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player ready...When Marian Catholic libero Marlie Peterson found out the bad news, she was devastated.
An Aug. 11 storm damaged a roof and gym floor at the Chicago Heights school, making the main gym unusable until December. It meant the girls volleyball team will play every match on the road.
Peterson turned to fellow senior Jade Craft when she heard the news.
“Jade and I actually started crying,” Peterson said. “We were very upset. We waited so long for this season. And then we were told we couldn’t have any home games.”
Kennedy Hylton, a middle hitter and one of only three seniors for the Spartans, felt the same way.
“We feed off the energy of our home fans, so it’s been hard on us,” Hylton said. “We like it when our crowd backs us up.”
That long road trip continues for Marian (9-10), which finished second in the bronze division of the Spartan Classic that wrapped up Saturday at Oak Lawn.
For Peterson, Craft and Hylton, this is it for volleyball. All three seniors plan on going to college for academics.
Marian coach Julia Glomb confirmed she’s hoping to try to use the smaller gym for an Oct. 13 match against Joliet Catholic so the trio can enjoy a true senior night celebration.
“It would mean a lot because it’s really something that you look forward to,” Peterson said of senior night. “You are part of a program for four years. You get close to the girls, and it’s a nice celebration.”
Craft would love to see it happen.
“We all went through four years together,” she said. “This year, we’ve been supporting the underclassmen. We’re like big sisters to them.”
Hylton has her fingers crossed as well. Even in a small gym, senior night would be special to her.
“We want to end it with a bang,” Hylton said. “We want that appreciation. We see everybody else get their senior nights and it’s our turn.
“But we know our school, even under the circumstances we’re in, is trying its best to make it work.”
Three for the Vikings
St. Laurence had never won a regular-season tournament until capturing the Spartan Classic in 2024. Now, the Vikings can’t stop winning them.
St. Laurence pulled off a 29-27, 25-23 win Saturday over Providence for its third straight Spartan Classic title. Tournament MVP Aubrey Martinez was on the court for all three.
“We love it here,” Martinez said. “The teams are very talented and are going to make us better.”
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The 5-foot-9 Martinez, a senior outside hitter, is headed to Ball State as a libero. But she went on the attack Saturday to help St. Laurence (17-4) win the championship.
“I’m trying to figure out my shots and bang the ball as hard as I can especially since this is my last year hitting,” Martinez said. “I might as well go out with a bang.”
Scorching sectional
The Illinois High School Association has announced its playoff assignments. In Class 4A, one of the hottest sectionals in the state will be hosted by Argo.
Two-time defending state champion Marist joins perennial power Mother McAuley in the fray at Argo, which also features Spartan Classic champion St. Laurence and Lyons, which won the Wheaton Classic by beating Lincoln-Way East 25-18, 25-18 in Saturday’s final.
This is St. Laurence’s second year in 4A. The Vikings have already lost this season to both Marist and Mother McAuley.
“Those teams have very talented girls and I play club with most of them,” Martinez said of Marist and McAuley. “We’re building to get better. We played them at the beginning of the season, and if we play the again, we’ll be ready.
“We’re not letting it go without a fight.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.