Hard-hitting Carmel wins
On the eve of a showdown, a Chicago Bear made an appearance at a high school known for its great football.
Only Charles “Peanut Tillman didn’t come to Carmel Catholic on Wednesday to toss around a pigskin and teach teenage boys the nuances of playing defensive back.
The NFL veteran came to speak to Carmel’s girls volleyball team, which was preparing to play Lakes in a sectional final.
That’s nuts, Peanut.
“He said, ‘I don’t know anything about volleyball, but I do know something about being a professional athlete,’ ” Carmel coach David Pazely said. “He talked about how to focus, how to keep your goals in mind and, even though it’s so close, you have to stay disciplined. (He talked about) how you make that sacrifice not during the season but before the season, how it pays off at the end.”
It paid off for Carmel on Thursday night.
The Corsairs beared down, so to speak, against Lakes, capturing a 25-21, 25-15 win in the Class 3A Ridgewood sectional final in Norridge.
Tillman is a friend of Sonya Martin, whose daughter, Taylor Pippen, posted 6 kills and 2 blocks in helping Carmel (27-13) net just the second sectional title in the school’s 50-year history. The Corsairs next face Marian Central (33-6), which placed third in the state last year, in Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. Woodstock North supersectional. Marian Central defeated Crystal Lake Central 25-19, 21-25, 25-17 in the Genoa-Kingston sectional final.
Sonya Martin arranged Tillman’s surprise appearance.
“Some of the girls were like, ‘I don’t even know football. What is football?’ ” Pazely joked.
“He just told us a lot of stuff that we needed to hear,” Pippen said. “We used it tonight.”
Carmel senior Jessie Wayland delivered hard hits that Tillman would appreciate. She smacked around the volleyball, recording a team-best 7 kills and delivering a pair of aces. She also had 2 blocks.
“Jessie Wayland had a huge night,” Pazely said. “She couldn’t be stopped. Unbelievable. I’d say if anyone picked the team up offensively and put it on her shoulders, it was her.”
Megan Mowery was equally strong for Carmel. In addition to dishing out 12 assists, the four-year varsity standout pounded 6 kills, with her last one ending the match and sending the Corsairs into a celebratory frenzy on the court.
“I just really wanted to get a kill because I got blocked (in the first set),” Mowery said. “It was really embarrassing.”
Mowery’s reaction was almost subdued, however, as she showed little reaction to her match-winning hit.
“I totally didn’t even know that was the last point,” Mowery said. “I was so into it. When I get in a zone, my hands are shaking, and I’m not looking at the score. I’m just concentrating on playing.”
Carmel had defeated Lakes earlier in the season, as well.
“But we weren’t at the top of our game then,” Lakes coach Molly May said. “We all thought this was going to be a different game tonight. Carmel came out strong, ready to play. One of things we always want to do is win warm-ups, and we didn’t do that. We came out flat.”
Lakes (27-12), nonetheless, “moved mountains,” May said, in putting together a history-making season in its seventh as a program. The Eagles won a share of their first North Suburban Prairie Division title and captured their first regional championship.
Sarah Horner and Emily Aigner pounded 9 and 7 kills, respectively, for the Eagles. Aigner also had 2 blocks.
“They’re a really good team,” Pippen said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and we were going to have to play hard. Since we beat them the last time, we knew that they were going to want revenge. We were ready for it.”
Haley Nedelka, who missed time this season with a torn hip flexor, had a team-best 4 blocks for Carmel. Brigitte Hartnett served 3 aces, Caitlin Barry chalked 6 digs, and Jenelle DeWald dished out 9 assists.
“I thought we started slow both games, and then we finished strong both games,” Pazely said. “Serve-receive, the same deal. That’s a key to success. It started slow, but it picked up.”