Girls volleyball: Lyons gets revenge on Downers Grove North, wins regional title

RIVERSIDE – Middle hitter Grace Turner was part of the huge Senior Night ceremony for the Lyons Township volleyball team Oct. 17.

Despite the group of 12 seniors, the celebration was short-lived. The Lions lost to West Suburban Conference Silver rival Downers Grove North in three sets.

On Thursday, the Lions got a chance at payback in the Class 4A Riverside-Brookfield Regional final.

”Since they beat us on Senior Night, we were out for revenge,” Turner said. “I think Senior Night wasn’t our best match. We watched film. We came in prepared.”

The Lions came out with emotion – and found it again down the stretch – for a hard-earned 25-14, 23-25, 25-11 victory.

This is the third straight regional title for the Lions (30-7) and third straight 30-win season. Eight seniors were among the 10 Lions who played.

”I feel (Senior Night is) what drove us throughout the night and it felt good that we could come back in the third set,” LT senior libero Kiley Mahoney said.”I feel like everyone was wanting to go for every ball and especially communication was there. It felt like we just all flowed and had chemistry and were working as a team.”

LT, the No. 3 seed in the Hinsdale Central Sectional, advances to Monday’s semifinals against No. 2 Willowbrook (36-1), which beat LT 21-25, 26-24, 25-19 on Aug. 30. The Warriors’ only loss is to No. 1 seed Oak Park-River Forest.

After No. 6 Downers North (22-15) overcame a 21-19 deficit to pull out the second set, the Lions seized the third, surging to a 13-1 lead as Downers North coach Mark Wasik used both timeouts.

In the third set, Turner had five of her 11 kills with no errors. Mahoney had nine of her 18 digs and two of her four assists.

“I think, honestly, we decided we’re not losing,” LT coach Jill Bober said. “We have some incredible senior leadership. They saw what happened and said we’re not ready for this to be done and over.”

Senior Abby Markworth, LT’s career assists leader, had 28 assists and nine service points with four aces. Other standouts were seniors Anabelle Montgomery (13 kills), Sienna Olson (7 kills), Alita Folkening (5 blocks, 2 kills), Maggie Kachmarik (8 digs, 7 points, 2 aces) and Laine Violante (6 points), junior Reagan Farnan (7 points, 6 digs) and freshman Taylor Carroll (5 kills).

”I think Kiley played lights out tonight. She tried to get a handle on every ball that she possibly could,” Bober said.

Mahoney credited strong net play for helping the back-row defense. The Lions had eight blocks for points. Folkening was part of all four in the first set.

”I think I went into this game with a stronger mindset, knowing it could be our last,” Folkening said.

Even with a brutal schedule, Downers North improved from 14-22 in 2022. The Trojans started just four seniors Thursday – setter Lauren Hill (12 assists, 5 points), libero Abby Gross (8 digs), Cailyn Myers (3 blocks, 2 kills) and Christina Diaz (5 digs). Other standouts were junior Jennifer Buehler (6 kills, 9 digs) and sophomores Nora Benjamins (7 kills) and Kelley Crowley (5 kills, 6 digs).

”Any time you get in these situations, senior leadership is irreplaceable. There’s nothing like it,” Wasik said. ”We get one thing one game and something completely different the other. And LT, executing at a high level, they’ll put it away. We played outstanding (our first meeting. Tonight, it’s not even close. We beat them on their floor during Senior Night. We passed so much cleaner, just made more contacts all around.”

Downers North won the second set on an attack error after a Myers solo block and Avery Presern kill for 22-21 and 23-22 leads.

Gross opened the third set with an ace, but the point was replayed after the officials ruled Olson was blocked from the ball by the lines judge. The replay serve went into the net and Kachmarik served LT to a 6-0 lead.

”I probably overemphasized (questioning the replay) but the line judges are part of the court,” Wasik said.