In February, Evergreen Park’s Ella Throndson helped the girls basketball team win its first conference basketball championship since 1989. That set the stage for Tuesday night.
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She helped lead the girls volleyball team to its first conference title since 2009. Both teams for the Mustangs got off to sluggish starts only to end the regular season on a historic note.
“It’s surreal,” Throndson said. “It takes us a while to pick up and have the chemistry on the team and on the court. But eventually, we get there.”
Throndson made sure the Mustangs got there against Shepard.
The 5-foot-9 senior outside hitter came through with 10 kills and also added three aces in a 25-23, 24-26, 25-20 South Suburban Red victory over visiting Shepard in Evergreen Park.
Sophomore setter Brenna Hayes added nine kills for the Mustangs (20-13, 10-2), including seven on dumps. She also had 22 assists and 10 digs. Madison Majka chipped in with 16 digs.
Shannon Farrell and Belmont Abbey recruit Mary Deenihan contributed six kills apiece. Deenihan convincingly put away the match-winning kill to set off a brief but spirited celebration on the court.
“This is awesome,” Deenihan said of winning the conference title. “It feels amazing.”
Kerry Wrobel led Shepard (14-15, 8-4) with five of her eight kills in the third game. Grace Dougherty finished with seven kills.
The Mustangs shook off the jitters of senior night and a conference title on the line by racing out to a 12-3 lead in the first game. Shepard didn’t make it easy on Evergreen Park, however.
The Astros rallied for momentum and then won the second game. In the third, clinging to a tight 22-19 lead, the Mustangs closed out the clincher on a dump kill by Hayes and kills from Farrell and Deenihan.
Brian Zofkie, who came over to Evergreen Park after a stint as Shepard’s coach, offered a theory on why some Mustang teams start out slow but finish fast.
“That’s South Side Evergreen Park stuff is what it is,” Zofkie said.
And Throndson is a part of that right stuff.
“Toughness is the first thing that comes to mind,” Zofkie said of Throndson. “She’s a basketball player by trade, but you would never know because she comes in and works super hard every day.
“She’s played through terrible asthma, walking pneumonia and a bruised elbow where she couldn’t really swing her serve. That kid is tough as nails.”
Her teammates also appreciate Throndson’s contributions.
“She’s been a really strong asset for hitting,” Deenihan said. “She had a really strong arm and she has a lot of energy.”
Evergreen Park opened the season starting a freshman and three sophomores and paid the price, losing three straight matches and sitting with a 7-7 record before surging.
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Thorndson didn’t envision a conference title when the Mustangs took the court early in the season.
“Honestly, no not at all,” she said. “I knew we were going to be all over the place with new players after the seniors had left. We had people in new positions that they had never played before.
“But we came together and we got here.”
Throndson has some unfinished business with volleyball before she attacks basketball. She’s undecided about what she will do as far as playing basketball in college goes.
She said her love for basketball grew because her mother. Jennifer Houze, loved watching Michael Jordan play and Throndson would watch his highlights growing up.
But in middle school, friends coaxed her into trying out volleyball, and she has developed a great appreciation for that sport as well.
“I love playing with my team and seeing my friends more,” Throndson said. “And getting kills on the court is the best feeling ever.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.