Girls volleyball: Fremd rallies past Rolling Meadows, advances to supersectional

After winning two regular-season two-set victories over Rolling Meadows, Fremd's girls volleyball team met the Mustangs again Thursday night for its most important match of the season.

This time it took the Vikings three sets to prevail but it was well worth the wait because it gave them their fifth sectional title in program history and first under third-year coach Pete Gavin.

When freshman Harper Neill found an open spot on the court for her eighth kill of the match, it provided the final point in the Vikings' 20-25, 25-20, 25-17 triumph for the championship of their own Class 4A sectional.

The Vikings (33-6) will face Huntley (31-8) at 6 p.m. Monday at the Class 4A DeKalb supersectional.

"I'm so excited for Monday to see what we can do," said senior setter Victoria Belmonte, the Mid-Suburban West Player of the Year who again ran the offense splendidly, even recording 3 kills with more than 25 assists. "It's just a great feeling. I'm so proud of how much we have overcome this season and how far we've come."

"It feels super great," said Vikings senior Sasha Sallade (9 kills) with no pun intended. "This was super exciting and we are looking for more. We've worked so hard this year and Meadows put up a great fight."

The Mustangs fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the decisive set for a 5-5 tie on a kill from Bella Zielinski.

But a kill by junior Akshara Jay (9 kills) and an ace from libero Ashley Brim made it 7-5 and the Vikings never trailed again.

Mary Hamann's kill got Meadows back to within 7-6 but Akshara answered with another kill for an 8-6 lead.

That's when senior Katelyn Chuang, a top server for Fremd all season, made her presence felt again at the line — at about the same time many players from the Vikings playoff football team arrived in the southwest deck bleachers to add to what was already a large turnout on the west side of the gym.

Chuang served three straight points for an 11-6 lead from which Meadows never got closer than 4 points.

"Katelyn is a phenomenal server," Gavin said. "It's something she has been great at her whole career here and she plays amazing defense."

"I was just thinking of my team and playing more for them than myself," said Chuang, who also had 5 aces in the Vikes' semifinal win over Stevenson on Tuesday. "I was just keeping a positive mentality and trying to keep the play going."

The first play on Chuang's service run was a beautiful parallel kill to the net from Neill followed by a kill and block kill from junior middle hitter Emily Karzin.

Senior Gabi Tomaino had another big service run later in the set when she recorded 4 points in a row to push the lead to 19-8. Belmonte had a big block kill during the run and Sallade had a pair of big kills.

"I felt that in the third set we had all the momentum and we knew that was what we were lacking in the first set when we lost," Sallade said. "So we just kept going and pushing. We really didn't get nervous and at the end we were able to push through. That extra noise (football players' arrival) was also a big game-changer. It brought a lot of energy to us."

"I did hear a little more noise," Gavin added. "I looked up and saw it was the football guys which is pretty special because I know our girls will be at their game tomorrow celebrating and watching them play."

The first set was tied 10 times before Meadows (30-9) took the lead for good at 19-18 on a kill from Gaby Zielinski.

Mid-Suburban East Player of the Year Lucy Pufundt (match-high 11 kills) put down a kill that made it 23-19 and the senior's slam off a block produced the set-winner.

Fremd raced out to an 8-3 lead in Set 2 before RM charged back to within 14-13 on a kill by Lianey Griffiths.

Back-to-back kills by Sallade and Jay and an ace from Belmonte put Fremd ahead 17-14 and RM never got closer than 2.

"Fremd is remarkably consistent and very strong in serve and pass," said second-year Meadows coach Jack Nickle, who led the Mustangs into their first sectional since 2000. "You can't really have any lapses against them because they stay very consistent in that part of the game and it really makes the game simple for them."

Nickle led RM to its fourth 30-win season and first since 1994 (30-9) under Janet Opels. Mike Duellman's 1989 team went 40-3 and Elaine Wissen's 1978 club was 30-3.

"I am extremely proud of the girls," Nickle added. "They are a special group. Some of our seniors were freshmen on the varsity when they won 11 matches and they've gone from that to just playing in a sectional championship on a 30-win team.

"It's always tough to end your season but we've done a lot of things this season that we are super proud of. Our last two matches have been two of the best we've played all season. We've had a lot of confidence all season and we knew we were going to compete right from the start tonight."

Fremd has won three sectionals in the past five seasons, two under retired coach Curt Pinley.

"I said to the girls we've had our ups and downs but what makes us good is that we are really a team," Gavin said. "We are well balanced with a lot of girls who can put the ball away and pass. And the big difference is that they always have had the mindset to take it one point at a time."

Now they will take one point at a time with a shot at a supersectional on Monday.