Girls volleyball: Crystal Lake Central derails Stevenson
Will the third time be the charm for Crystal Lake Central?
It will be an all McHenry County girls volleyball sectional final come Wednesday night at Grayslake Central. Prairie Ridge and Crystal Lake Central will play for the third time this season.
It's safe to say that Stevenson didn't see that truck coming on Monday night. Crystal Lake Central (31-5) breezed and ended the Patriots' season, 25-13, 25-10.
No, the Tigers did not pick up this sport from birth.
"They really start playing when they are 9 and 10,'' said CLC coach, Lisa Brunstrum. "But our kids are always in the gym. Their parents are in the volleyball world. Our kids grew up with the Prairie Ridge kids so this will be a fun match."
To be fair to the Stevenson club, on an Emma Potocki kill the first set was knotted at 1-1. However, the Tigers have some serious offensive power hitters by the names of Camryn Hauser, Madeline Timmerman and Paige Hulata.
Hulata chipped in with 8 kills and 13 digs.
"We know we didn't want to overlook Stevenson,'' Hulata said. "Prairie Ridge has more or less had the same team the past two years. We are still trying to work together."
With Madeline McCormick serving in the first set, she used a Timmerman kill and 2 aces to up the Tigers' lead to 13-5.
"They have a bunch of top club players on their team,'' said Stevenson coach, Tim Crow. "We didn't get any free balls. We weren't playing well enough for our adjustments to work."
Timmerman closed the first set with a kill.
"We really work together well,'' Timmerman said. "We are like one big family. We really play for each other. Our theme is to play better the next game."
On a side out, the second set was knotted at 2-2. However with Lilyann Penza serving for the Tigers, Timmerman and Hauser seemed to take turns killing the ball. When Penza finished her time at the line, CLC led 11-3.
Hulata closed the match with a kill.
Crow knew his team had reached the end of the season, but felt his club had an excellent campaign.
"I was pleased with the way we improved,'' he said. "We won a conference title for the first time in 10 years. We won a regional on our home floor."
Hausler joined Hulata with those 8 kills. She also had 12 assists and 3 blocks. Timmerman checked in with 3 kills and 5 blocks.