Huskies advance to final

Updated: June 4, 2011 10:42PM

This is what Naperville North’s Spencer Sauter was working toward all those weeks he had to watch from the sidelines while rehabilitating from an injury.

“It was great time, that game,” the 6-foot-6 junior outside hitter said early Saturday morning. “”We got a little too comfortable at the end. We let them get back in there when we should have stepped on the gas. But at least we got the win.”

Sauter had 14 kills and two blocks, Shane Witmer had 11 kills and Danny Boryca added 10 digs to lead Naperville North to a 25-17, 30-28 victory over Vernon Hills in Saturday’s first semifinal of the boys state volleyball tournament at Hoffman Estates.

The victory sent Naperville North (30-11) into Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. championship match against Sandburg, a team that defeated the Huskies early in the season at the Bison Battle when players from both sides were missing, including Sauter.

But on Saturday, Sauter’ 14th kill of the match broke a 28-28 tie in Game 2 after Vernon Hills fought back from a 22-16 deficit.

“I think our serve receive could have been a little better,” Naperville North coach Nate Bornancin said. “We didn’t get to run the middles as much as we’d like to, but our pin hitters (Sauter, Witmer and Henry Cheatham) really took care of business.

“We also served extremely well, forcing them to run those high balls to the pins which really helped our block, and our defense pulled through again,” he added. “I don’t know what the official stats say, but I know what I was feeling as I was watching. Everybody was busting their tails on defense.”

Naperville North needed a solid defensive effort when Vernon Hills, on the verge of elimination down 22-16 and 23-17, roared back to tie at 24-24 on a kills by Martin Niemczewski (nine kills), Ryan Kubacki and Justin Opitz (26 assists).

Vernon Hills (36-5) had game points at 26-25, 27-26 and 28-27, but just could not close out the game.

“We didn’t quit,” Vernon Hills coach Chris Curry said. “I would have been really disappointed if we had rolled over and not put up a fight. We could have come out and played a little better in the second game.

“We played for half or two-thirds of the second game they way we’re capable of playing, maybe a little better than them,” he added. “But the hole was too big. It took a little too long to settle down, to serve well and to execute.”

Six-foot-seven junior outside hitter Thomas Robinson led Vernon Hills with 10 kills and six digs.

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