York powers past West Chicago

Trying to upset the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A St. Charles East was a tough enough proposition for Kris Hasty’s West Chicago Wildcats Tuesday night before the nerves showed up.

York got off to a quick start and didn’t look back in a 25-13, 25-20 victory that sends the Dukes (31-3) into Thursday’s championship game against No. 2 seed St. Charles East (32-6), the fourth straight year those two teams have met in the sectionals.

“We came out running around like crazy,” Hasty said. “We couldn’t get any touches on the ball at the net. They are a really powerful team, so if we can’t get a hand on the ball at the net we aren’t going to dig them.”

West Chicago senior Payton Bayless served an ace to start the match, which turned out to be the Wildcats’ only lead of Game 1. Hasty called an early timeout down 5-3, but the Dukes kept building their lead behind a balanced attack including Sam Schrenker, Caroline Rose and Morgan Semmelhack.

“We did a couple things that were dumb, but we played pretty well,” York coach Patty Iverson said. “(The Wildcats) play defense very well and they have a nice block, so we had to work away from both their middles.”

Fifth-seeded West Chicago (25-13) held off a couple game points, including one on a Julia Conard kill before another of York’s middles, Molly Schlecht, put away game point.

“We talked about it at practice what shots are open and what shots to hit and what shots their middles hit, so I feel my setter (Katie Gallagher) really utilized that when their block went straight up and she set me,” Schrenker said.

York also jumped to a big lead in Game 2 at 9-3 before Conard helped lead the Wildcats back. The Illinois recruit served a pair of jump aces with a Taylor Karg kill sandwiched between to cap a 7-0 run and give the Wildcats a 10-9 lead.

York went ahead to stay at 14-13 on a block from Schrenker. The match ended on a West Chicago serve-receive miscue.

“We just didn’t bring it tonight,” Hasty said. “Game 1 kind of set a tone. We had spurts in Game 2. They are disappointed. I don’t blame them, I am too. York is a great team.”

West Chicago’s leaders included Bayless and Kayla Katarzynski with 5 digs, Andrea Skipor’s 3 kills, Karg with 3 blocks, Nora Palermo added 7 assists and in her final match for the Wildcats, Conard pounded a match-high 7 kills.

“She’s been our nucleus,” Hasty said of Conard. “She leads by example on the court.”