Girls volleyball: Historic tourney triumph for Fremd

No matter what happens the rest of the season, Fremd's girls volleyball team has already made history.

The Vikings won their first championship in a tournament they have co-hosted for the nearly 40 years.

When junior Breslin Reid slammed down the final kill in the title match, the Vikings scored a 25-17, 25-23 over perennial power Wheaton St. Francis, a multiple winner of the Peggy Scholten Classic.

And the icing on the cake for the Vikings?

Their junior varsity team, coached by Nick Vassos, placed fourth in the 16-team tournament.

The varsity Vikings got to the title match by defeating its junior varsity team 27-25, 25-19 before a noisy crowd of Vikings' volleyball fans in the main gym.

"We actually took a program picture before we started (Saturday) morning because I don't think this will ever happen again," said 20-year Vikes coach Curt Pinley with a big smile. "If the junior varsity would have won, I would have been super disappointed as a coach and I'd be super excited as a coach, too."

"That's pretty nice for his program," said third-year coach Wheaton St. Francis coach Lisa Ston, who is assisted by for Fremd coach Dave Boze, the man along with Ken Sutula started this tourney in the early 1980s. "Kudos to Fremd. They should be pretty excited about the future."

For the first time in his career, Pinley has two freshmen starting on the varsity and junior varsity teams.

"In the match against the junior varsity, I would keep yelling 'great job Vikes, great job' at both sides and everyone was laughing," said Pinley, who now has 443 wins in the girls program as his team has gotten off to a 7-0 start. "It was a unique experience."

The Vikes have experience and youth. They are off to their best start in Pinley's 20 seasons.

Senior Heidi Sayre put down 39 kills in the five matches followed by classmates Peyton Hooker (22) and Jules Tangney (13). Junior Breslin Reid also had 13.

Youth was served with freshman setter Rian Baker handing out 35 assists and classmate Claudia Wala collecting a team-high 9 blocks.

Sayre called the tourney championship a dream come true.

"I can't believe this happened," said the College of Coastal Georgia recruit. "We have worked so hard, even over the summer to get where we are. For this to happen at the beginning of the season shows how far we can go at the end of the season. It's crazy.

"And with our junior varsity doing so well it's really incredible. It just shows how much our program has improved over the years and how will continue to improve over the years"

Ston, whose team is 4-2, was impressed by Sayre.

"Their pin hitter, No. 12, is very talented, " she said. "She takes a big swing. Fremd took aggressive swings all day and they're very scrappy on defense. They went after a lot of balls an they earned it."

Hooker likes the team chemistry the Vikings have found in just seven matches.

"We have a great team dynamic," she said. "Everyone gets along so well. It feels incredible to win this championship. It's unbelievable."

Even Pinley admitted the element of surprise.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little surprised," said Pinley, who also has 477 wins as the boys coach at Fremd. "Because coming into this year we had some question marks of how we would fill some positions from last year. We were starting some freshmen who I didn't really know. So, yes, there was some surprise.

"But we did well against Naperville Central in our opener and played well against Libertyville. I thought we prepped well for this tournament".

Senior Maddie Aichinger played a key role in the back row with 33 digs and 64-of-67 on serve receive. Junior Lydia Vander Ark handed out 43 while running the 6-2 offense with Baker.

"In order for us to win, we all have to play pretty well because there is no one who rises above everyone," Pinley added.

"If you look at the stats, Heidi Sayre had a fantastic tournament. I would say she is the athlete we're going to have to hang on to from time to time, but quite honestly there are a lot of other players who came up big at times we needed them to.

"Lydia brings in little more leadership from last year when she was here with Sarah (Straup, all-area setter). That takes a little pressure of Rian being a freshman and not having to set all the way around. But honestly, one of the surprises is that Rian is actually doing a real nice job on the right side when she is in the front row."

Former Hoffman Estates coach Dan Hutton has joined Pinley's staff, which also includes Vassos, Mark O'Kelly, Adam Casbarian (sophomore coach) and Vania Acic (freshman 'B' coach).

"For our junior varsity to be where it is, is says a lot about the program and new coaches we have," Pinley said. "Mark O'Kelly had coached here for nine years and he is back with the freshman 'A' team. Everyone is buying into the program at the same time and at that right time."