Girls volleyball: Huntley completes perfect FVC season

With a 25-15, 25-20 sweep against Crystal Lake South on Thursday, Huntley achieved what no other Fox Valley Conference girls volleyball team has been able to do since the conference moved to 10 teams in 2019.

Go a perfect 18 for 18.

The Red Raiders (28-6, 18-0 FVC) were the class of the FVC from start to finish and did not leave any room for debate when they claimed the conference title two weeks ago. Thursday's win over the Gators - last year's FVC champions with a 17-1 record - was a sweet way to end a memorable regular season.

"Honestly, it's hard to believe," Huntley senior middle blocker Avary DeBlieck said. "It's really surreal, but it's exciting, and I'm so proud of our team. I think it's a season we'll always remember."

The Gators (24-10, 12-6) made the Raiders work for their final conference victory, jumping out to a 14-7 lead in the second set and forcing Huntley to call its first and only timeout.

Out of the timeout, the Raiders rattled off seven straight points, including two kills and two blocks from DeBlieck. South retook the lead at 16-15 on a kill by Morgan Johnson, but it was all Huntley from there.

Senior Ally Panzloff (team-high seven kills, seven digs) had four points down the stretch, and sophomore Georgia Watson (five kills) added a pair of kills, including one on a free ball to make it 24-19.

Huntley coach Karen Naymola felt the Raiders started communicating much better out of the timeout.

"When things aren't going your way or when things aren't going well, the one thing you can always do is talk," Naymola said. "We said, 'Even if you're not doing something well, you can always talk. You can always contribute.' I thought they did an awesome job.

"They came out and they were talking. Offensively, they were staying aggressive and swinging away ... just kind of picking away point by point."

Huntley setter Maggie Duyos (22 assists) helped control the flow of the match, setting up four teammates with five or more kills. Morgan Jones, who transferred from Crystal Lake South, came out firing with a big first set as South's student section threw out chants of "Traitor!" and "You're too small!"

Jones laughed them off.

"You've just got to block them out," said Jones, who had five kills and now has won back-to-back FVC titles with two teams. "It was fun seeing some old teammates and friends. I'm just really proud of my team for winning 18 [matches] and not losing a set, which is crazy. It's unheard of."

"It just shows our hard work and what we put in on and off the court."

Emma Stowasser had 15 assists, four digs and a block for South, Morgan Johnson had seven kills, and Gabby Wire had six kills and a block. Laken LePage added eight digs and three aces.

Luma Acevedo led the Raiders' defense with eight digs.

First-year Gators coach Annie Moore lamented some missed opportunities early on, but praised her players for their fight and intensity.

"I was super proud of the fight they had," Moore said. "We missed six serves, and against a team like Huntley, you can't miss six serves. They are such a fast team, so it challenges us a lot, but I was super proud of how much effort they gave for every single ball."

Before turning their attention to the postseason, which starts next week, the Raiders will take some time to enjoy their latest accomplishment.

Huntley's three lower levels also finished without a conference loss.

"It's unbelievable," Naymola said. "It's not easy in such a tough conference, but the girls stayed focused. They're constantly pushing each other to get better. They're such a close group."