Kull keeps winning tradition alive

At the start of a season, some teams decide to adopt a team motto or theme. By the end of the season, however, sometimes teams don't live up to their theme.

Not the St. Charles East girls volleyball team.

The Saints' theme this year, "Build on Tradition," didn't guarantee big wins. It didn't threaten the competition. It didn't say they were better than anyone else.

Instead, it simply was a reminder that this is a team that has had a great deal of success in the past and hopes to continue to do so.

The Saints did just that Thursday, as it earned their fifth sectional title under 12th-year coach Jennie Kull after topping York 25-22, 25-19 at York in Elmhurst.

Sadly, one of the Saints, team leader and two-time Tri-Cities All-Area captain Laura Homann, helped with a heavy heart. Earlier in the day, the Syracuse-bound setter, who finished with 29 assists, attended the funeral of her 10-year-old nephew.

"Laura had a tough day today," Kull said. "Everyone stepped up for her today and helped her out... and she played phenomenal. That's the leadership we have. The other kids stepped up and were with her."

With the win, the Saints (35-4) advance to the supersectional for the second consecutive year Saturday at 1 p.m. at Elgin against Crystal Lake South.

If the Saints win, they'll make their second trip to the Class 4A state tournament in as many years. The last time they won the state title was 2001.

"Last year, we set the standard, and this year, we are trying to build off it and improve every year," junior Jacqui Seidel said. "We try in every practice to go hard and hope to get better every time.

"We are really lucky to come from a school that is so good in sports and has that tradition and support from everybody... It's an honor to be on a team like this."

The building blocks on this year's Saints has something for everyone, starting with a pair of starting seniors in Homann and Haley Streich. There are your two breakout hard-hitting juniors, Caroline Niski and Seidel, your up-and-coming sophomore Olivia Desormey as well as your rookie starting freshmen, Meghan Niski and Maisey Mulvey.

"It's overwhelming, but at the same time, I'm so excited to be a part of this," said Meghan Niski, who as an eighth-grader watched her older sister Caroline play with the Saints last year. "The team has been so nice to me and they are just great."

Just how good have the Saints been this year? They won the Upstate Eight Conference undefeated and have left every single one of their opponents in the playoffs in a trail of season-ending tears after beating them in two games.

"Knock on wood," Homann said when asked how it felt to beat everyone in two games. "It's nice. Our team hasn't given into a lot of pressure this year, but it's been stress-relieving. Everyone gets tensed up in third games and we haven't had any of that."

Will Crystal Lake South be the next victim? The Saints prefer not to look ahead, but can't help but to flash back around this time last year, when they surprised everyone by qualifying for state. Even if they lose, they still lived up to their team theme this year.

"One game at a time," Seidel said. "We are almost there."

cbolin@dailyherald.com