Volleyball / MSL title match preview
Who: Hersey (25-4, 10-0) at Barrington (25-7, 10-0).
When: 7 p.m. today, all-conference awards at 6:20 p.m.
2010 MSL title match: Hersey d. Schaumburg 12-25, 25-17, 25-21
How they got here: Hersey went 10-0 in the MSL East winning every match in two sets; Barrington went 10-0 in the MSL West, losing only one set (25-22 to Schaumburg in the second round).
Hersey key players: Senior Kelsey Haas (6-0 OH), Senior Kristen Pedersen (6-1 MB), Senior Maggie Hogen (5-11 OH), Junior Erica Hill (6-1 MB), Senior Lindsay Boivin (5-10 RH), Junior Abby Fesl 5-10 S), Senior Taylor Schill (5-6 L), Allie Mueller (5-5 DS), Allison Johnson (5-8 OH-DS), Sophomore Katie Krebs (5-7 DS).
Barrington key players: Junior Peyton Lang (6-1 OH), Senior Olivia Szuszkiewicz (5-8 OH), Junior Lauren Shechtman (6-1 MB), Madison Keller (5-10 MB), Junior Julia Thompson (5-11 RH), Senior Lauren Dunseith (5-11 S), Senior Amanda Dee (5-8 L), Emily Casaletto (5-6 L), Senior Natasha Singh (5-7 S).
Hersey by the numbers: Attack: Haas (239 kills, .321 efficiency), Pedersen (207 kills, .356 efficiency), Hogen (102 kills, .218 efficiency), Hill (85 kills, .399 efficiency), Boivin (51 kills, .320 efficiency); Digs: Schill 360, Fesl 189, Pedersen 163, Mueller 153, Haas 140; Setting: Fesl 615 assists (1,443 attempts, .423 assists percentage); Blocks: Pedersen 66, Hill 50; Serving: Mueller (98 percent, 18 aces), Schill (97 percent, 23 aces), Fesl (96 percent, 34 aces), Pedersen (95 percent, 23 aces), Haas (94 percent, 25 aces)
Barrington by the numbers: Attack: Thompson (181 kills, .383 efficiency), Lang (179 kills, 238 efficiency), Szuszkiewicz (171 kills, .238 efficiency), Shechtman (152 kills, .345 efficiency); Digs: Szuszkiewicz 269, Dee 238, Thompson 220, Dunseith 169, Casaletto 130, Singh 58; Setting: Dunseith 608 assists; Blocks: Shechtman 60, Keller 25, Serving: Dunseith 34, Casaletto 31 aces, Dee 29, Singh 16,
Players of the Year: Both teams will feature the “Players of the Year” for their respective divisions. Haas and Pedersen were named the “Co-players of the Year” in the MSL East while Szuszkiewicz was voted the honor for the MSL West. Other all-conference selections for Hersey were Schill and Fesl while Lang, Thompson, Dunseith and Shechtman also earned those honors for Barrington.
Hersey history: Coach Nancy Lill is bringing her Huskies to the title match for the ninth consecutive time and 16th since she took over the program in 1988. The Huskies have won eight title matches under Lill, including the last three against Fremd, Conant Schaumburg. Nancy Lill is the winningest coach in the MSL with 774 wins in 27 seasons, 24 at Hersey and three at Wheeling.
Barrington history: The Fillies have returned to the MSL title match after a six-year absence. Under coach Karen Traub Barrington won MSL crowns six times from 2000 to 2006. Although Fillies coach Rob Ridenour is directing the girls program for the first time, he is no stranger to MSL title matches. He has guided his Barrington boys volleyball teams to three appearances in the title match (2006, 2007 and 2011) in his six seasons. Barrington also won MSL girls titles in 1981 an 1982.
Coach talk: Hersey’s Nancy Lill: “Our team is thrilled to be representing the East division in the championship again. We have great respect for Barrington. They are a very good team which is balanced offensively and solid defensively. They are very well coached with Rob in charge of the program. The key to this match will be once again, playing with composure under pressure. Both of our teams are very strong and have played some great competition. The key is whoever can come out and executes. We hope that our experience playing in the championship will help us, yet the match is on Barrington’s home court. It should be a great match.”
Barrington’s Rob Ridenour: “Our players are very excited to be back in the MSL championship. They have worked extremely hard and this is a deserving reward for them, especially our seniors. The key for us this year has been the energy and passion with which the girls play. With our captains Lauren, Olivia, and Natasha leading the way, the girls have had a lot of fun on the court and are playing at a great tempo. Hersey, as always, will be a tough matchup. They have excellent ball control, a great setter, and multiple attackers capable of finishing plays. The most important factor will be for us to trust in our personalities on the court and be ourselves. Hersey is going to put us into difficult situations but how we respond to these situations will determine how we play in the match.”