Girls volleyball: Brookbank, Adler team up to lead Barrington to comeback win over Hersey

Barrington's Division I combo was an A-plus Tuesday night in Arlington Heights.

Minnesota pledge Kalyn Brookbank (26 kills) and Rider University recruit Eve Adler (30 assists) made the grade to help power the Fillies to a come-from-behind 13-25, 25-13, 25-14 triumph over host Hersey in a matchup between two of the top teams in the Mid-Suburban East.

"It's a great feeling knowing that no matter where the pass is, and no matter how I have to get to the ball, that when I get it to her (Brookbank), I can trust her to put it away," said Adler, whose sister Gwen was named the Big East setter of the week for Seton Hall on Monday. "And we can mix it around with other players, too."

Both teams were in the mix for a win in the third set when the Fillies were nursing a 14-13 lead.

But moments later, with a 16-13 lead, it was junior Scout Matiyow making her first appearance on the floor and delivering like a champ from the service line. She served eight straight points including an ace for a 24-13 lead.

"Isn't it awesome that a player who hadn't played not only came in and served the zone but also played great defense?" said 13th-year Barrington coach Michelle Mayer, whose team (11-4, 4-0) leads the East. "And Hersey is a good team."

After a sideout kill by senior Cassidy O'Brien, Adler found senior middle blocker Alessandra Mirkovich for the match winner.

"And then we end with a middle attack," Mayer said. "Isn't that awesome? So we have other players supporting Kalyn so she can have some separation. Lexi (Szlezak, who had three kills) and Maddie (Black, who had two blocks and a kill) were hitting. All-around good match."

Hersey (15-4, 3-1) got off to a good start in set one, building a 23-10 lead with back-to-back kills from O'Brien, a block by freshman Karina Boduch, a kill by sophomore Morgan Matteucci and a hitting error. Senior Mahi Vullakula ended it at 25-13 with her second kill of the set.

Barrington found its groove in the second set.

Junior Kinley Shinhoster (nine digs) served the first four points of the set. Libero Antonia Rojas had 20 digs.

A beautiful second-attack kill by Adler made it 19-11 and the Fillies eventually wrapped it up with a block from freshman Anya Dunstan and one of Grace Hemmings’ two aces in the match.

Brookbank had 11 of her kills in the second set.

"We kind of let up in the second set and if we didn't put the ball away, she (Brookbank) was going to," said Hersey coach Laura Gerber. "She just kept swinging and she was on all night. She played great. And their defense was really good. "

And nobody was as good as Brookbank and Adler, who got their start playing together on the Barrington Middle School Station Campus seventh and eighth grade teams.

"They've had a lot of experience playing together," Mayer said. "They trust each other. I'm really excited about the next two months with them."

As are Brookbank and Adler.

"She's absolutely amazing," Brookbank said of her longtime setter Adler. "She gave me so many seams in this match. She was incredible. In practice, she is so consistent and she always has energy. She is just a great teammate.

"This was definitely a confidence boost for us. We all played with so much confidence. And it especially showed us that even when we get off to a little bit of a rocky start, we can always get energy from our other players."

Just grade it a collective effort for the Fillies, led by a couple of D-1s.