Scouting state girls volleyball / Fremd vs. WW South
Class 4A state semifinal
Who: Fremd (36-4) vs. Wheaton Warrenville South (32-8)
Where and when: Illinois State's Redbird Arena, Friday, 7 p.m.
How they got here: WWS defeated Leyden 25-10, 25-10, Maine South 25-19, 25-13, Downers Grove South 25-9, 25-15, Downers Grove North 25-15, 25-13, Huntley 26-24, 25-23; Fremd defeated Hoffman Estates 25-7, 25-17, New Trier 21-25, 25-20, 25-20, Hersey 25-23, 22-25, 25-17, Glenbrook South 25-16, 23-25, 25-16, Libertyville 25-17, 25-22.
The coaches: Fremd coach Curt Pinley owns a career record of 504-259-5 in 21 seasons, He also has 495 wins with the boys program at Fremd, meaning he is 1 win shy of 1,000 wins combined.
WWS coach Bill Schreier has a record of 420-285 in 19 seasons, including a fourth-place finish in the 2002 Class AA tourney.
The 100-plus club: WWS has four attackers with more than 100 kills: Zanya Meyer (401), Kaileigh Ammons (212), Lizzie Chiesa (200) and Annika Baron (170).
Fremd's top attackers are Rylen Reid (422) and Breslen Reid (272). Next come Claudia Wala (88) and Rian Baker (69).
Setting it up: WWS setter Sarah Burau has 884 assists while Fremd setter Rian Baker has collected 557.
Can you dig it?: Top diggers for WWS are Darby Harris (575) and Zanya Myer (314) while Fremd is led by Izzy Segoviano (332), Rylen Reid (226) and Breslen Reid (224).
Block party: Top blockers for WWS are Annika Barron (82) and Kaleigh Ammons (78) while the Fremd leaders are Claudia Wala (84) and Allie Belmonte (37).
Pinley's staff: Fremd coach Curt Pinley is assisted by Nick Vassos, Mark O'Kelly, Vania Acic, Kelly Packa and Dan Hutton.
"All of our coaches have been so helpful," said Vikes sophomore Claudia Wala. "They're just amazing at practice, always so good at helping us out not only as a team but as individuals and with our individual skills. They're all so helpful and so sweet."
Pinley on the Tigers: "I am sure that they will play with the same intensity and power that I have seen on film. We will have to match that intensity and power. I know they are well coached and they are a respected program. We have played some well respected programs on our state run, so I feel we are battle tested. I look forward to the opportunity to play them on the main stage."
No sophomore jinx: The Vikings make their second appearance in the final four (third in 1987 under coach Dave Boze) with four starting sophomores - libero Izzy Segoviano, middle hitter Claudia Wala, outside hitter Rylen Reid and setter Rian Baker.
"We're fortunate with that," Pinley said. "And they're such a close-knit group. They do a lot of things together. And they play club together. You don't see that combination too often.
"Plus, they're really good teammates who are always there for their teammates. It's a special sophomore group. You kind of think things are going to jell in your players' junior or senior years but's it's been early with them."
The quote: "Honestly, I wasn't sure if we'd be (downstate) but we knew if we played well, focused and stayed together as a team, we had a shot at this," said Fremd middle blocker Claudia Wala. "At the start of the season, we believed if we put all our skills together, worked really hard during every practice and had fun during games, then we could definitely do this."