Girls volleyball: Win over Stevenson gives Buffalo Grove momentum
Leading up to a big Mid-Suburban East week with Rolling Meadows Tuesday and league leader Hersey on Thursday, Buffalo Grove's girls volleyball team got the momentum boost it was looking for on Monday night.
Going up against a 12-5 Stevenson team which they had lost to in three sets at the Niles West tourney earlier this season, the host Bison came away with the three-set win this time 22-25, 25-19, 25-21 in a nonconference match.
Sophomore Shannon Coglianese put down a season-high 11 kills and senior Claire Ferris added 8 with 10 digs as the Bison rallied from a 10-6 deficit in the decisive set.
"This time we all picked it and worked together more than in that tournament match," said Bison ace libero Nina Masciopinto, who had a match-high 20 digs. We had better chemistry and we just wanted it more this time."
Bison coach Matt Priban inserted sophomore Megan Mitsunaga into the game at 10-6 and she quickly fired a pair of aces to trigger a string of 5 straight points which got the Bison (11-8) back into contention.
The score was tied at 15 and 16 before BG took command for good at 19-16 on three straight errors.
"They (BG) don't really panic at all," said Patriots coach Tim Crow. "We kind of panicked at the end when things weren't going our way."
Masciopinto's two service points - blocks from Abby Kim and Lauren Horvath - gave BG a 22-17 advantage.
A kill by setter Grace Tully (23 assists, 3 kills) got Stevenson to within 23-21 before the Bison won it when Maggie Streckert (30 assists, 3 kills, 3 blocks, 7 digs) tossed a perfect 15-foot set in front of the net to Coglianese for a kill followed by a hitting error to end the match.
"They have an outstanding setter who can be running off the court and still make the plays, even when they are out of system," Crow said. "They just have a good, physical team."
Kim finished with 4 kills, 4 blocks and 5 digs while Horvath put down 7 kills and had 8 digs. Kristen Belias chipped in 11 digs.
Like Mitsunaga (4 digs), classmate Ella McBride also came off the bench in the third set and collected a pair of digs.
"Everyone is stepping up right now and we are finally playing volleyball that we saw in our potential," Priban said. "Coming through in a match like this to a team we lost to, and after dropping a close third set, was nice to see. We came through and got together as a team to put this one away."
Stevenson sophomore Sophie Sorenson collected 10 kills, many on well-placed crafty attacks. She also had 11 digs and 3 assists. Callie Grass, Annie Armgardt and Makayla Uremovich each had 5 kills for the visitors while Abby Keevins stepped up with 13 digs and Molly Bourbon added 8.
"We played a good second set and a good half of the third set," Crow said. "But that doesn't get it done."