Girls volleyball: Benet, St. Charles North cruise in sectional semifinal wins

Lynney Tarnow looks like a college middle on a high school court.

That makes sense, as her coach is quick to note. The Benet senior will be in effect a college player in five weeks when she leaves for Wisconsin.

Tarnow, a 6-foot-4 senior, has the talent of a next-level player. She also has the temperament.

On three occasions in the second set Tuesday, Tarnow was whistled for a net violation, ruled to touch the ball on an opponent’s ace and sailed a serve long.

She shook each off without a hint of emotion.

“Obviously, it’s a game of mistakes. You know they’re going to happen,” Tarnow said. “I just have to reset and do what I can for the next point.”

Benet’s superior experience showed Tuesday.

The Redwings overcame a modest challenge from St. Francis in both sets for a 25-15, 25-12 win in the Class 4A Glenbard West Sectional semifinal.

Sophia Chinetti had six kills, Molly Welge five and Tarnow and Brooklynne Brass four each for Benet (36-2), back in a sectional final for the 16th time in 18 seasons.

The teams were tied 10-10 in the first set, 9-9 in the second.

Two Brass kills, a Tarnow kill and Chinetti kill and dump shot by setter Ellie Stiernagle keyed a 6-1 run in the first, and Benet never looked back.

Those four seniors are all returning starters from last year’s state runner-up. Seven total players are back, including Welge, a huge advantage over teams like St. Francis that is an even mix of seniors and juniors and starts a freshman hitter.

“It’s an experienced group; this group has as much experience as any team in the state playing volleyball, club or high school,” Benet coach Brad Baker said. “These girls have played a ton of volleyball. It’s definitely an advantage if we take advantage of it.”

Few are more experienced than four-year starting middle Tarnow, who had the kill for set point in the first.

“When you get to coach a kid for four years, you get to see her grow as a person and a volleyball player from a wide-eyed freshman to now, she’s the one that is talking in our huddles and talking on the court,” Baker said. “To see someone come that far is special.”

St. Francis (25-13) scored the first three points of the second set on kills by juniors Grace Grover and Holly Muisenga and freshman Lauren Flamme. The Spartans took their last lead, 9-8 on a kill by senior Mackenzie Krzus.

But from there Benet ripped off a 13-1 run, seven of the points on Brass’ serve.

“They are very good firing on all cylinders, and we weren’t at that point,” St. Francis coach Lisa Ston said. “They took us out of our offense, they served aggressively, and their front row is aggressive on all three spots. When they get on a roll like that, they’re hard to stop.”

Tarnow was one of four Benet girls who had a kill or block in the big run.

“We just have a lot of confidence as a team,” Tarnow said. “We want to get after every point, get after every point, get a swing, get a kill,” Tarnow said. “We keep our energy high even when things get shaky. We know we can trust our training and get after it.”

Top-seeded Benet advances to face second-seeded St. Charles North and Penn State recruit Haley Burgdorf in Thursday’s final.

It will be the third meeting between the two clubs. Benet won both during the regular season, the second a barnburner of a three-setter in early October.

“We’re excited,” Baker said. “We expect it to be a packed gym and high-level volleyball.”

Many miles to go before she gets there, but Tarnow won’t deny she’s hungry for a return to state with a different outcome.

Benet has finished as Class 4A runner-up in Tarnow’s first three years.

“I’m starving for it,” she said. “I’ve been so close, and of course I want it so bad. It’s my senior year, I have nothing to lose. I’m going to do whatever I can to get back down there. But one day at a time.”

St. Charles North d. Glenbard West: For a brief time, Glenbard West made a bid to take St. Charles North to a deciding third set.

It was rejected by the North Stars. Literally.

Sophomore middle blocker Brynn Hopkins made three blocks during a decisive 10-0 run as second-seeded St. Charles North rallied from a 14-11 deficit in the second set to beat third-seeded Glenbard West 25-14, 25-17 at the Class 4A Glenbard West sectional semifinals on Tuesday.

“I think Brynn stepping up with those blocks really helped our team get out of the rut that we were in,” St. Charles North senior setter Mia McCall said. “It really fired us up.

“That was such a momentum changer, and it really pushed us to be better.”

The North Stars (35-3), who advanced to play top-seeded Benet (36-2) in the sectional final at 6 p.m. Thursday, trailed 11-8 after Kayla Street blocked Penn State-bound senior outside hitter Haley Burgdorf.

The Hilltoppers (28-10) were on a 10-5 run at that point.

“I called a timeout, and I said, ‘I don’t know why you guys took your foot off the gas, but let’s get out there and go,’ ” St. Charles North coach Lindsey Hawkins said. “From there, Brynn took over.”

The pep talk took a little while to kick in. Glenbard West extended the lead to 13-9 and was still up by three points when Burgdorf smashed one of her match-high 14 kills to give the serve to McCall, who proceeded to serve the next nine points.

The run started with a McCall ace. It continued with a Burgdorf block, the first of four in a four-point span by the North Stars. The other three were courtesy of Hopkins, who quickly followed with a kill.

Junior right-side Erin Sutter and Burgdorf then landed kills to extend the lead to 21-14, at which point the match was no longer in doubt.

“We got caught in one rotation,” Glenbard West coach Dan Scott said. “I think they scored about seven or eight points just in that one rotation, so they did a good job of breaking us down in serve-receive, and they also had Burgdorf.

“We knew it was coming, we knew we had to cover, but it’s still hard to do. It’s easier said than done.”

Ella Rowe had seven kills. Farryn Burridge and Frances McGanne each added four kills for the Hilltoppers, but it wasn’t nearly enough to counter the slugging of Burgdorf and blocking from Hopkins.

“I think Brynn had three blocks in a row,” Hawkins said. “To see her thriving as a sophomore and to be playing at this level right now is awesome.

“We need her. She adds a great dynamic, because we can literally put her in the middle or on a pin, and she allows us to be pretty versatile.”

Already in her second year on varsity, the 5-10 Hopkins is finding her groove.

“I feel like getting more comfortable with the girls and being around them and all of their encouragement has really stepped up my play,” Hopkins said. “(The blocks) felt great.

“It really helped with the team, and I feel like it definitely boosts the energy.”

The North Stars’ other middle, senior Sidney Wright, added six kills, five service points and a block. McCall dished 24 assists to go with 11 service points and said Hopkins’ play has been key.

“She’s definitely a big part of this team,” McCall said. “I don’t think we’d be where we are without her.”

– - Matt LeCren, Shaw Local News Network