Payton's Cunningham as clutch as it gets

Northside College Prep's Christine Alvarado.
(File Photo)

November 16, 2007 By ROB VALENTIN Sports Editor

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Walter Payton's Courtney Cunningham was simply unstoppable this year.

The 6-foot 2-inch junior was the focus of every opposing defense this season, but it didn't seem to matter.

Cunningham led her team to its first-ever city championship and its first-ever regional title and she was an easy choice for Pioneer Press Chicago Group Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

"It's great to see her when she's on your team," Payton first year head coach Joel Anderson said. "But I wouldn't feel the same if I was playing against her."

What made Cunningham so special this season was her ability to dominate anywhere on the court. She could clog up the middle, hit from the outside or play in the back row. That helped keep teams off-balance and led Payton to a 31-6 record.

"She switched her roles so many times," Anderson said. "We told her in the preseason she's going to be playing a lot on the outside and she had never done that before."

Cunningham's versatility became even more important when the Grizzlies went through some early-season injuries.

"When the injuries hit she became multi-talented," said Anderson, who did a good job building a team around her. "In the early part of her career she didn't have a supporting cast. She knows she didn't have to be the focal point this year but she knew when she had to step it up."

While Cunningham earned player of the year honors, she isn't the only Payton player on the Pioneer Press Chicago Group All-Area First Team.

Freshman Mari Faines was absolutely fabulous for the Grizzlies this season and she was the main reason teams couldn't throw their complete focus on stopping Cunningham.

"She became our second go-to girl at the end of the season," Anderson said. "When Courtney was out (with an injury) she stepped up. She led the team in blocks and hitting percentage for the season and was second in kills."

While Anderson knew he was getting a talented player in Faines, she was still a real surprise.

"I wasn't surprised about the blocking because she's very quick," he said. "She's a trained ballerina. The offense was a complete surprise but she's a really tough kid for being a freshman."

The rest of the All-Area First Team is Northside College Prep's Christine Alvarado, Von Steuben's Nadejda Ivanova, Lane Tech's Melissa Podrazka and Resurrection's Maggie Cunningham.

Alvarado had a tough task at the beginning of the season. She was just a sophomore but she had plenty of experience from her freshman season when the Mustangs won the city championship. Most of that team graduated and Alvarado had to be a leader.

"It was extremely important (for her to be a leader) and she knew that going into the season," Northside head coach Nicole Flores said. "I've watched her lead a team of seniors. She knows the game and knows where to put the ball. She led the teams in ace serves and played strong defense."

Alvarado honed her skills as a setter by playing club volleyball for Anderson's Powerhouse team.

"Being a setter, repetition is the most important thing," Flores said. "All the practice and all those tournaments on the weekend made a huge difference."

Ivanova, a junior, had another big season for the Panthers.

"She was definitely the best player on the team, and she gave 110 percent even in the last game when Lyons beat us 25-3," Von Steuben head coach Jim Gill said. "I'm sure she kept a lot of players going."

Gill is certainly excited to see Ivanova coming back for her senior season.

"She's been a solid player ever since she was a freshman," Gill said.

Maggie Cunningham was a captain at Resurrection and as a defensive specialist she kept her team in games while Podrazka helped lead a young Lane Tech team to a final four appearance in the city tournament.

Making the All-Area Second team is Von Steuben's Mary Dent, Northside's Courtney Konow, Payton's Roxanne Rivera, Resurrection's Mary Bargi, St. Benedict's Ayo Avery and Gordon Tech's Bianca Spano.