Grayslake Central ousts Antioch

The Grayslake Central volleyball team struggled mightily in the opening game of Tuesday's Class 3A sectional semifinal against Antioch. From there, the Rams returned to the form they displayed for most of the season.

Antioch coach Glen Heitman put it best.

“There's a reason they are 26-12,” he said.

The Rams rallied for a 19-25, 25-23, 25-17 victory. Grayslake Central will play host to a sectional title match at 7 p.m. Thursday against visiting Wauconda.

Grayslake Central coach Jason Janczak did not push the panic button after the first game.

“I didn't have to get in their face,” he said. “They simply refocused. We're such a cohesive team; they leaned on each other.”

Added senior Lucy Peterson: “We were feeling the pressure at first. We took a deep breath and started to play.”

Grayslake Central had never advanced past the sectional semifinals, and the Rams were well aware there was a barrier to break down.

“We knew we had a chance to make school history,” senior Emily Anderson said.

After a tight second game, Grayslake Central pulled away in the decisive game. Peterson closed out the match with a kill, setting off a celebration.

“When she gets a kill, everybody in the gym knows about it,” Janczak said with a smile.

Peterson, who had a match-high 11 kills, had nothing to smile about going into the season. Over the summer, she severed her left thumb while slicing a bagel. She missed the first half of the season. When she returned, Grayslake Central's play really started to take off.

“She made the most of her season,” Janczak said.

Anderson finished with 17 assists. Senior Stephanie Pimpo and sophomore Marina Treato were all over the court with 16 and 8 digs, respectively.

As the match progressed, the Grayslake Central crowd became more of a factor.

“They had the home crowd and that really helped them,” Antioch junior Jessica Ploss said.

Antioch's Brianna Grant closed out her junior season in style with 10 kills and 8 digs. Senior libero Amber Dalgaard had a match-high 27 digs. Senior Savana Bailey had 15 assists, and junior Lindsey Gofron added 11 assists and 2 kills.

“We got away from what we did in the first game and made some of the mistakes that have hurt us all year,” Heitman said.

Antioch finished the season with a record of 16-22. Heitman enjoyed the way the Sequoits grew closer over the course of the year.

“There was very little drama,” he said. “By the end of the season, they were the best of friends.”