Timothy unbeaten in last 28 matches
Everybody loves a winner.
And this fall no girls volleyball team in the area is winning with more regularity than Timothy Christian.
The Trojans ran their unbeaten streak to 28 matches Thursday, closing the regular season with a 25-7, 25-21 win over Ridgewood in Elmhurst.
Makenzie Vos, one of four seniors honored Thursday, is enjoying the ride.
“It’s great. You get a lot of attention from your school,” said the Trojans’ 6-foot middle. “Losing teams don’t get attention, so that’s great to have this my senior year.”
Third-year Trojans coach Lindsey VanSchepen’s expectations for this season were guarded, and who could blame her? Timothy Christian (31-3-1, 12-0 Metro Suburban Conference) returned just four players off its second straight 23-win team.
The Trojans started a modest 4-3, losing to Immaculate Conception in the championship match of its tournament Labor Day weekend.
They haven’t lost since. On Tuesday the Trojans beat defending Metro Suburban champ Glenbard South in straight sets for the second time, clinching Timothy Christian’s first conference title since 2002.
“I’ve had teams that aren’t as tenacious about getting a win,” VanSchepen said. “This group is.”
Timothy Christian didn’t allow its visitors from Ridgewood much of a chance.
Ridgewood scored the first two points of the match, but the Trojans controlled things from there. Already leading 7-5 in the first set, Timothy Christian snapped off a 9-0 run. The final eight came on Vos’ serve. She served up 4 of her team’s 7 first-set aces.
“We’re just playing so well together this year,” said Vos, who also had 6 kills and 2 blocks. “I honestly didn’t expect to have this great of a team, but all the seniors really stepped up and we have freshmen, sophomores and juniors stepping into big roles.”
One of those sophomores is setter Jenna Lodewyk, who had 16 assists Thursday. If that last name sounds familiar, it’s because Jenna’s older sister Krista set for Timothy Christian the last three years.
“She taught me a lot,” Lodewyk said. “This season it’s been a great experience. At the beginning we weren’t sure what would come out of it, but we have really meshed well.”
Ridgewood did battle to within 16-12 in the second set, but out of a timeout Vos ended a long rally by putting away a kill on a slide play. Bridgitt Buikema, Stephanie Kuiper, Cassidy Block and Kacie Stroll also had multiple kills.
“Our front-row attack has been a pleasant surprise. They really command attention,” VanSchepen said. “On any given night a different girl can step up when we need it.”
Any coach will tell you that a loss isn’t the worst thing in the world. Yet VanSchepen said her girls have handled going almost two months without a loss well.
“A couple times when we didn’t play well but still scrapped to get the win, the girls treated it like a loss,” VanSchepen said. “They were disappointed even after a win. They are holding themselves to a higher standard, which is great to see.”