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Girls volleyball: Hersey's Lill savors her 1,000th career win

About two weeks ago, Jamie Lill was in an email dialogue with a business acquaintance.

Toward the end of the email, Lill was told to congratulate his wife Nancy on her upcoming 1,000th win as Hersey's girls volleyball coach.

Because he had no clue, Jamie said "What?"

"Then he told me he read that she was getting near 1,000 wins," Jamie Lill said. "I had no idea. I thought it might be sometime next year. Nancy just doesn't care about the wins. She never talks about that stuff."

On Friday night at Maine South, the talk was all about that milestone win.

Nancy Lill became only the fourth girls volleyball coach in IHSA history to reach 1,000 wins when her Huskies defeated Evanston 25-13, 25-22 in the first round of the Maine West Pumpkin Tournament in Park Ridge.

"She is very humble," Jamie Lill said. "To her, it's not really that big of a deal."

To those in Illinois prep sports, they know it's a big deal.

Lill has become the first girls volleyball coach from the Mid-Suburban League to reach 1,000 wins.

The only other coaches with as many wins are Wheaton St. Francis' Peg Kopec (1,248), Mt. Pulaski's Donna Dulle (1,084) and Breese Mater Dei's Fred Rakers (1,046).

Lill began at Hersey in 1988 and her teams have won 25 regionals, eight sectionals and six supersectionals. They've placed second, third and fourth in the state finals.

Her overall record stands at 1000-309-5 including three years at Wheeling from 1983-85.

"I've worked with Nancy for about 20 years and she is most competitive person I know," said Hersey assistant coach Amy Ohrt. "Her love for the game and love for the kids is amazing. It's what drives her entire program."

Huskies middle blocker Janine Boyan says it starts the minute your enter the program.

"I started playing volleyball in eighth grade and I never dreamed I'd be part of this," Boyan said. "It's incredible. It's just the program she has developed. She builds it from freshman year with her awesome coaching staff (Jodi Blazek, Ohrt, Ben Chin, Mary Williams and Daiva Fuerst). When I was a freshman I was told everything I needed to know to make me into the player I am today."

Kati Kaburov, a Boston College recruit, has been one of the top players in the state the past four years.

"She is such a great coach," Kaburov said of Lill. "Even when we are struggling she knows how to get us through it. It's crazy but she is so humble. That's what makes her such a great coach."

Another Boston College recruit, Jessica Brizzolara, was on Lill's team that won her 500th match. On the other side of the net that night was Chin, then a Wheeling assistant who is now on Lill's staff.

"We all just love working for Nancy," Chin said. "It is so much fun to watch her and see the girls improve from where they are in summer camp, to preseason, to now."

The way she prepares, trains and evaluates talent is second to none."

  Hersey girls volleyball coach Nancy Lill won her 1,000th career game Friday night. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Hersey girls volleyball coach Nancy Lill won her 1,000th career game Friday night. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Hersey girls volleyball coach Nancy Lill won her 1,000th career game Friday night. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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