overpower the Chargers on kills, the Chargers approached the situation with more finesse, introducing more tips to their adversary. This kept the Royals off balance.
The Chargers jumped to a 24-19 lead, but the Royals would not bow out without a fight. After an ace by sophomore Diana Castillo, a kill each from juniors Jill Casebeer and Piper Johnson and 2 kills by Stewart, the Royals cut the Chargers' lead to 24-23.
But a Larkin serve out of bounds handed the Chargers the regional title.
Holm (7 kills and 17 digs), and junior liberos Carlin Faulkner (28 digs) and Cassie Sommers (15 digs) led D-C.
“They played with energy all game, and I'm happy about the outcome,” said Chargers head coach Tracy Williams. “I knew their middle (players) would be trouble, but we played super good defense. Our back row came in ready to go.
“I'm so proud of them. With the record we had during this season, to do something like this is incredible. It shows there's a lot of heart in our girls.”
Even with the loss, Larkin head coach Marcin Dybka enjoyed the team play his squad showed. The Royals are a team starting three freshman and two sophomores, and Dybka likes what he sees for future years.
“I thought this was a good season for us,” Dybka said. “There's a lot of pressure in the tournament and they did a good job under it. We will benefit from this situation by gaining experience.”