Hurricanes take down Payton for third

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:06PM

Marian Central had not lost back-to-back matches all season. The Hurricanes were not going to start on the state's biggest stage.

"We hate to lose," Marian Central's Abby Gilleland said. "We never lost two in a row, and we knew we were not going to do that today."

Gilleland had 16 assists and Emma Hussey had six kills to lead Marian Central to a 25-15, 25-19 victory over Payton in the IHSA Class 3A state third-place match at Illinois State's Redbird Arena.

Marian Central overcame a 16-14 deficit in Game 2 with a 6-0 run fueled by the serving of libero Dena Ott and kills by Gilleland and Hussey.

"This is exactly how you want to finish the season...with a win," Marian Central coach Laura Watling said. "We wanted to go out and not just win, but win confidently and with a purpose. We were more aggressive today.

"A lot of girls from the 2008 team are happy, too," the coach added.

Payton (32-10), which became the first Public League school to reach the state finals two years ago by beating Marian Central in the supersectional, got five kills from Mari Faines and four kills each by Michelle Schultz (six assists, five digs) and 5-foot-11 junior Kaimara Herron.

"I think our seniors have completely changed the outlook of Chicago public school volleyball," Payton coach Joel Anderson said.

Schultz, one of six juniors on the Payton roster, hopes to make on more trip to Normal before moving on to college.

"For the Public League, I think this lets people know that it can happen (getting to state)," she said. "I definitely want to do it again."

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