Girls volleyball notes: Barrington, Rolling Meadows familiar foes in MSL title match

Thursday's 54th edition of the Mid-Suburban League girls volleyball championship brings together two teams who are hardly strangers to the showcase event.

Host Barrington (25-9) and Rolling Meadows (26-8) will meet for the top prize at 7 p.m.

Fillies coach Michelle Mayer is bringing her team to the title match for the sixth time in eight years and won in all five previous appearances. The Fillies have won 16 of the 19 title games they've competed in.

Mustangs coach Jack Nickle brought Meadows to the championship match two years ago, falling to Fremd in three sets. That was the first time the Mustangs had won a division crown since 1996. Meadows has won six titles in 13 appearances.

This fall, the Mustangs feature the program's all-time leader in assists during the rally-scoring era (senior Lainey Griffiths with more than 1,300) and all-time leader in kills (senior Bella Zielinski with more than 700).

“Lainey and Bella both have talent and could play at the next level,” Nickle said. “But I think they're also thinking about their futures as well and what they want as they move forward. For now, they're super committed to what we're doing at Meadows and I'm pretty proud of them for that. They've really been super strong leaders for us this season.”

Griffiths is enjoying her senior year to the fullest.

“I'm so proud of my whole team,” she said. “We wanted this so bad (chance to play in the title match) and we came out and played the way we've played the entire season (in the MSL conference semifinal win over Hersey last Thursday). We really proved who we are and I'm so proud of everyone.”

Griffiths had no idea she was on pace to set Meadows' modern-day assists record.

“It's super cool,” said Griffiths, who is unsure where she will play in college. “I didn't even know I was going to get it (assists record). It was after a tournament and everyone told me. I'm just super grateful for everyone who got me there — my passers and my hitters.”

Zielinski said she is not planning on playing in college

“That (win over Hersey) was amazing, such a good match,” Zielinski said. “I'm so happy I get to play in the championship game.”

The Fillies, who won the MSL East for the second straight year, finished 10—0 in conference play including two wins apiece over Fremd and Hersey. Barrington has a pair of senior Division I recruits with 2025 Daily Herald all-area honorary captain Kalyn Brookbank (Minnesota) and Eve Adler (Rider).

Brookbank has more than 1,000 career kills and Adler is closing in on 2,000 career assists. Fillies libero Toni Rojas, a senior, has 500 career digs.

Hoffman Estates: The Hawks (13-14, 4-6) earned the 11th seed in the Schaumburg sectional, where they will play Lake Park in the opening round.

“It has been great seeing the growth of some of our younger players this season, especially our sophomore libero Hanna Buhayova,” said Hawks coach Pat Moran.

Buhayova is leading the team in digs while classmate Abi Batkhuyag leads in aces and is second in kills (92). Senior Lilah Scott (team-high 113 kills) and junior Bella Whalen (91 kills) are the Hawks’ all-conference members.

“For Lilah to go from a freshman B libero to an all-conference outside hitter is pretty remarkable,” Moran said. “And it says a lot about her growth and work ethic. She is starting to receive some college interest as well. Bella has really taken a big leap forward this season with her strong, confident play. Her being named to the all-conference team is a reflection of the work she has put in to improve her game.”

St. Viator: The Lions (14-19), who have won six of their last seven matches, took first place at the Schaumburg tournament and won its annual “Volley for a Cure” match against Wheeling.

Olivia Walberg tallied 12 kills in the semifinal match of the Schaumburg tourney against East Peoria and she had 15 kills in the championship match against Grant.

Over the Lions’ most-recent stretch, Abby Bomely had a team-leading seven aces. Allison Wade had 23 kills while Rose Berlen collected 69 assists and Olive Meyers 41 digs.

Buffalo Grove: The Bison made a nice turnaround in the second half of MSL East divisional play, going 3-2 after an 0-5 start.

“Our on-court chemistry and defensive grit have opened up our transition game,” said BG coach Tara Braceros. “We have focused a ton on service pressure and our ability to side out.”

Junior setter Sasha Tohter is now the all-time career assists leader at Buffalo Grove with 1,547.

Leyden: Eagles coach Emmett O'Keefe said he is hoping the experience the Eagles (3-30) have had this year will help his young team improve going into next season.

O'Keefe said he has seen substantial improvement this season from junior outside hitter Kassandra Vargas, sophomore middle hitter Bethany Mancha and freshman defensive specialist Aliza Shahid.

Prospect: Prospect claimed the championship of the Grayslake North tournament on Saturday. The Knights improved to 10-21 with wins over Woodstock, Proviso West and Freeport, and two wins over the host school, including the title match.