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Lincoln-Way East takes down rival North
Updated: September 27, 2011 9:37PM
Left-handed basher Lauren Behrens is Lincoln-Way East’s No. 1 source for power and points.
But if 6-foot-3 middle blocker Katie Allen is on, hey, why not stick with what’s working?
Setter Taylor Nirchi went to Allen early and often during Tuesday’s SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover against host Lincoln-Way North, and it paid some handsome dividends during a 25-23, 25-16 victory before a Teachers Appreciation Night crowd in Frankfort.
Allen finished with seven service points, four kills, three blocks and two aces, Behrens six kills, Nirchi 13 assists and Makayla Weller 15 digs as No. 5 East improved to 14-2.
North (10-13) was paced by Hayley Wacker (5 kills), Stephanie Pearson (3 kills), Casey Zimmerman (4 blocks, 3 kills) and Jackie Billie (16 assists, 7 digs).
Allen’s contributions went beyond the four spikes that went to the floor. In all, she was 13-of-14 hitting, keeping North scrambling on defense to pick up her attempts from the middle.
“Our passes have been on, so our setter has a lot more options,” Allen said.
“We were connecting well on the middle hits, so it was working,” Nirchi added.
The Griffins had to do some chasing early, falling behind by as much as 17-14. It was 18-17 North when Allen started a tidal wave of points with a block on North’s Pearson.
Dana Van Dyck would go on to have a seven-point run from the service line that included two aces. Weller and Allen, meanwhile, went back-to-back on soft shots to openings in the middle of the floor.
North, not yet done, took advantage of some East miscues to close from 23-18 down to within 24-23. Behrens then blasted a kill through the hands of a back-row defender for the game-winner.
“Coming into the match we knew that Lincoln-Way North is one of our big rivals,” Allen said. “We always want to be the best Lincoln-Way. That’s one of our goals.”
East pretty much cruised in Game 2, racing to a 9-3 advantage and methodically building from there. It was a solid bounce back from a 3-2 weekend at the Rich East Invitational that included losses to No. 1 Mother McAuley and No. 2 Sandburg.
“I thought we played up to their level,” Nirchi said of their weekend foes. “I think we did really well for playing McAuley. I mean, that’s always a good game. They’re a really good team.”
North is scuffling during a 1-6 skid.
“Tonight was Teacher Appreciation, East is always a big rival and we had a nice crowd,” Phoenix coach Mary Brown said. “You’d think they’d be fired up, but my girls were so quiet and I have no idea why. I can’t read them.
“When you figure out 16- and 17-year-old girls, would you let me know, please?”
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