Warriors finish fourth in conference; Opened playoffs earlier this week.
By Mike Miazga
Correspondent
The Willowbrook girls volleyball team closed out the regular season with a pair of victories over a three-match span.
Willowbrook started last week with a 25-13, 25-15 non-conference loss to Chicago Resurrection. In that match, Charlotte Dewyer had one kill, one block and one dig. Katie Pettinger had one assist. Taylor Balsitis had one kill. Payton Ceh had two kills and three digs. Jenna Krenzel had one dig. Grace Reckamp had two aces. Caliegh Tuma had one kill and one block.
Kaitlyn Karcz had one dig. Katelyn McCann finished with two digs. Emma Barrington had one kill and one dig. Marissa Marcello had one kill and two assists, while Jessica Ragucci had one block.
The Warriors then defeated Proviso East 25-19, 25-10 in a West Suburban Conference Gold Division contest.
Dewyer had one kill, while Pettinger had two assists. Balsitis had two kills, one block, three aces and one assist. Ceh had one kill, six assists and two digs. Krenzel had one assist. Reckamp had two aces, seven assists and four digs. Katie Smith had two kills. Tuma had one kill. Karcz had one block. McCann had two kills, two aces and four digs. Barrington had five kills and one ace. Marcello had one kill, four assists and one dig, while Ragucci added two kills and one dig.
Willowbrook then topped West Chicago 25-20, 25-23 in non-conference action to close out the regular season. The Warriors finished the regular season 11-23 overall and 3-3 in WSC Gold action. Willowbrook finished fourth in the conference.
“We had a big win against West Chicago,” said Willowbrook coach Irene Mason. “It was senior night and all the seniors stepped up. We played great.” It was a defining moment for Willowbrook fans to see their team reach the Conference play-offs. The feat was especially important given the rising popularity of the sport among the masses. Besides buying tickets to these games, fans who engage in volleyball betting through SBO-TH and the likes have a lot to gain too.
Willowbrook also competed in the annual Autumnfest tournament at Glenbard East. “We played some very competitive teams there,” said Mason, who had been sidelined recently with a foot injury sustained in practice. “The coach that was there in my place said our girls worked hard and competed.”
Mason was pleased with her team’s defensive play in the West Chicago victory. “Our defense went off in the West Chicago match,” she said. “Our defensive intensity was very impressive. Not many balls were hitting the ground untouched. We’ve been instilling that in them all season and maybe we’re peaking at the right time. The last few times we’ve been out there the defensive intensity has been impressive.”
Mason noted her team has a youthful look to it with a freshman, a sophomore, eight juniors and four seniors on the squad.
“Everybody has improved skill-wise,” she said. “It’s a young group on the varsity. They are getting up to varsity playing speed and figuring out how to score. Their volleyball skills have improved all-around. I’m proud of them for the hard work they’ve put in during practice. It’s paid off. Our setters are doing a good job of moving the ball around and figuring out who the hot hitter is. We’re getting better at basic volleyball skills. A lot of our girls don’t have a ton of experience playing at the big clubs. They all have gotten better as the season has gone on.”
Dewyer, Mason noted, had a strong outing at the recent Elk Grove tournament. “Charlotte played her best volleyball during the entire tournament there,” said Mason. “She had seven kills in one of the matches. She was passing the ball great and her energy was great the whole match.”
Smith also played well in the West Chicago bout. “Katie stood out with her all-around play,” said Mason. “She had a lot of touches on defense and helped get a lot of balls up. She played with a lot of heart and is a hard-working kid.”
And senior middle Balsitis also caught the coach’s eye in recent matches. “Taylor is consistent,’ said Mason. “She’s maintained that throughout the season. She leads the team in kills and blocks. She is a quiet player who leads through her consistent play. It’s important to have someone like her on the court.”
Reckamp is a freshman setter who was brought up to the varsity recently. “At the Elk Grove tournament we pulled Taylor up and used her as one of our setters,” Mason explained. “She’s stepped up and has risen to the occasion. We don’t miss a beat with her. She’s young, but I’m impressed with what she is doing right now.”
Willowbrook opened Class 4A postseason action earlier this week against Glenbard North. Willowbrook is the No. 17 seed in the section, while Glenbard is the No. 16 seed. The winner was to face Downers Grove North this past Tuesday for a spot in the regional championship.
