Girls volleyball: Huntley knocks off No. 1 seed Hononegah
After some ups and downs during the regular season, Huntley's girls volleyball team has been on a tear.
The No. 3-seeded Red Raiders continued their stellar playoff run with a sweep over top-seeded Hononegah, 25-21, 25-20, on Wednesday in the Class 4A Grant sectional championship to win their second straight sectional title.
Huntley has yet to drop a set this postseason.
"When conference [season] was over, our season started and we knew we had to be ready," Raiders coach Karen Naymola said. "These girls have done such a great job of making changes along the way, working hard to get better every day and really believing in themselves.
"I am so proud of these girls. You could not ask for a better team and teammates. These are teammates that deserve to go all the way."
Huntley (28-11) plays another top seed, Edwardsville (32-7), in the DeKalb supersectional at 6 p.m. Friday, with the winner advancing to the state tournament at Illinois State University's Redbird Arena. Edwardsville defeated No. 2-seeded Normal Community, 25-19, 25-18.
The Raiders last went to state in 1997 and have been the last Fox Valley Conference playing in each of the past two seasons.
"We trained so hard for this. Every single day, we're in the gym and working hard," said outside hitter Lauren Bauer, one of three seniors on the Raiders. "Last weekend, we practiced Saturday and Sunday and we really wanted to make sure we were prepared and on top of our game.
"It's just gotten a lot louder on the court for us. Everybody's communicating a lot better. It's really nice to have everyone come together and just play for each other."
Wednesday's win was an all-around effort for the Raiders.
Maggie Duyos had 19 assists, 17 digs and two aces, juniors Ally Panzloff and Avary DeBlieck led the offensive attack with five kills apiece, and Bauer, Lizzy Williams (13 digs) and Emily Willis had four each. Luma Acevedo led the defense with 24 digs.
After winning the first set, Huntley jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the second. But Hononegah (30-8) went on a big run of its own, taking a 14-11 lead. After a timeout, the Raiders quickly tied the score with two kills from DeBlieck and one from Panzloff.
Hononegah then grabbed leads at 15-14 and 16-15. Tied at 17, a kill from Willis and ace from Panzloff put the Raiders up by two, and they never trailed again. Freshman Georgia Watson had a kill to give Huntley a 22-18 lead.
After a kill from DeBlieck and ace from Duyos, DeBlieck put away the final kill to seal the victory as Huntley's bench stormed the court.
Duyos, who had to wait her turn to crack the varsity lineup behind four-year setter Taylor Jakubowski (now at Seton Hall), said the team has been on a roll since the end of the regular season. Huntley placed runner-up to Crystal Lake South in the FVC.
"We've all come so far," said Duyos, a junior. "It's really rewarding to see how much we've grown. My goal since freshman year has been making it state. If we're going to make it state, this is the year to do it, and I believe we are ready.
"There was something that changed [after the regular season] where we were like, 'We refuse to lose.' And we still have a refuse to lose mindset."
Hononegah was led by senior middle blocker Emma Schroeder with six kills and two blocks. Senior setter Olivia Heidel added 11 assists, two kills and one ace, senior middle blocker Ella Jensen had three kills and junior libero Abby Bergstrom had 10 digs.
Hononegah coach Kaylee Libby said Huntley did a good job of getting her team out of system early.
"They served incredibly well and our passing wasn't there today," Libby said. "Their middles are really active in transition, and their outsides are really smart. They're a well-rounded team, and I think they've got a chance to go all the way."
Hononegah's 30 wins were its most in a single season since 2006, according to IHSA.org.
"I'm just super proud of them all. This is one of the best seasons that Hononegah has had, at least since I've been here," she said. "I've got a great group of seniors who have been incredible leaders for the underclassmen. It's tough to win 30 games in a high school season. ... I'm super proud of them."