Girls volleyball: Peterson, Geneva make history with win over Lake Forest
A year ago, Emma Peterson took on a starring role as Geneva fielded a new team.
That varsity group screamed inexperience. Fast forward to Monday, and those same Vikings put it all together and are headed to state for the first time in the girls volleyball program's history.
“We’ve all worked really hard and it shows,” Peterson said. “Even when things get a little rocky, we’re able to pull it out in the end because we all trust each other and the foundation is so strong.
“I think that’s what makes it work.”
Peterson went to work against Lake Forest, producing nine kills and serving an ace on match point as Geneva rolled to a 25-17, 25-13 win in the Class 3A Timothy Christian superectional in Elmhurst.
Zori Malone and Charlotte Otto added five kills apiece for the Vikings (30-10), who advanced to play at 4 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals at CEFCU Arena in Normal against Nazareth (27-13), a 25-22, 12-25, 25-16 winner over Lemont.
Malone also served two aces for Geneva, while Teagan Lee tallied four kills. Bella Goldfayn had four blocks for Lake Forest (17-18). Heather White and Sophie Yeliseev each recorded three kills.
Peterson put down a back-row kill to open a 15-4 lead in the first game. Lake Forest cut that down to 15-12, but Geneva was never seriously threatened the rest of the match.
It felt appropriate that Peterson ended the historic win with an ace considering — when all is said and done — the junior outside hitter will go down as one of the program's best-ever players.
“Emma does a great job for us,” said Geneva coach Lauren Kosecki. “She’s carried us all season. She has a great supporting cast. She for sure handles her business.”
Lake Forest did a good job putting up a block on Peterson, but with her versatility, teams can’t hold her down for long. She had three kills from the back row, two coming while she was serving.
“That’s what makes her a dynamic player,” Kosecki said of Peterson, a Dayton recruit. “She can hit from anywhere on the court and we can find her at any time.”
A huge chunk of those assists have gone to Peterson.
“It’s truly a blessing,” Stevenson said. “I can always trust her and I can always trust Zori, too. She’s just as reliable. They’re both awesome options to have on the court.
“With them, I think we’re unbeatable.”
Likewise, Peterson was happy she didn’t have to do it all on her own Monday.
“It was definitely a team effort,” Peterson said. “I think a lot of players stepped up, so that’s really great to see. We don’t rely on anyone in particular because everyone can do everything.”
Kosecki, who played in college at Northern Illinois and Michigan State, is one of the program’s all-time great players. Now, she’s leading Geneva to its first state appearance as the coach.
“We talk about trust in tradition,” Kosecki said. “That tradition is really deep here. To be a part of that not only as a player but as a coach means the world.
“I poured my heart and soul into it as a player. Now doing it as a coach, you want it to succeed. To see what we’ve taken it to the next level is really great.”
This doesn’t come as a surprise to Stevenson.
“At the beginning of the season, my goal was state and I told my team that,” Stevenson said. “We’re going to state and we’re all going together. I know it’s going to happen.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.