High school volleyball: Crystal Lake South edges Prairie Ridge to reach sectional final

HAMPSHIRE— When cheers faded and the congratulatory hugs concluded, Crystal Lake South volleyball coach Jorie Fontana’s young son ran up to her and handed her a piece of paper. On it he had scribbled a thumbs up in black crayon.

“This is your trophy,” he said, before running away.

Crystal Lake South had just gritted out a tough three-set victory over Prairie Ridge, 25-20, 19-25, 25-23, in the Class 4A Hampshire Sectional semifinal, enduring four ties in the final stretch of the final set — 19-19, 20-20, 21-21 and 22-22.

Finally, junior Jordan Proszenyak found a soft spot in the Wolves' defense to put the match away and propel South (23-15) to the Hampshire Sectional final against Cary-Grove on Thursday. There they will complete for another trophy — a slightly shinier one.

"Prairie Ridge is a phenomenal team and they’re going to be great for many years to come," Fontana said. "But our girls are just relentless. They get the weirdest points in the craziest situations but they hang in there and they’re always the ones that are headstrong at end."

Senior Kendall Kilberger led the team, not only statistically (15 kills and 18 digs) but also emotionally. A setter for her entire life, Kilberger stepped in at outside hitter when an injury forced the Gators to reshuffle their lineup.

“As a senior, it’s my last game,” she said. “It’s do or die. Every practice could be our last. Every point could be our last. It’s just that will to survive every point.”

South led Prairie Ridge, 17-13, in the third set of the decisive third set, when Wolves freshman Olivia Annen stepped behind the service line to start a rally. She recorded two aces and six service points to give Prairie Ridge a 19-17 lead.

“As a freshman coming in and putting that pressure on herself, she was amazing,” Prairie Ridge coach Stefanie Otto said.

Then came the four ties, the result of two teams fighting for the final points of their seasons. South senior Brooke Maddox blocked a Prairie Ridge attack to give the Gators a 24-22 lead and set the stage for Proszenyak.

When she put away the final kill, the Gators sprinted off the bench, screaming and stomping their feet. But Proszenyak stood almost still.

“I was really just in shock,” said Proszenyak, who recorded eight kills and eight digs. “I was just thinking, I can’t believe we won.”

The unsung hero:

Kleja Cerniauskaite, Crystal Lake South, So., MB

Cerniauskaite not only recorded five kills for the Gators, but also drove hard on several points to draw defenders away toward her and open up other hitters.

The number: 2 —

Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake South met twice. The Trojans won both Fox Valley Conference Valley Division matches.

And another thing...

"I’m sad to see the seniors go," Prairie Ridge coach Stefanie Otto said. "I really enjoyed them. They work hard. They’re good leaders. Hopefully the younger kids will learn from that and keep fighting to get better. They’ve got some shoes to fill. Hopefully, they’ll be ready."

Crystal Lake South 2, Prairie Ridge 1  

(25-20, 19-25, 25-23)

Crystal Lake South — Kills: Kilberger 15, Proszenyak 8, Cerniauskaite 5. Digs: Kilberger 18, Proszenyak 12, Dahl 8. Blocks: Proszenyak 3, Koening 3. Assists: Slimko 28. Aces: Slimko 3, Proszenyak 2.

Prairie Ridge— Kills: McNeil 12, Savannah Sheridan 7, Genesis Sheridan 7, Ozga 4. Blocks: Genesis Sheridan 5, Savannah Sheridan 4, Ozga 4. Digs: Salerno 15, McNeil 7, Garis 6, Ozga 5.  Assists: Otto 34