Sandburg, Marist square off again

Updated: May 30, 2011 7:51PM

Having beaten Marist twice earlier this season, one might think Sandburg will have an advantage over the RedHawks at Tuesday’s sectional final.

Sandburg coach Sean Airola isn’t buying it.

“We’re both two totally different teams, and those other two matches don’t matter at all,” Airola said. “The match starts at 0-0 and goes from there. Marist has a different element, a different feel, and they always play hard.”

Sandburg will get a shot at its third victory over Marist at tonight’s Sandburg Sectional beginning at 7 p.m.

At the Reavis Sectional final, St. Rita will take on top-seeded Riverside-Brookfield.

Host Sandburg will be seeking its first trip to the state finals since 2005. Defending champion Marist, meanwhile, looks to get to Hoffman Estates High School for a third straight year.

No team in the area is as hot as Sandburg, which has lost only once (to Providence at the Brother Rice Smack Attack) since losing twice at the season-opening Buffalo Grove Tournament. Airola’s squad dispatched Andrew in the regional finals and dominated Providence at Friday’s sectional semifinals.

Having suffered season-ending losses in the sectional semifinals the last three years, Sandburg’s Bill Siroky said there won’t be an emotional letdown.

“We’ve got to come out and stay focused just like we did for the semifinals,” Siroky said. “The fact we put so much into this match, it was good, but we definitely have to prepare the same way, come out with the same energy, and hopefully, the fans will show up again so we can get the same results.”

Sandburg (35-3) defeated Marist in three games in the championship of the Wheaton-Warrenville South Invitational and beat the RedHawks in a nonconference match in April.

Not quite as dominant in the playoffs, Marist (33-5) has won in comeback fashion of late, including a sectional semifinal win over Lincoln-Way East in three games.

“For some reason we start off really slow,” Marist’s Garrett Dempsey said. “Come Tuesday, we can’t do that against Sandburg because they’re such a strong team. If we put ourselves in a hole, it will be really hard to come back.”

Dealing with a season-ending knee injury to heavy-hitting middle Jim Mead, Marist has mixed a strong returning core from the state title team with an influx of bench players, including Tony Natalino, Dan Garvey and Kevin Lyons.

Marist coach Bob St. Leger isn’t quite sure how much the experience gained from last spring will help.

“Experience is just one of those funny things,” St. Leger said. “It will come down to execution just like any other game. We’ve got to play a great game, and I’m sure they will. It should be an awesome environment.”

Making the team’s first appearance in a sectional final since 2009, St. Rita (21-17) will have to pull off its second straight upset to qualify for this weekend’s state finals. In the Reavis Sectional semifinals, the Mustangs took down second-seeded Morton in two games.

Playing its best volleyball of the season, St. Rita has been boosted by the promotion of sophomore setter Thomas McDermott to the varsity squad. The move allows setter Joe Fashingbauer to hit from the outside while sharing setting duties with McDermott.

Second-year coach Kathleen Mixan is looking to put the Mustangs in their first state finals since the 2003 season.

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