Girls volleyball: Rojas, Brookbank help Barrington clinch MSL East title with win vs. Hersey

Although Barrington senior Kalyn Brookbank reached 1,000 varsity kills with a match-high 19 Thursday night, classmate Toni Rojas' 17 digs hardly went unnoticed by Fillies girls volleyball coach Michelle Mayer.

“That was one of Tori's best matches,” Mayer said after the Fillies (20-7, 9-0) clinched their 20th divisional title with a 25-20, 26-24 Mid-Suburban East triumph over Hersey (22-7, 6-3). “I'm so incredibly proud of her. Her serve receive looked really nice and just the way she controlled the back row.”

The Minnesota-bound Brookbank's 1,025th kill off a set from Rider pledge and senior Eve Adler secured the victory that sends the Fillies to Wednesday's MSL semifinal against visiting Wheeling or Elk Grove.

“I'm super proud of Kalyn,” Mayer said of the 2025 Daily Herald Cook County All-Area captain.

Rojas, who had three sets during one rally, even had an assist to Brookbank, whose kill made it 21-18 in favor of Barrington in the second set.

“She's amazing,” Brookbank said of Rojas. “She's so good and she is always like a 'pumper-upper' for all of us. She's just a great teammate.”

Rojas and Adler (28 assists) were teammates on the varsity as freshmen.

“I was really hoping to be a part of these championships,” Rojas said. “The seniors were all really good when I came in as a freshman, so I just looked up to them for inspiration.”

Brookbank looked great the whole match, and her eighth kill gave the hosts a 23-18 lead in the opening set. A tip kill by classmate Lexi Szlezak (eight kills) and a kill by freshman Anya Dunstan gave the Fillies the 25-20 win.

“We just couldn't block Kalyn,” said Huskies coach Laura Gerber. “I thought our kids played really well and did some really good things. We ran our middle well. We're getting there. I thought we did a nice job defensively in the second set.”

Two service points from Audrey Varjavandi got Hersey to within 22-21 in the second set and it was tied at 24 when senior Lily Mattix put down a kill.

But Brookbank dug the next serve, got it to Adler, who returned it to Brookbank for the kill that made it 25-24 before Adler found Brookbank again for the match winner.

“Barrington is just a really good team,” Gerber said. “They're tough to beat. Morgan Matteucci played her best match of the season for us. I thought Karina (Boduch) and our new setter Allie Waltz played very well, and Freya (McBride) played great defense as always.”

And of course then there was Rojas’ defense.

“Toni just has so much fun out there,” Mayer said. “She has the most positive attitude I've ever seen. I can get on her and it doesn't matter. She is still so positive and all that stuff. It's her attitude and her mindset.”

And her teammates.

“I'm really close to all my teammates,” said Rojas, who is not sure if she will play in college. “So it's like a big family and I feel like I'm sharing this with everyone.”