The Evanston Township High School girls’ volleyball team hopes this is the year they bring home a Central Suburban League South Conference championship for the first time since 1987.
Senior Delaney Clesen said, “We are on the right track and doing everything it takes to reach our goal of the conference title.” She added, “We have to win our next three matches for that to happen. We know we have to get it done and come out to every match playing our hardest just to get one step closer to that goal.”
On Sept 29, the kits beat Maine South in three sets, 25-18, 23-25 and 25-16. Maine South is always a hard place to play for us for some reason,said head coach Pam MacPherson. I thought the girls did a good job focusing and coming through with the win. We did a good job taking Maine South out of their offense and not allowing them to get the ball to their best hitter.”
Clesen added, “Maine south is a scrappy team, we came out playing hard and took the first game. In the second game we let up and they beat us, then in the third we refocused and put them away. It was not the prettiest win but it was a conference win and we’ll take it.”
On Oct. 5, the Kits beat Niles West in two sets, 25-15, and 25-18. MacPherson said, “We have struggled in the past with our serve/ receive and our free ball passing, but we did a great job with both against Niles West. When we pass well, we are able to get the ball to our big hitters and that can make or break us in a match.
On Oct. 7, the Kits played Waukegan in Beardsley Gym in Evanston. After taking the first set, 25-13, the Kits were poised to take the match in two sets. After Waukegan took an early, 2-1, lead, it seemed like the Bulldogs were not going to go without a fight. But then, the Kits scored the next five points to take a, 6-2, lead; and they were in cruise control the rest of the way, taking the set, 25-12, winning the match in two sets.
With the win over Waukegan, the kits improved their Conference record to, 6-1, and, 14-9, overall as of Oct. 11. The Kits are currently tied with Glenbrook South for first in Conference with three conference games remaining.
The Kits were scheduled to play against Glenbrook South on Oct. 12, the day this paper went to press. From there, they participate in the Pumpkin Tournament on Oct. 15-16 at Maine West.
“The Pumpkin Tournament is one of the toughest tournaments in the State. It will be a great measure on how we can do in the playoffs,” said MacPherson. After the Pumpkin Tournament, they face New Trier on Oct. 19 and finish the regular season in Beardsley Gym on Oct. 21 against conference foe Maine South.
The Kits then begin the Class 4A playoffs with a Regional matchup on Oct. 28 against the winner of Taft and Schurz. The Kits are the top seed in the Loyola Regional.
“I think we have come a long way from the summer league play,said MacPherson. We have finally found a rhythm to our offense and it has made a dramatic difference in our play. I know we are on the right track to go far in conference and the playoffs.”