Girls Volleyball: Hinsdale Central falls to Lyons in sectional, Young downs Downers North

Updated: May 9, 2012 9:58AM

This time the defending Class 4A state champions left no doubt who was the better team.

After suffering an upset loss to Hinsdale Central Oct. 12, Lyons rebounded with a win over the Red Devils in the Young Sectional semifinal Tuesday night in Chicago.

Laura Williams and Alyssa Keeve had seven kills each as top-seeded LT gained a measure of revenge with a 25-18, 25-19 victory over fifth-seeded Hinsdale Central.

“It was great. It was really exciting,” the Duke-bound Williams said. “We need to win two more matches to make State, but we don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves.”

Hinsdale Central’s 26-24, 19-25, 25-21 win at LT in the first meeting eliminated the state champions’ chances of defending their West Suburban Conference Silver Division title, which was eventually won by York.

LT led 15-8 in the second set of the rematch until the Red Devils (20-18) scored seven consecutive points. LT earned a sideout on Rachael Lenderman’s service error and scored two more points to take an 18-15 lead. LT stretched the lead to 22-17 with help from two hitting errors and then Alexis Viliunas’s first ace of the match.

Williams had three of her four aces in the first set while the Illinois-bound Viliunas (12 assists) added six kills and two blocks.

“I don’t recall us being down in the match,” LT coach Joann Pyritz said. “We kept it at least a tie with Hinsdale and then scored a few points.”

LT did not play Young in the regular season, but defeated DGN 25-17, 25-10 Sept. 27 in La Grange.

Michigan-bound Ally Davis (seven kills, two blocks) ended her career as a four-year varsity starter for the Red Devils. Hinsdale Central played in a sectional semifinal for the second time in three years.

Davis and four other starting seniors played their final match: Ellie Van Keirsbilck, Emily Grasso, Sanne Hilbrich and Katie Grabowski. Grabowski had four of her six kills in the second set while junior Lucy Crofton had three kills and two blocks in the match.

“This was a great group of seniors,” Red Devils coach Sheralynn Kellough said. “From the beginning, all five seniors wanted to be captain. Ally Davis was a four-year starter. It’s obvious what she did on the court. What we’ll miss is what she did off the court. She was a great role model for the kids.”

Davis had four kills in the first set, but it wasn’t enough to give Hinsdale Central a lead. The Red Devils pulled to within 10-9, but then LT scored four straight points.

“We were off today. We were stuck on our heels,” Davis said. “They came out ready to go. We played catch-up the whole time.”

Young d. Downers North 25-20, 25-22

Young beats another higher seeded opponent to reach its first sectional final since 2007.

Although Young played without its starting middle hitter Tuesday night, the Dolphins still had Madisen Lenzini.

Lenzini had a match-high 16 kills and Danielle Schroeder added 10 kills and five aces as sixth-seeded Young shocked second-seeded Downers Grove North with a 25-20, 25-22 victory in the Class 4A Young Sectional semifinal.

The Dolphins (33-4) advance to the sectional final for the first time since 2007 and for only the second time in school history and will play defending state champion Lyons (29-8) on Thursday night. The start of the match might be changed to 6 p.m. with the IHSA’s approval. It was originally scheduled for 7 p.m.

Young pulled off its second consecutive upset after beating third-seeded Hinsdale South 24-26, 25-14, 25-20 Oct. 27 in a regional final. The Dolphins played without Cincinnati-bound Hanna Lee, who was unexpectedly hospitalized Monday.

“We had a game plan and they stuck to it,” Young coach Jaime Walters said. “We did what we had to do defensively. We did exactly what we needed to do.”

Lenzini picked up the slack with eight kills in each set. Downers North (22-16) made a late run in the second set to pull within 22-17 after scoring four consecutive points, but Lenzini had a kill for sideout. After the Trojans scored two more points, Lenenzini gave the Dolphins match point with another kill. She ended the match win another kill down the side line.

“I was just trying to hold it together for the team to come together,” Lenzini said. “Even if I was freaking out inside [at the end].”

Jenna Jacobson had 21 assists for Young. The Trojans were led by Jessie Tulacka’s nine kills and Katherine Mahlke’s eight kills. Taylor Kasal added 23 assists.

“[We struggled] with everything,” DGN coach Mark Wasik said. “When one team is clicking and executing, it puts the other team on its heels. They exposed our weaknesses.”

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