The St. Francis volleyball team started the season fast by winning the Earlybird Tournament in August and the Spartans are hoping for a fast finish.
St. Francis, second in Class A one year ago, advanced to the Timothy Christian Class A sectional final Tuesday night with a 15-6, 15-4 victory over Wheaton Academy. The 30-8 Spartans will meet Timothy Christian at 7 p.m. Thursday in the final. The winner earns a spot in Saturday’s Huntley supersectional.
The Spartans were never in trouble against the Warriors, who finished 19-16. Wheaton Academy drew to within 7-4 in the first game, but St. Francis pulled away to an 11-4 lead.
Lauren Beck led St. Francis with seven kills and Melissa Markowski had two kills, seven assists and two aces.
Timothy Christian defeated Montini 15-5, 10-15, 15-8 in the other semifinal. The third game featured wild momentum swings, with Timothy jumping to a 9-1 lead on eight straight points and Montini then scoring seven in a row. Timothy was led by Barbie Heerdt’s 12 kills.
Reid Hanley.
Class AA sectional semifinals
At Richards: Megan Griffin had 11 kills to lead top-ranked Mother McAuley (35-3) to a 15-5, 15-4 win over Lockport. . . . Kathy Sulkowski’s 10 kills led No. 6 Sandburg to a 15-7, 15-11 victory over Lemont.
At Hoffman Estates: Kim Holm’s seven kills led No. 3 St. Charles East to a 15-5, 15-3 win over Conant. Amanda Rohrsen added 19 assists and three aces for the Saints. . . . Megan Sprangers had 16 kills for Larkin (32-4) in a 10-15, 15-8, 15-8 win over Geneva.
At Oak Forest: Renata Dargan had 16 assists and Jacque Huguelet added seven kills and seven assists as third-ranked Providence (36-2) pulled out a hard-fought 15-11, 15-10 victory over Joliet Catholic. . . . Sophomore Brittany Stewart had 10 kills to lead No. 9 Marian Catholic (28-10) to a 15-11, 15-9 win over Lincoln-Way East.
At Downers Grove South: Behind Cayley Thurlby’s 34 assists and six blocks, No. 5 Naperville Central (34-3-1) rallied to a 15-8, 13-15, 15-10 win over Wheaton Warrenville South. . . . Meghan Macdonald had 18 kills to lead the seventh-ranked hosts to a 15-13, 13-15, 15-11 win over Naperville North. Katie Bruzdzinski added 17 kills for the 30-8 Mustangs.
Lyons Township: Kristin Vandrey and Stephanie Butkus had six kills apiece to lead No. 8 Queen of Peace (29-9) past upset-minded St. Ignatius 15-12, 15-8. Margaret Kelly had eight kills to lead St. Ignatius. . . . Julie Knytych served straight points to end the match in a 15-12, 15-5 victory by Lyons (29-9) over Fenwick. Knytych finished with six kills, three aces and 23 assists.
At Glenbrook North: Meghan Stanton had nine kills to lead No. 10 Stevenson past Lake Forest 15-13, 15-5. . . . Mundelein jumped to big leads in both games of a 15-4, 15-5 rout of Warren. Jennifer Hynds had seven blocks and six digs to lead the Mustangs (34-4).
At New Trier: Adriana Stasiuk had 14 kills, 14 digs and two blocks to lead Maine South (24-13) to a 15-5, 6-15, 15-10 win over Glenbrook South. . . . Allison Stein had five kills to lead Hersey (25-13) to a 15-13, 15-10 win over Evanston.
Public League quarterfinals
At Senn: Monika Gutt served the last three points of the match to rally Kennedy to a 15-9, 13-15, 16-14 win over Lane Tech. Christina Smith had 10 kills to lead Kennedy. Emma Oanta’s 16 kills paced Lane. . . . Jamie Vidinich had nine kills and Lisa Messina had 24 assists to lead Northside Prep (25-5) to a 16-14, 15-11 win over Kelly.
At Young: Christine Eberhardt had eight kills and 15 assists as Mather (5-22) downed Washington 15-9, 15-8.
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