Girls volleyball: Hersey hoists MSL title No. 10

With the Hersey girls volleyball team 1 point away from a Mid-Suburban League championship, the Huskies' Gabri Olhava gave her longtime friend Courtney Stedman the look.

Seconds later, the big crowd at the Ken Carter Gymnasium in Arlington Heights was looking at the 2014 MSL champs.

Stedman quick-set Olhava, who put down the kill that gave Hersey a 10th conference title with a 25-20, 25-16 victory over Mid-Suburban West champion Schaumburg.

Six times in the match, Olhava (8 kills) slammed a quick set from Stedman to the floor.

"That's how we wanted it to end," Olhava said of her final match in Arlington Heights. "I kind of gave her the look and said, 'Let's go out with a bang.' "

With seven years of combined varsity experience, Stedman and Olhava's final home match was truly a smash hit.

"For those two, you could not ask for a better finish," said Hersey coach Nancy Lill, whose team is now 25-5. "I knew she (Stedman) was going to give Gabri the ball. Those two played great the whole night. The whole team played great."

Stedman finished with 26 assists, with many also going to junior Liz Fuerst (6 kills), senior Caity Strozewski (5) and senior Kelly Hill (5).

Fairfield University recruit Oyinkan Akinola put down one of her match-high 14 kills to get Schaumburg (21-13) to within 5-4 in Set 1.

But after a side out, Olhava served 4 straight points to increase the host's lead to 10-4.

Hersey increased the lead to 17-10 on back-to-back kills by Olhava off the quick sets.

Schaumburg climbed back to as close as 22-20 on a service point from Lexi Ross.

But the Huskies used a service error and 2 more kills by Olhava to end the set at 25-20.

Libero Paige Pannazzo (match-high 12 digs) was often there to help jump-start the Huskies' attack with her 12 digs.

"We graduated an all-area libero (Katie Krebs) but Paige has stepped up to fill that role," Lill said. "She has really had a great year and Kelly Hill really swung well tonight, too."

Hill's kill in Set 2 gave the Huskies a 9-7 lead before Saxons senior Jada Blackwell came back for a kill to make it 9-8.

A few moments later, senior Joslyn Kerman stepped to the service line with her team ahead 11-9 and provided even more breathing room.

The senior's ace led off three unanswered points to give Hersey a 14-9 cushion.

Schaumburg never got closer than 4 points the rest of the way.

Lill, who has now won nine of the Huskies' record-tying 10 MSL crowns (Barrington also has 10), stressed the importance of serve receive for her team.

"We were sound there," she said. "We were in the system and able to run our offense. That's what you hope for in a big match like this."

Junior Abbie Rahn, the Saxons second-leading attacker, was unable to play in the big match due to a hand injury.

Hannah Moore was 9-of-9 serving for the Saxons with an ace while Megan Hayes was 5-of-5.

Blackwell led with 8 digs and Mallory Gerber had 3. Blackwell (12 assists) and Hayes (6) set the attack.

Top servers for Hersey were Olhava (13-of-13), Kerman (8-of-8), Strozewski (7-of-7, 1 ace) and Stedman (6-of-7).

The Huskies were appearing in their 12th straight championship match after their fifth 10-0 run through the MSL East in six years.

"These last fours years have been amazing," said Stedman, who also had 3 digs and 2 kills. "We've had so much talent and it was built up so well. It's fun to see everyone putting so much emotion into it and improving as the season goes along. What a great way to finish off conference."

"This is so exciting," Olhava added. "It was awesome."

Just like that match-ending kill off the quick-set play which fans got to see plenty of times on Thursday night.

"It was fun to see it end that way," Lill said. "Hopefully it will keep happening (in the Lake Park Invite today and Saturday and the postseason, which begins next week)."