Boesch-less Huntley handles Hononegah
One swing can sometimes change the tenor of a girls volleyball match, but such swings don't usually occur in warm-ups.
The Huntley girls volleyball team opened its Class 4A Prairie Ridge sectional semifinal against Hononegah in a state of shock Tuesday, minutes after senior Sam Boesch — an outside hitter committed to Wake Forest — dislocated her left (non-hitting) shoulder while attempting a swing before the match.
Despite the sudden loss of their most consistent scorer, the Red Raiders managed to pull it together and sweep Hononegah 25-21, 25-19 behind 7 kills from senior Ashley Smith, 17 assists from setter Eli Manning and the steady play of Boesch's replacement, senior Emily McGran (4 kills).
“They could have easily rolled over and they didn't,” Huntley coach Michelle Jakubowski said. “It's adversity; that's why you have six players out there. They stepped up for Sam. They did what teammates should do. They stepped up and helped Sam out. I'm proud of them.”
Huntley (31-7) advances to face Fox Valley Conference rival Cary-Grove (33-4) in Thursday's championship match at 7 p.m. Cary-Grove defeated DeKalb 25-14, 25-8 in the earlier semifinal. It marks the third time Huntley has reached the Sweet 16 in three seasons.
Boesch, who entered the sectional with a team-best 395 kills and a kill percentage of .375, has a history of dislocating her non-hitting shoulder. She missed most of her sophomore year with the same injury, and she dislocated the same shoulder in May while playing for the Sky-High volleyball club. She returned a month later to help her Sky High 18-Black team successfully defend its AAU national title.
“I went up to hit and it came out,” Boesch said in the trainer's room, fighting back tears. “I knew it had to go back in because before I had it out for a while before and it took longer to make it better. I'll get through it.”
Competing against Cary-Grove Thursday seems unlikely, but Boesch did not rule it out.
“Not sure yet. It depends on how I feel (today),” she said. “I definitely want to play for my team. But they did a nice job being there for me and stepping up. I'm proud of them.”
Boesch's absence only doubled her teammates' resolve to beat Hononegah (24-10).
“Obviously, it's heartbreaking,” Smith said. “We love Sam. Watching her sitting out just made us more motivated to win. We had to win it for her. Basically, I dedicated this game to her because of what she is going through right now. It's the most painful thing ever, I guarantee it.”
The Red Raiders benefited from the generosity of the Indians, who were unable to capitalize on Huntley's misfortune due to too many unforced errors.
“We were already hoping we would win, but once we saw Sam was out we had even more hope to push through,” said Hononegah senior setter Kelsey Johnson. “But we're a very young team and we came out with a lot of nerves. That got to us.”
The Red Raiders led Game 1 by a point when they won 7 of the next 10 points to take a 21-16 lead. That spree was highlighted by a tip kill from middle Jaina Jackson, who didn't practice Monday due to flu-like symptoms, an ace from Nicole Levra and a kill by Smith off the block and out of bounds. McGran recorded a kill on game point on her third swing of the rally.
A 7-1 run in the second game staked Huntley to a 16-10 lead, fueled by an ace from Aryana Burgos and kills from Smith, Jackson and McGran.
“I was nervous, but I was excited,” McGran said of the opportunity to play a significant role in a sectional semifinal. “I think we handled it really well. I think as a team we all stepped up.”