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A Scholten Classic, family style

When retired Schaumburg athletic director John Selke hired Jeanette Pancratz as the Saxons volleyball coach in 1989, he could never have imagined what he was seeing Saturday morning.

For that matter, neither could Jeanette's husband, Andy.

But there they were, Selke and Andy Pancratz, watching Jeanette coaching the Saxons 25 years later against a Conant team coached by Drewann Pancratz.

Yes, Drewann, the daughter of Jeanette and Andy.

No one off hand can recall a mother and daughter facing one another as head coaches in a Mid-Suburban League sport.

But it happened on Saturday in the Peggy Scholten Volleyball Classic.

And it turned out to be a classic as the two teams battle to the wire before Conant pulled out a 16-25, 25-18, 27-25 victory for seventh place in the 16-team tournament.

"I was hired by John (Selke) to coach in February of my first year at Schaumburg," said Jeanette, who before that was the head girls volleyball coach at Resurrection High School in Chicago.

"And two months later, I had to go back to his office and tell him I was carrying (Drewann)."

Selke remembers it well: "I said, 'It's OK. You're not playing. You can be pregnant and coach.' "

And coach she has, going on to win 766 matches in her career, including her six years at Resurrection where Andy also coached in the 1980s.

Andy and Selke sat at midcourt on Saturday.

"I never imagined this," said Andy, a former Hersey and DePaul basketball standout. "I didn't root for anyone. I just watch and enjoy. I've got to live with both of them."

And he was able to enjoy a thriller that ended when senior Katie Lomas put down a kill off a set from classmate Elisa Ambrose which turned into a net violation and dramatic win for Conant.

"We were so excited for this match," Lomas said. "We are so excited that she (Drewann Pancratz, who had been the girls basketball head coach at Leyden the last two seasons) is in our program. She's great and we love her.

"We are ready to go again Tuesday. When we come out with the intensity we had, there's no limit on what we can do."

Tuesday is a rematch with Schaumburg. This time a Mid-Suburban League West conference win is at stake.

"Both teams know there will be more at stake on Tuesday," said Schaumburg senior slugger Oyinkan Akinola, who led the Saxons with 60 kills in the Peggy Scholten. "It was crazy playing against a team coached by coach 'P''s daughter. I felt they just executed a little better than us but I still thought we played a great match."

Junior Abbie Rahn clubbed 33 kills for Schaumburg in the tourney while libero Hannah Moore collected 53 digs and setter Megan Hayes had 74 assists.

Schaumburg pulled ahead 19-13 in Set 1 following a blast by Akinola off the block of Conant player and into the top row of the portable bleachers in the back gym.

Katherine Coombs (11 kills in tourney) then tipped a kill to the middle to force a Conant timeout.

The Saxons never let the Cougars closer and put the set away on back-to-back kills by Akinola off sets from Megan Hayes.

The Cougars fought back in Set 2, breaking an 8-8 tie with kills by Lomas and Jorie Wachal.

Trailing 22-16, Schaumburg called for its second timeout but Conant (5-3) answered with kills from DeeDee Durr and Rachel Delanois to lead 24-17.

Lomas' backcourt kill ended it at 25-18, setting up the dramatic third set which was tied 11 times.

"It was a great match," said Jeanette Pancratz. "It was a definitely a treat and I take a lot of pride in Drewann and that she decided to go this route and that she loves the game so much.

"The outcome unfortunately didn't go our way but we'll see what happens Tuesday. Conant is disciplined and you can tell the players are working hard. I have no doubt Drewann will do well in the Conant program and bring a lot of success."

In other words, like mother, like daughter.

Fremd takes fifth: Lane Hindenburg (40 kills), Maise Koo (18) and Ysabel Lee led the Vikings (6-2) in their 4-1 run through the tourney which ended up with a 25-20, 25-22 victory over Palatine for fifth place.

Carly Roberts collected 67 assists from 205 sets while Jackie Mursuli had 12 from 38 attempts for the Vikes, who meet Palatine again on Tuesday in a MSL West match.

"Going 4-1 and losing only to St. Charles East (tourney runner-up), I'll take that," said Fremd coach Curt Pinley, whose team is 6-2 overall.

Rolling Meadows (2-7) went 2-3 in the tourney, led on attack by Maddie Sellergren (51-58, 22 kills), Hannah Mickey (40-49, 16 kills) and Gabby Johns (25-27, 11 kills).

Mickey also had 11 blocks while Megan King (103-107, 28 assists) and Megan Mich (98-103, 22 assists) set the offense.

Championship: Starting this year, the Early Bird Girls Volleyball Invite was renamed the Peggy Scholten Volleyball Classic.

But there was no change in the name of the winning team from a year ago or many years in the past.

St. Francis rallied from a first-game setback to defeat St. Charles East 20-25, 25-12 25-22 in the championship match of the 16-team event.

Scholten, the hall of fame Conant coach who recently retired after 37 years, was on hand to congratulate both teams after the match.

Former Fremd coach Dave Boze was also in the gym Saturday. He has been an assistant coach for St. Francis the last five years.

Jacobs tourney: Barrington took 11th place at the Jacobs tournament, going 1-4 getting with its win over Hampshire 25-22, 28-26. Katie Clement (29 kills), Megan Talbot (20 kills) and Annie Rolecek (41 assists) were the Fillies' top contributors.

New Trier tourney: Wheeling (6-7) went 2-3 and finished 13th as senior setter Sabrina Semeria handed out 51 assists with her major targets being Timber Terrell (36 kills), Lani Greenberg (15), Domenica Montesin (11), Deanna Kuzmanic (11) and Michalea Vasey (10).

  Schaumburg's Oyinkan Akinola attacks opposite Palatine's Sydney Christiansen at the Peggy Scholten Volleyball Classis at Fremd on Saturday. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
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