Burlington Central Rockets: Runners-up
NORMAL - Burlington Central girls volleyball coach Marv Leavitt, as well as his players, didn't have a whole lot to say about the Class 3A state championship match here Saturday.
Leavitt and the Rockets chose instead to focus their thoughts on the season they had just completed and their improbable run to the state title match.
Part of that was because Central did have such an incredible season, one that will forever be remembered as the school's first appearance in a state championship contest in any team sport.
Beyond that, the fact is that nationally-ranked Joliet Catholic Academy won the state championship contest at Redbird Arena in such convincing fashion there really wasn't much the Rockets could say.
The Angels, who didn't even make the Final Four last year despite the fact they had national player of the year Kelly Murphy on the squad, disposed of the Rockets 25-19, 25-14 to win their second state title, this one coming five years to the day after they won the program's first state crown in 2003.
"It's been such an honor to coach this team and it's something I'll remember my whole life," said Leavitt, who made it to the state finals for the first time in his 19-year coaching career. "My coaching staff has been wonderful and it's been an honor and a pleasure to coach the wonderful young women in this program."
The Rockets (35-7) stuck with the talented Angels through most of the first game. They were tied at 12 and then trailed just 18-14 when JCA (39-3) went on a 4-point spurt that BC couldn't recover from.
Still, down 24-16, Central ripped off 3 straight points behind the serving of senior standout Molly Turk to close to within 24-19. But JCA's Katie Hickey tipped a kill in between two BC defenders and the Angels had the momentum they needed.
"They got on a little roll and it's hard to play from behind against a Joliet Catholic," said Leavitt, whose team had taken JCA to 3 games in the Geneva tournament at the start of the season. "It came down to serve and serve receive like most games do and they won that battle."
The Angels, ranked No. 9 in the country in the latest ESPN national high school poll, methodically pulled away in Game 2, turning a 12-9 lead into a 15-10 advantage before going on their biggest run of the night that ended with them leading 22-11. The Rockets finally broke JCA's serve when the Angels served out of bounds but the damage was done. BC made it 22-13 and 24-14 before JCA's Lainey Wyman celebrated her 16th birthday with a match-ending kill. Annemarie Hickey led the balanced JCA attack with 10 kills.
"We knew (Central) was a good quality team and that we'd have to come out and play," said JCA coach Christine Scheibe.
The Angels were able to do things the Rockets simply couldn't adjust to, most notably find open spots in the corners with the push kills of Butler-bound setter Gina Vera, who had 5 kills and 15 assists.
"We made adjustments to what they were doing and we attacked them Vera said.
Leavitt shouldered the blame for BC's inability to adjust.
"They served a little stronger tonight than the first time we played them and that got us out of our system," he said. "We weren't as prepared for their setter attacks as we should have been and that's not the girls' fault, that's my responsibility."
Despite the loss, the Rockets stood proud of their accomplishments.
"Obviously we would have liked to come out with a bigger bang but we're second in the state and no one can take that away from us," said BC junior Stephanie Holthus, the Northwestern recruit who had a match-high 13 kills to give her 525 for the season. She also added a match-high 9 digs.
For Turk, who had 6 kills, 14 assists and 4 digs, it was the end of a career playing for a 500-plus win coach who has been her mentor since her freshman year.
"It seems like every year our team has improved," said Turk, who will rest her sore back and then play basketball for the Rockets before continuing her volleyball career at Northern Iowa.
"Marv has turned this program around. He talked about creating a legacy and while the final outcome isn't exactly what we wanted it's been a great ride and we have to be happy with it."
As well the Rockets should be.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Rockets rally: 2 p.m.</p> <p class="News">Burlington Central High School will welcome home its Class 3A state runner-up girls volleyball team home with a pep rally a 2 p.m. Sunday in the school gymnasium. The rally is open to the public.</p> <div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Photo Galleries</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=251233">State girls volleyball tourney images</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>