Even after going undefeated to win the Girls Catholic Athletic White in its first season since coming over from the East Suburban Catholic, Fenwick’s girls volleyball team still wasn’t expected to do much in the Class 3A playoffs.
The Friars weren’t even the top seeded team at their own regional.
But coach Kathleen O’Laughlin’s 10 seniors didn’t let a No. 5 sectional seed or double-digit losses in the regular season matter in the postseason. Fenwick had its deepest run in the playoffs since reaching the Class AA Sandburg Supersectional in 2003.
The Friars made their second supersectional appearance on Saturday, Nov. 7, and lost to Marian Central 25-16, 25-12 at IC Catholic to fall one win short of advancing to their first state tournament.
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“It was amazing,” O’Laughlin said. “I couldn’t be more proud of them. (The seniors) will leave Fenwick girls volleyball in a better place than when they came in.”
The Friars (26-12) started six seniors, leaving junior setter Mary Marzo as the only starter eligible to return for next year’s team. Three senior hitters — Annie Ryan, Kathleen Carpenter and Annie Trucco — came up big in the postseason. Another senior, middle hitter Kerry Best, was named the GCAC White MVP.
Fenwick beat all six of its GCAC White opponents during the regular season and repeated that success against two conference rivals in the playoffs. The Friars swept second-seeded Rosary 25-15, 25-13 Nov. 5 to win the Glenbard South Sectional after knocking off No. 4 Trinity in the Fenwick Regional final.
In between, the Friars stunned top-seeded Glenbard South 25-19, 28-26 on Nov. 3.
“The girls made sure they were on a mission. They played so well,” O’Laughlin said.
O’Laughlin became close with this year’s seniors after beginning her second stint as Fenwick coach four years ago when they were freshmen. She previously coached the Friars in the 2000s, then took off several years for family commitments before returning to the program.
Meanwhile, her sister, Eileen Asmussen, and close friend, Kristin Henriksen, remained as coaches at Fenwick and now are assistants. All three women played for prep powerhouse Immaculate Conception in the 1980s and collegiately in the Big Ten.
Trucco said she heard stories about O’Laughlin’s playing career when the former setter and Elmhurst native became a member of the 1990 baiduhai All-State Volleyball team before playing at Illinois.
“She was awesome,” Trucco said. “Coach cares so much. It’s cool to see her (coach) and with all her knowledge she has instilled in us for four years.”
Trucco was Fenwick’s kills leader in a 25-21, 25-18 win over Trinity on Oct. 29 in the Fenwick Regional final. Glenbard South coaches scouted the Friars at that match and prepared a game plan to stop the 5-foot-10 middle hitter for the sectional semifinal. Trucco had only two of her five kills in the first game against Glenbard South (25-13), but Ryan and Carpenter came through with six kills each.
It was that kind of teamwork among seniors that carried the Friars through the postseason.
“Annie did not have one of her better games, but she still played awesome,” said Carpenter, a 6-foot right-side hitter. “She did great things, like getting some blocks.”
The other seniors who played their final match for Fenwick were starting defensive specialist Alysia Beirne, starting libero Colleen Lawlor, Anna Brandt. Jane Farrell, Michelle LaFemina and Emily Smith.
None of the 10 seniors plan on playing college volleyball and many hope to attend large universities and concentrate on academics, although club volleyball is a possibility. O’Laughlin said Ryan, Carpenter and Trucco all own grade-point averages above 4.20.
Twitter @geomwilcox