The Evanston girls volleyball team is poised for a strong showing at Regionals, which begin on Oct. 30. The Wildkits are the top seed going into Regionals and have earned this position with solid play from junior right side hitter Ali Gossen, Senior middle blocker Chelsea Lawrence and senior setter Hannah Folz.
“Lawrence is our leading middle hitter with the second highest hitting percentage on the team, just behind Gossen,” said head coach Pam MacPherson. “Gossen is the strongest player that I have seen go through ETHS in my time here. She is still a very young player and has great room for growth but still leads our team in kills and is one of the top kill leaders in the Central Suburban League.”
“Folz is the consistency that holds this team together,” the coach continued. “Her quick feet allow her to be everywhere on the court. Each tournament she has averaged over 100 assists and her leadership has been very influential on this team.”
“If the three of them have strong performances and play smart, we can dominate Regionals,” Coach MacPherson added.
As of Oct. 21, the Kits were 24-12 after losing their match against New Trier two games to one (winning 25-19 and losing 21-25 and 22-25). The Kits won both of their games in the opening round of the Maine West Pumpkin Tournament on Oct. 17, but lost all three of their games in that tournament on Oct. 18.
With the wins on Oct. 17, the Kits placed into the gold division, which Coach MacPherson points out is the first time that has happened in school history.
“We finished eighth out of 24 teams, which is still the best ETHS has ever done in that tournament. I was not happy with the way we played (on Oct. 18) and it showed how far we have to go to beat top teams,” said Coach MacPherson.
In the opening round of Regionals, Evanston plays the winner of Maine East and Von Steuben on Oct. 30. If the Kits win that match, they play the winner of Maine West and Resurrection on Nov. 1. All Regional games are scheduled to be played at Beardsley Gym at Evanston Township High School.
“If we play our side of the court, we should dominate through Regionals. (But) if we play down to our opponent, we will struggle,” said Coach MacPherson. She added that she might make some adjustments for the Regionals. “We are struggling here at the end a little. We might change the offense to bring something fresh to the girls and also surprise out opponents a little,” added Coach MacPherson.
Look for the Kits to play well in the Regionals, having home court advantage and being the top seeded team.