Girls Volleyball: Something familiar for Joliet Catholic

Updated: November 2, 2011 8:41PM

Part of the reason Joliet Catholic has success in the state volleyball playoffs is the Angels don’t dwell on the past.

“I let myself celebrate for about five minutes after the game is over and then it’s on to preparing for the next one, thinking and worrying,’’ Joliet Catholic coach Christine Scheibe said. “It’s time to go watch some tape and start preparing for the next match.’’

That match is the Class 3A Joliet Catholic Sectional championship at 7 p.m. Thursday against Wheaton St. Francis, a familiar foe.

“We’ve played JCA the last seven years in the sectional or supersectional,’’ St. Francis coach Peg Kopec said.

Joliet Catholic has won the teams’ past four meetings, including a come-from-behind 11-25, 25-20, 25-18 victory in 2010 for the Rosary Sectional title.

“We seem to meet them every year in the playoffs,’’ Scheibe said. “It’s always a good, competitive match. They’ve got a good, solid team. We’ll have to play our best volleyball to beat them.’’

The frequency of the two teams meeting at the same part of the state tournament doesn’t sit well with Kopec.

“I understand regional representation. I get it,’’ Kopec said. “With regional representation, I think Joliet Catholic is far enough apart from Wheaton St. Francis it certainly merits playing some of the time, not all of the time.’’

Joliet Catholic (32-6) will be seeking its seventh consecutive sectional championship. The Angels followed back-to-back 3A state titles in 2008 and ’09 with a runner-up finish last year.

St. Francis (32-6) also has a history of state tournament success, including the Class 2A title in 2006 and second place in 3A in 2007, the first year of four classes.

“We have to be very consistent, play a good game, just like they’re going to have to be very consistent and play a good game,’’ Kopec said.

Unlike in their semifinal victories, Joliet Catholic and St. Francis won’t have much room for error.

“Traditionally, these have been unbelievable games,’’ Kopec said of the matchup. “I have respect for some of the teams downstate, so I cannot say that it’s the state championship match this year.’’

Class 4A

Minooka (29-4) is making the long trip downstate to face host Edwardsville for the sectional title. Edwardsville defeated Belleville West 21-25, 25-16, 25-15 in the semifinals.

Minooka will be looking for a little payback. In 2010, Edwardsville ended the Indians’ season in the Pekin Sectional final. It would be Minooka’s first sectional title since 1999.

Plainfield Central (23-15) will be the underdog against top-seeded Benet in the West Aurora Sectional final, but don’t count the Wildcats out after they came from the brink of elimination to beat Lockport.

Plainfield Central had impressive victories over Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley last week to win its first regional title in 10 years.

The winners of the Edwardsville and West Aurora sectionals will meet Saturday in the Normal Supersectional with a spot in the final four on the line.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.