Annie Fesl sets up sister with winning example

Annie Fesl will be rooting for her sister’s volleyball team tonight from another state.

The offense for Hersey’s girls volleyball team playing in the Buffalo Grove sectional semfinals is directed by Annie’s young sibling Abby.

Like Abby, Annie was once a Hersey setting standout.

Now Annie is a student teacher at Turpin High School in Ohio.

While teaching honors and college prep geometry, Annie also served as Turpin’s junior varsity girls volleyball coach this fall and helped out with the varsity team.

Annie knows exactly what Abby is going through tonight.

Annie played in three straight sectionals for Hersey coach Nancy Lill before starring for the University of Cincinnati.

She had one of the finest careers as a Bearcat has produced.

Annie started every match in her four seasons and her teams went 101-37, winning two Big East titles and two bids to the NCAA tourney.

She was All-Big East first team her senior and junior season.

Fesl finished fifth in the nation in setting assists in 2010. She finished her career ranked second all-time at Cincinnati in assists and fourth in assists per set.

Now she is able to use her high school and collegiate experience as a coach.

“One of the most important things that I learned while playing, and have been able to pass on to my players, is how to communicate with all different types of players,” Annie said. “I have played on plenty of different teams, and communication was the most important aspect in becoming a successful team.”

Fesl enjoys passing her knowledge of the game and the setting position to young players.

“I love when they listen and apply my advice and see immediate results,” she said. “Being able to eliminate their errors or frustration with a few words or tips makes me happy, too.

“Telling players what they need to be communicating and how they need to talk to each other is often overlooked or assumed to be known already. I also learned that effort can make the difference between a good team and a great team and regardless of how much talent and skill one team may have if there is no effort or communication their skills will only take them so far.”

Fesl will never forget a match against Syracuse her sophomore year.

“We were at their place and in the fifth game we were down 9-1 and made an incredible comeback to win the game 16-14,” she said. “It was the most thrilling and memorable volleyball experience.”

Fesl hopes one day more memorable experiences will come for teams of her very own.

“My dream job would be to coach both boys and girls high school varsity volleyball,” she said. “And, of course, teach math.”

While Annie may not be at tonight’s match, Abby will have another sister in the stands. Former Notre Dame and Hersey standout Megan Fesl plans to attend.

Annie and Megan played against each other in college.

In fact, when they met in a match in South Bend in 2007, their father Rich sang the national anthem.

Football

MIT’s running back Justin Wallace ended his freshman season in stellar fashion by tieing the school record with 41 carries, while gaining a career-high 190 yards with 3 touchdowns (20, 4 and 9 yards) in a 23-0 win over Nichols College.

Wallace was also voted the New England Football Conference “Offensive Player of the Week.”

Ÿ Millikin quarterback Matt Holmes (Wheeling) threw for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 43-36 loss at Elmhurst College.

Men’s soccer

Scott Sutarik, an all-state goalie from Fremd’s 17-3-2 soccer team last year, was recently moved from the third goalie slot to the starting role at Division 1 Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

In his first three starts, Sutarik registered 2 shutouts and allowed 1 goal. He continues to focus on the remainder of the season, the upcoming Big South conference tournament and a hopeful NCAA playoff spot for his team.

Ÿ North Central’s Jake Muszczynski (Rolling Meadows) started in 13 of the 14 games he played in this season, tallying a team-high 8 goals (including a team-high 3 game-winners) and 2 assists.

Women’s soccer

Rockhurst University freshman forward Taylor Skala (St. Viator) was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Week. Skala paced the Hawks to wins over St. Joseph’s and Indianapolis in league play.

In a 3-0 win over visiting Indianapolis, Skala iced the match by putting the Hawks up 2-0 in the 85th minute on an assist from Morgan Dahm. Skala also help the Hawks to a 6-0 decision over visiting St. Joseph, putting home a goal just inside the left post from 15-yards out against the Pumas to notch her second goal of the week. In two matches, Skala had 4 points on 2 goals and finished the week with 10 shots, including five on goal. She now has 28 points on the year with 12 goals and 4 assists.

Skala ranks fourth in the league in points per game (1.75), second in the GLVC in goals per game (0.75) and fifth in the league in shots per game (3.69).

Ÿ Wisconsin senior goalkeeper Michele Dalton (Hersey) was named the Big Ten “Co-Defensive Player of the Week.”

She recorded 9 saves, including 1 shutout, in wins over Purdue and Indiana. She secured her sixth shutout of the season with 4 saves in a 2-0 win over the Hoosiers

and posted 5 saves against the Boilermakers in a 5-1 win.

It was her second weekly award of the season and the sixth of her career.

Ÿ Emily Haeger (Rolling Meadows) is a freshman goal keeper for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In limited play this season, she is 1-0 in the net with a goals-against-average per game undr 1. Haeger started and played the entire game in a 2-1 victory on the road in Dubuque, Iowa vs. Clarke College.

Women’s cross country

North Central’s Kala Bingham (Barrington) finished fourth at the CCIW Championships at North Park University with a time of 23:17. Her finish earned her an all-conference award. North Central won the team title with 30 points.

Men’s cross country

North Central’s Matt Perez (Hoffman Estates) was the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Individual Conference Champion at North Park University. Perez finished first with a time of 25:15. North Central won the team title, obtaining all top 5 spots to achieve a perfect score.

Ÿ Oakton captain Martin Chavez (Maine West) took first place at the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Championships hosted by Moraine Valley. In the 8K race, Chavez finished ahead of 53 other runners with his time of 28:15.8 and was named the 2011 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Men’s Runner of the Year.

Wrestling

Former St. Viator team MVP and captain TJ Hohenadel, who competed at Wisconsin-LaCrosse as a freshman, has transferred to Indiana and will wrestle for the Hoosiers in the Big Ten.

Ÿ Please e-mail Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com or FAX to (847) 427-1173.