Grayslake North surprises Central

Lisa Lowry lunged, and her last-ditch, horizontal effort was rewarded with an unlikely kill.

Her Grayslake North volleyball team might have been equally desperate, considering it had been a long time since the Knights defeated their crosstown rival.

“It’s been at least three years,” Grayslake Central coach Jason Janczak said.

If the teams meet again next week in the regional final at Johnsburg, Grayslake North will be trying to make it two straight wins over Grayslake Central.

The host Knights’ 25-23, 25-17 victory Tuesday avenged two losses earlier this season and was fueled by an effort that Lowry, the team’s junior setter/right side, epitomized late in the opening set.

Alex Dahlstrom’s hard serve seemed to handcuff Grayslake North libero Kayla Huck. With the ball spinning rapidly toward the floor, Lowry, from the front row, dived and fisted the ball with two hands over the net, where it fell untouched.

Instead of the score being tied 22-22, Grayslake North had a 23-21 edge thanks to Lowry’s unconventional kill.

“It was a miracle that it went over,” Lowry said. “I was so surprised.”

So, too, were Grayslake North’s standing Super Fans, who chanted, “That was awesome!”

A kill by Joanna Guhl provided the Knights their 25th point.

As they huddled by their bench between sets, their pumped-up coach, Nikki Kirchway, danced.

“I always dance,” Kirchway said. “I always get excited.”

Grayslake North improved to 13-21 and 6-5 in the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division. Kirchway said her Knights gained some much-needed confidence by taking Crystal Lake Central to three games last week, before finishing second to Fremd in their own tournament over the weekend.

“It’s a really big victory for us,” said Lowry, who set 48 of 48 with 19 assists and also had 2 aces, 2 kills, 2 blocks and 3 digs. “I think what really pushed us was the inspiration that our JV gave us.”

“This is how we should be playing,” Kirchway said. “(Crystal Lake Central) was really a pivotal moment for us because we had never taken a game from them.”

Grayslake Central (20-10, 8-4) spotted Grayslake North a 4-1 lead in the second set and never led, despite forging three ties (the last at 8-8).

Back-to-back kills by Katie McGrath and one by Guhl (team-high 9 kills) helped the Knights start to pull away.

“They’ve gotten a ton better,” Janczak said. “They’re running a real quick offense, and we didn’t execute. Our passing wasn’t there, we missed a lot of serves, and our blocking wasn’t there.”

Klaudia Basierak kept the Rams in both sets, finishing with 11 kills and 3 aces. Dahlstrom and Gabi Casper had 4 and 3 kills, respectively, and Maria Treto totaled 16 digs.

“I think we played OK,” Basierak said. “We could have played better. We underestimated them a lot. They just got us. We got to play better next time and play to the level we know how to play, and it should be a better match.”

Grayslake North also received 6 kills and 14 digs from Kelsey Klausner, 5 blocks and 2 kills from Alaina Geissberger, 17 digs from Huck, 3 aces from McGrath, 2 kills from Jenni Babula and 6 digs from Kelly Casey.

“My girls played out of their minds,” Kirchway said.

Grayslake Central and Grayslake North could face each other for a fourth time next Thursday night in the Class 3A Johnsburg regional final. Both teams open the state tournament next Tuesday, with the Knights playing Johnsburg and the Rams facing Monday’s winner between Prosser and Elmwood Park.

“We hope to see (Grayslake North),” Janczak said, “because it’s a fun rivalry.”