Harvest Christian extends postseason run

A first-year varsity program usually doesn’t have a lot of postseason success.

The Harvest Christian girls volleyball team just might not be an ordinary first-year program.

The Lions on Tuesday advanced to the Class 1A Westminster Christian girls volleyball sectional final with a 25-16, 25-15 victory over Morgan Park Academy in Elgin.

“We may be small and Christian. We don’t have a lot of students, but we can compete with all the other schools,” Harvest Christian sophomore Sydney Doby said. “Our goal right now is state.”

Doby and the Lions are two victories away from a trip to state. The first one can come Thursday when Harvest Christian (24-11-1) faces Luther North at 7 p.m. in the sectional title game. Luther North defeated Roycemore 18-25, 25-20, 25-18 in Tuesday’s second semifinal. Thursday’s winner advances to the Hanover River Ridge supersectional Saturday at 2 p.m. against the winner of the Forreston sectional.

“We definitely thought we could be here at the beginning of the year,” Lions coach Kim Floyd said. “I have been blessed with talented girls who work hard.”

Doby got Harvest Christian going with a kill on the match’s first point, the first of 13 kills for the sophomore. The opening game was tied 4-4 until a kill from Kali Cramer gave the Lions a 5-4 lead. They never trailed again.

Back-to-back kills from Doby game the Lions a 17-10 lead, their largest of the game. Another Doby kill and an ace from Doby gave Harvest Christian game point. An error from the Warriors (21-9) gave the Lions the opening game win.

Morgan Park Academy led 1-0 in Game 2 on a rotation violation by the Lions. That was the only time Harvest Christian trailed in the second game. An ace from Cramer, who missed the team’s earlier meeting this season which was a two-game match that the teams split, gave the Lions a 15-5 lead. The lead grew to as many as 14, 22-8.

The Warriors did save 4 match points before Cramer’s seventh kill ended the match.

“They are playing together as a team. It’s definitely teamwork,” Floyd said. “It’s 12 girls with one heartbeat.”

Doby added 4 blocks, 4 aces and 3 digs to go along with the 13 kills. Katelyn Floyd had 9 assists and 4 digs. Jade Martinez finished with 10 digs to lead the Lions.

Katelyn Healy led Morgan Park Academy with 4 kills. Maya Palmer added 3 kills.