Conant, Hersey to battle for title
Girls volleyball
36th Mid-Suburban League championship
Conant (23-5, 9-1) vs. Hersey (24-5, 10-0)
Where: Hersey's Ken Carter Gymnasium
When: 7 p.m. today
Coaches' corner: Conant's Peggy Scholten's 1997 Conant team won the MSL South. She has won 572 matches in 23 seasons with the girls and also 218 as the boys coach before retiring last spring. Hersey's Nancy Lill has won 574 matches in three years at Wheeling and 21 at Hersey. This is the 13th team she's brought to the title match and her fourth and last crown was in 2005.
Players to watch: Conant starts Tricia Kutramanes (5-foot-9 Sr. S), Georgie Kutramanes (5-10 Sr. OH), Mandy Larsen (5-10 Jr. OH), Olivet Nazarene-bound Katherine Hozian (6-0 Sr. OH), Kelsey Paulson (6-0 Sr. MB), Chelsea Vanicek (6-0 So. MB) and Lynette Mueller (5-3 Sr. L). Kristin Perschon (6-0 Jr. MB), Jenna Verity (5-5 Sr. OH) and Julie Hartsfeld (5-11 Sr. OH) are key contributors off the bench.
Hersey starts Shelly Mueller (5-10 Sr. S), Anne Carroll (6-0 Sr. MB), Jamie Welter (5-11 Jr MH), McKenzie Forbes (6-0 Sr. OH), Jenni Mueller (5-6 So. DS) and Becca Haraf (5-5 Jr. L) and Maddie Swan (5-11 Jr. RS) provides valuable depth off the bench.
Coaches' comments
Scholten: "We have to play our own game and maintain a high level of intensity. This is a great experience being able to play in a championship situation. Obviously it is a great honor that the girls have earned. The match was always one of their goals and to get there they know what hard work and dedication can accomplish."
Lill: "Conant is a really good team. We remember them from last season when they ended our season (regional final) and they pretty much have their whole team back from then. We both have a big nucleus of our players back from a year ago. Conant is a good blocking team. Its strength is a very strong attack. They're solid."
- John Leusch