Providence run ends Rosary’s season
Rosary ended up being as green as the Providence Catholic girls volleyball jerseys Tuesday night in Aurora.
The Royals’ collective youthfulness and inexperience unraveled down the stretch at the Class 3A Aurora Central Catholic regional semifinals.
Providence (22-14) advanced to face traditional state power and top-seeded Joliet Catholic (22-14) on Thursday in the championship match after ending the Royals’ season by scoring 18 of the last 21 points in its 25-19, 25-12 straight-sets victory.
The Celtics took command behind its service game, recording back-to-back aces on three separate occasions.
Rachel Alles’ consecutive aces closed out the first game, which Rosary never tied after Providence scored 6 of the opening 7 points.
“We’re really strong in serving,” Providence senior leader Megan Falls said. “That’s one of the strengths of this team. We tend to pull through at the end.”
Providence ended the match with 10 team aces.
“It’s not typical for our team,” Rosary coach Rachel Hartmann said of the Royals’ struggles. “Our main passers are two freshmen and a junior. Unfortunately, you only get two timeouts (per game) and a handful of subs. There’s not a lot you can do (as the coach).”
Rosary, the third seed, had its season close out at 12-25.
The Royals had their twin largest second-game leads of 2 points at 3-1 and 9-7.
Michaela Ping was effective as a middle blocker for Rosary, and junior outside hitter Erin Burke displayed athleticism in spearheading the Royals’ various mini-runs.
Classmate Genevieve Talbot and Burke led Rosary with 4 kills each.
The Royals’ season was sealed when Providence uncorked runs of 9-2 and 9-1, including the last seven in succession, to negate the Royals’ 9-7 lead.
“It was a little scatterbrain out there,” Hartmann said of the Celtics’ season-extending bursts. “(The younger players) don’t know how to shake off an error and fight even harder for the next point.”
“Our main focus was to try and get back into the game,” Talbot said of the Royals’ early deficit. “(The Celtics’ serving) definitely gave them the upper hand. It was kind of mental mistakes after that for us.”
Clare Urchell served the last 7 points for Providence, the second seed, with the last of the Celtics’ back-to-back aces part of the run.
“We have a very diversified offense,” Providence coach Rachel Ellingson said.
Josephine Gallagher and Taylor Vandenberg, the Royals’ starting defensive specialist, played their final matches for Rosary.