It figured to be a battle.
After losing the first set 25-22, Lake Forest battled back to beat rival Lake Zurich in the Class 4A Deerfield Regional championship on Oct. 27.
By winning the final two sets (25-15, 25-17), the Scouts improved to 33-3 on the season. They will face Stevenson in a sectional semifinal at Lakes High School on Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m.
Meghan McGrail led the LF attack with 16 kills to go along with three aces and 13 digs. Claire Torkelson contributed seven kills, while Maren Douglass had five blocks.
The Scouts also received solid play from senior setter Emma Patlovich (27 assists, 4 aces, 2 blocks). Brigid Brennan was the defensive ace (19 digs).
On Oct. 27, Lake Forest put away the host Warriors 25-19, 25-20 in regional semifinal action. McGrail came up with 11 kills and six digs, while Douglass had a block and five kills.
Patlovich was credited with 25 assists to go along with six digs. Brennan had a team-high 10 digs, while Katie Crowe helped out with three aces.
Meanwhile, Highland Park went down fighting in a Deerfield Regional semifinal. The Giants (18-14) fell to Lake Zurich 18-25, 25-19, 25-16 on Oct. 25.
HP’s stat leaders were Jocy Spizman (9 kills, 3 blocks), Miranda Mottlowitz (8 kills), Ireland Hieb (7 kills, 4 aces, 3 digs), Ellie Sullivan (4 kills, 3 blocks), Carly Nanberg (8 digs, 3 aces), Emma Young (4 digs, 8 assists), Ella Weil (4 digs) and Allyson Gordon (6 digs, 18 assists).
Rolling Meadows Regional
— Seeded No. 1 in the Class 4A Glenbrook South Sectional, Loyola lived up to expectations in the Rolling Meadows Regional.
The Ramblers (22-11) downed Lake Park 25-15, 25-16 in the semifinal round on Oct. 25 and Maine South 25-16, 24-26, 25-21 in the championship match on Oct. 27.
In the title match over Maine South, the team was led by Elizabeth Walker (11 kills, 4 blocks), Nastasha Borkowski (9 kills, 7 blocks), Caroline Walker (7 kills, 5 blocks, 16 digs), Laurren Henning (6 kills, 5 digs), Mary Kate Lopez (5 kills, 2 blocks), Elizabeth Ford (5 kills, 5 blocks), Autumn Bascon-O’Connell (12 digs, 5 assists), Mary Leinenweber (8 digs, 13 assists) and Elzabeth Zidar (17 assists).
In the win over Lake Park, LA was paced by Borkowski (9 kills, 2 blocks), Lopez (6 kills), Caroline Walker (6 kills), Elizabeth Walker (6 kills, 2 blocks, 8 digs), Margaret McGill (2 blocks), Henning (4 kills), Leinenweber (16 assists) and Zidar (11 assists).
Hoffman Estates Regional
— Glenbrook South’s 28-win season came to an abrupt ending at the Class 4A Hoffman Estates Regional.
The Titans (28-9), seeded No. 3 in the Class 4A GBS Sectional, fell to Prospect 25-18, 18-25, 25-15 in the title match on Oct. 27.
Sarah Wojick (9 kills, 7 digs), Zimmie Frerichs (9 kills, 4 blocks), Julia Rytel (5 kills, 7 digs), Enola Varga (21 digs), Kasey Leone (7 digs, 14 assists) and Megan Quill (11 assists) led the Titans.
On Oct. 25, GBN topped Conant 26-24, 25-22 in a regional semifinal. The team was paced by Wojick (9 kills, 6 digs), Rytel (6 kills, 3 aces, 8 digs), Varga (8 digs), Leone (8 assists), Quill (12 assists) and Lindsay Lathrop (4 kills, 2 blocks).
Maine West Regional
— Niles West has been a dangerous team all year.
The Wolves, seeded No. 5 in the Class 4A Glenbrook South Sectional, were once again on Oct. 27, when they tripped No. 4 New Trier 25-21, 24-26, 25-22 in the title match an Maine West High School.
The Trevians finished the season 25-11.
New Trier had advanced to the final after taking care of Schaumburg 25-15, 18-25, 25-21 in the semifinal round on Oct. 25.
Evanston Regional
— Fremd sure didn’t play like a 10th seed.
Glenbrook North, seeded No. 7 in the Class 4A Glenbrook South Sectional, came up short against the surging Vikings in the Evanston Regional semifinals on Oct. 25. Fremd won the contest 25-23, 25-14.
The Spartans (19-17) were led by Samantha Myers (5 kills, 7 digs), Samantha Heyman (9 kills, 4 digs), Mary Clare Crue (13 digs), Annette Davis (5 digs), Lauren Mendelson (6 digs) and Brooke Schooley (2 blocks).
Nicole Urbanowitz, seen here in earlier action this season, earned all-tourney honors at the Discovery Invite along with teammates Callie Fauntleroy and Payton Hielscher. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
Glenbrook North Discovery Invite
— Led by all-tournament selections Callie Fauntleroy, Nicole Urbanowicz and Payton Hielscher, New Trier took first place in the Discovery Invite at Glenbrook North on Oct. 7-8.
The Trevians finished 5-0. They topped Glenbrook South in a semifinal and Loyola in the championship.
Fauntleroy completed the five-match set with 43 kills and 16 blocks.
Urbanowicz ended up with 24 kills, 46 digs, four blocks and two aces.
And Hielscher had 94 assists to go along with 12 kills, five blocks and eight aces.
NT (19-8) also received solid play from Taite Ryan (20 kills, 9 blocks, 9 aces, 33 digs), Maddie McGregor (15 kills, 7 blocks), Gillian Klise (10 kills, 11 blocks) and Grace Bozzo (56 digs, 5 aces).
Loyola earned wins over West Aurora 2-0, Evanston 2-0, Niles North 2-0 and Maine South 2-0 before losing to NT 2-1 (26-24, 22-25, 25-18) in the final.
Glenbrook South (22-7, 9-1) went 3-2 in the tourney. After beating Stevenson 2-0, Wauconda 2-0 and Buffalo Grove 2-0 on the first day, the Titans fell to New Trier 2-1 in the semifinal round and Maine South 2-0 in the third-place match. Sarah Wojick had 42 kills in the five-match set.
Glenbrook North (16-11, 6-2) finished the tourney with a 2-3 record. The Spartans sustained losses against Nazareth Academy (2-0), Maine South (2-1) and Prospect (2-1). Their wins came over Grayslake Central (2-0) and Niles North (2-0). Sam Myers recorded 60 kills in the five matches.
Glenbrook North d. Highland Park 2-0
— Visiting Glenbrook North moved its record to 17-11 overall and 7-2 in the CSL North with a 25-16, 25-17 victory over Highland Park on Oct. 13.
Sam Myers led the Spartans with 11 kills, two blocks and five digs. The team’s other stat leaders were Sam Heyman (9 kills, 2 blocks), Stephanie Serbu (13 digs) Lauren Mendelson (22 assists) and Mary Clare Crue (13 digs).
With the loss, HP’s record went to 14-10 overall and 5-3 in league play.
Glenbrook South d. Loyola 2-1
— In nonconference action on Oct. 13, Glenbrook South topped visiting Loyola 25-21, 12-25, 26-15.
LA was led by Laurren Henning (10 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks, 8 digs), Caroline Walker (8 kills), Elizabeth Walker (7 kills, 8 digs), Mary Kate Lopez (6 kills), Elizabeth Ford (2 blocks), Natasha Borkowski (2 blocks), Autumn Bascon-O’Connell (15 digs), Anne Martinson (6 digs, 13 assists) and Mary Leinenweber (13 assists).
GBS improved its record to 23-7. LA fell to 16-8.
Lake Forest d. Mundelein 2-0
— Win No. 30.
Lake Forest traveled to Mundelein on Oct. 13 and came away with a 25-16, 25-16 victory over the Mustangs to improve its overall record to 30-3. The team is 4-2 in league play.
LF’s stat leaders were Emma Patlovich (19 assists, 2 aces), Meghan McGrail (7 kills), Maren Douglass (7 kills) and Brigid Brennan (7 digs, 2 aces).
Providence d. Loyola 2-1
— Loyola dropped a 25-19, 22-25, 25-16 decision to host Providence Catholic on Oct. 11.
The Ramblers (16-7, 2-4) were led by Natasha Borkowski (7 kills, 4 blocks), Mary Kate Lopez (6 kills, 2 blocks), Elizabeth Ford (5 kills, 2 blocks), Samantha Downey (5 kills. 1 block), Caroline Walker (4 kills, 2 blocks), Autumn Bascon-O’Connell (6 digs), Elizabeth Walker (11 digs), Elizabeth Zidar (16 assists) and Mary Leinenweber (15 assists, 5 digs).
Antioch Invite
— Lake Forest just missed picking up win No. 30, when it dropped a 25-13, 23-25, 15-12 decision to Palatine in the championship match at the Antioch Invite on Oct. 8.
The Scouts (29-3, 3-2) won their first four matches at the invite, downing Antioch 2-0, Deerfield 2-0, Belvidere North 2-0 and Lakes 2-1.
LF placed three players on the all-tourney team: Claire Torkelson, Maren Douglass and Meghan McGrail.
St. Ignatius d. Loyola 2-1
— It was a battle.
But, in the end, host St. Ignatius pulled out a 20-25, 32-30, 25-23 victory over Loyola on Oct. 6.
The Ramblers (12-5, 2-3) were led by Elizabeth Ford (7 blocks, 2 kills).
Glenbrook South d. Niles West 2-0
— Glenbrook South defeated visiting Niles West 25-19, 25-18 on Oct. 6 to improve its record to 18-5 overall and 8-1 in the CSL South.
The Titans were led by Sarah Wojick (10 kills), Julia Rytel (4 kills, 2 assists), Lindsay Lathrop (6 kills), Megan Quill (12 assists, 3 aces), Enola Varga (6 digs) and Kacey Leone (10 assists).
Glenbrook North d. Maine West 2-1
— Glenbrook North claimed a hard-fought 25-11, 22-25, 25-22 victory over visiting Maine West on Oct. 5.
Sam Meyer had 11 kills, 16 digs and two aces in the contest. Brooke Schooley and Annette Davis had eight kills each.
Lauren Mendelson had three aces, 31 assists and 10 digs. Julia Rothschild helped out with two aces and seven digs, while Mary Clare Crue had 13 digs.
Highland Park d. Deerfield 2-1
— Highland Park need three sets to put away visiting Deerfield 21-25, 25-20, 25-16 on Oct. 5.
HP’s stat leaders were Ireland Hieb (8 kills, 4 blocks), Allyson Gordon (7 kills, 5 digs, 14 assists), Olivia Carter (5 kills), Carly Nanberg (3 aces, 6 digs), Jocy Spizman (2 blocks), Emma Young (7 digs, 12 assists) and Etana Voloshin (5 digs).
With the win, HP improved to 14-9 overall and 5-2 in the CSL North.
New Trier d. Niles North 2-0
— It was a successful Senior Night for New Trier.
The Trevians topped visiting Niles North 26-24, 25-6 in CSL South action on Oct. 5.
Callie Fauntleroy (8 kills, 4 blocks), Grace Kapsimalis (4 kills, 2 blocks), Grace Bozzo (12 digs), Michelle Cheng (9 assists) and Maggie McGregor (7 assists) were the stat leaders.
Mother McAuley d. Loyola 2-0
— Loyola dropped a 25-15, 25-20 decision to visiting Mother McAuley on Oct. 4.
Elizabeth Walker had five kills for the Ramblers. Caroline Walker had three kills and two blocks.
Defensively, Laurren Henning had a team-high nine digs. Elizabeth Zidar had seven digs.
New Trier d. Evanston 2-0
— New Trier scored a fairly easy win over visiting Evanston 25-14, 25-18 on Oct. 4.
The team was led by Callie Fauntleroy (5 kills, 2 blocks), Payton Hielscher (2 kills, 7 assists), Taite Ryan (2 kills) and Grace Bozzo (9 digs).
Lake Forest’s Emma Patlovich, seen here in earlier action, was named to the all-tourney team along with teammate Ashley Williams at the LF Tournament. PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE HANDWERKER
Lake Forest Invite
— Emma Patlovich and Ashley Williams turned in sparkling performances as Lake Forest took first place in its own invitational on Oct. 1.
Patlovich and Willams earned all-tourney honors as the Scouts defeated Carmel Catholic 25-11, 24-26, 25-13 in the title match.
LF improved to 24-2 by going 5-0 on the day. The Scouts advanced to the final by downing Regina Dominican 25-7, 25-8 in the semifinals. In pool play, they beat Homewood-Flossmoor 25-10, 25-4; Lane Tech 25-10, 25-6; and Chicago STEM 25-4, 25-4.
Patlovich finished the five-match set with 23 aces, 84 assists and 16 digs. Williams wound up with 44 kills and 20 aces.
Other stat leaders for LF included Meghan McGrail (25 kills, 4 aces, 16 digs) and Brigid Brennan (28 digs).
Lake Forest d. Zion-Benton 2-0
— Lake Forest came up with win No. 25 by downing visiting Zion-Benton 25-9, 25-17 on Oct. 5.
The Scouts (25-2, 3-2) were led by Meghan McGrail (13 kills, 3 aces), Brigid Brennan (8 digs), Emma Patlovich (18 assists, 7 digs) and Maren Douglass (2 blocks).
Mother McAuley Invite
— New Trier came up with a 12th-place finish in the prestigious Mother McAuley Invite on Oct. 1
The team’s stat leaders included Callie Fauntleroy (31 kills, 10 blocks, 2 aces), Taite Ryan (29 kills, 4 aces, 27 digs), Nicole Urbanowicz (16 kills, 3 blocks, 4 aces, 28 digs), Maddie McGregor (16 kills, 7 blocks), Gillian Klise (7 kills, 6 blocks), Payton Hielscher (7 kills, 3 blocks, 79 assists) and Julie Maisel (27 digs).
Glenbrook South’s Zimmie Frerichs (No. 8) and Sarah Wojick team up at the net in win over Evanston. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PFOERTNER
Glenbrook South d. Evanston 2-0
— Highlighted by the play of senior Sarah Wojick and Zimmie Frerichs, visiting Glenbrook South improved to 16-5 overall and 7-1 in the CSL South with a 25-21, 25-13 victory over host Evanston on Sept. 29.
Wojick, a Miami of Ohio recruit, made good on 11 of 16 attempts (68.8 percent). She added eight digs, three aces and one block.
Frerichs ended the match with six kills and one block.
The Titans also received solid work from Enola Varga (6 digs), Julia Rytel (6 digs), Megan Quill (8 assists) and Kacey Leone (15 assists).
Loyola d. Rosary 2-1
— Loyola (12-3) kept its nice season going by taking care of host Rosary 27-25, 14-25, 25-23 on Sept. 29. Laurren Henning led the way with 10 kills and three aces.
The Ramblers improved to 2-1 in the GCAC Red Division.
New Trier d. Niles West 2-1
— New Trier improved to 10-5 overall with a 15-25, 25-12, 25-22 win over host Niles West on Sept. 29.
Glenbrook North d. Vernon Hills 2-0
— Glenbrook North continues to play quality volleyball.
The Spartans improved to 13-8 overall and 5-2 in the CSL North by topping visiting Vernon Hills 25-15, 25-15 on Sept. 28.
Sam Myers finished the outing with 11 kills, three aces and six digs. Sam Heyman had five kills and two aces.
Maine West d. Highland Park 2-0
— Highland Park sustained a league setback to host Maine West 25-21, 15-19 on Sept. 28.
The Giants (13-9, 4-2) were led by Miranda Mottlowitz (6 kills, 4 digs), Ireland Hieb (4 kills), Ellie Sullivan (4 kills, 2 blocks, 7 assists), Emma Young (4 digs), Carly Nanberg (4 digs) and Allyson Gordon (11 assists).
Lake Forest d. Lake Zurich 2-1
— This one might have been a little too close for comfort for Lake Forest.
The Scouts outlasted host Lake Zurich 26-28, 25-17, 25-23 in North Suburban Conference action on Sept. 28. LF, which upped its record to 19-2 overall (2-2 in league play), was led by Meghan McGrail (13 kills, 2 aces), Ashley Williams (13 kills, 2 aces), Emma Patlovich (28 assists, 4 digs, 4 aces) and Brigid Brennan (12 digs).
Glenbrook South d. Niles North 2-0
— This was no contest.
Glenbrook South (15-5) defeated visiting Niles North in convincing fashion (25-5, 25-14) on Sept. 27. GBS’s stat leaders included Zimmie Frerichs (8 kills), Sarah Wojick (6 kills), Logan Steenbergen (4 kills), Julia Rytel (5 aces), Megan Quill (6 assists) and Kacey Leone (4 digs, 11 assists).
Highland Park d. Grayslake North 2-1
— After a slow start, Highland Park came back to wrap up a 13-25, 25-12, 25-14 victory over host Grayslake North in nonconference action on Sept. 27.
The Giants (13-8, 4-1) were led by Jocy Spizman (8 kills), Miranda Mottlowitz (7 kills), Ireland Hieb (5 kills, 5 blocks, 4 digs, 2 aces), Carly Nanberg (9 digs, 2 aces), Ellie Sullivan (3 blocks), Emma Young (8 digs, 4 assists), Ella Weil (5 digs) and Allyson Gordon (7 digs, 19 assists).
Loyola d. Trinity 2-1
— Sophomore Lizzy Walker came up with nine kills and one ace to spark Loyola to a 25-14, 24-26, 25-17 victory over visiting Trinity on Sept. 27.
With the win, the Ramblers improved to 11-3.
New Trier sophomore Payton Hielscher sets up a teammate during the team’s win over Maine South. She had 14 assists in the contest. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
New Trier d. Maine South 2-0
— New Trier snapped a two-match skid by downing visiting Maine South 25-9, 25-19 on Sept. 27.
Senior middle Callie Fauntleroy had a big night for the Trevians (9-5): nine kills, two aces. Other stat leaders were Maddie Murdock (4 kills), Gillian Klise (4 kills), Nicole Urbanowitz (3 kills), Payton Hielscher (14 assists, 2 kills, 1 ace), Michelle Cheng (3 aces, 2 assists) and Julia Maisel (9 digs).
Highland Park d. Vernon Hills 2-0
— Highland Park upped its record to 12-8 overall and 4-1 in the CSL North with a 25-20, 25-13 victory over visiting Vernon Hills on Sept. 26.
Olivia Carter had a team-high five kills for the Giants. Ireland Hieb and Allyson Gordon had two aces each. Hieb added two blocks, while Gordon had eight assists. Carly Nanberg led the team in digs (8).
Maine East d. Glenbrook North 2-1
— Glenbrook North saw its eight-match win streak go by the wayside.
The Spartans lost a tight battle to host Maine East 25-21, 12-25, 25-23 on Sept. 26.
Sam Heyman (12 kills) and Sam Myers (10 kills) led GBN’s attack. Heyman also had five blocks, while Meyers had 15 digs.
The other stat leaders for the Spartans (12-8, 4-2) included Mary Clare Crue (19 digs) and Julia Rothschild (8 digs).
Lake Forest d. Grayslake Central 2-0
— Lake Forest returned its winning ways.
The Scouts snapped a two-match losing streak by downing visiting Grayslake Central 25-17, 25-19 on Set. 26.
LF (18-2) was led by Ashley Williams (18 kills), Emma Patlovich (22 assists, 7 kills), Brigid Brennan (7 kills) and Katie Crowe (2 aces).
Ireland Hieb of the Giants keeps the ball alive in win over Maine East on Sept. 22. Two days later, the Giants went 3-2 at the Northside Prep Tournament. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
Northside Prep Tournament: Highland Park came away with a 3-2 record in the Northside College Prep Tournament.
In action played on Sept. 24, the Giants earned wins over St. Viator 2-0, Lane Tech 2-1 and Northside Prep 2-0. The team fell to Niles West 2-0 and Walter Payton 2-1.
Miranda Mottlowitz (23 kills) and Ireland Hieb (22 kills) led the HP offense. Mottlowitz also had 10 aces in the five-match set.
Emma Young (70 assists) and Jocy Spizman (14 kills) also helped the HP cause.
The Giants are 11-8 on the season.
Loyola d. New Trier 2-0
— Loyola took care of visiting New Trier 25-23, 25-21 in a crosstown rival match on Sept. 23.
The Ramblers (10-3) were led by sophomore right front hitter Mary Kate Lopez (3 kills, 1 block). Elizabeth Ford added two kills and one block from her middle blocking position.
Glenbrook North d. Deerfield 2-0
— Highlighted by a 10-kill outing by Sam Myers, Glenbrook North 25-19, 25-14 triumph over visiting Deerfield on Sept. 23 to improve its record to 12-7.
Brooke Schooley had six kills for the Spartans.
Other stat leaders for GBN included Mary Clare Crue (10 digs) and Lauren Mendelson (7 digs).
Highland Park d. Maine East 2-0
— Ireland Hieb came up 10 kills, three aces and two blocks to lead Highland Park past visiting Maine East 25-17, 28-26 on Sept. 22.
Allyson Gordon (16 assists, 5 digs, 2 aces), Miranda Mottlowitz (6 kills, 1 ace) and Carly Nanberg (7 digs, 1 ace) were the HP’s other stat leaders.
With the win, the Giants improved to 8-6 overall and 3-1 in the league.
Stevenson d. Lake Forest 2-1
— Despite having strong showings from Meghan McGrail (14 kills, 2 aces, 8 digs), Emma Patlovich (28 assists, 9 digs) and Ashley Williams (8 kills, 12 digs), Lake Forest was unable to turn back host Stevenson on Sept. 22. They lost the league contest in three sets: 19-25, 25-20, 25-21.
It was only the second setback of the season for the Scouts (17-2).
Glenbrook South d. New Trier 2-1
— Sarah Wojick was a difference maker.
In a match which was tight all the way, Glenbrook South wound up topping host New Trier 25-22, 22-25, 25-23 in CSL South action on Sept. 21. Wojick did her part for the Titans. She came up with 17 kills.
GBS (13-5, 3-1) also received solid work from Julia Rytel (6 kills, 4 digs, 2 aces), Enola Varga (4 aces. 14 digs), Megan Quill (11 assits, 3 aces, 5 digs), Zimmie Frerichs (3 aces, 4 blocks) and Kacey Leone (9 digs, 16 assists).
New Trier (8-4) was led by Callie Fauntleroy (9 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces), Taite Ryan (4 kills, 5 blocks, 10 digs), Gillian Klise (4 kills, 4 blocks) and Payton Hielscher (20 assists, 2 kills).
Glenbrook North d. Highland Park 2-0
— This team is on a roll.
Glenbrook North extended its win streak to seven matches by downing visiting Highland Park 25-23, 25-19 on Sept. 20.
The two Sams led the way for the Spartans (11-7, 2-1). Sam Myers finished the contest with 10 kills and nine digs. Sam Heyman had seven kills. Other stat leaders were Annette Davis (5 kills), Lauren Mendelson (2 aces, 6 digs) and Mary Clare Crue (7 digs).
HP (7-6, 2-1) was led by Miranda Mottlowitz (4 kills, 2 aces), Olivia Careter (4 kills), Ireland Hieb (4 kills, 3 blocks, 2 aces), Carly Nanberg (6 digs), Allyson Gordon (6 digs, 10 assists), Ella Weil (5 digs) and Emma Young (4 digs, 5 assists).
Libertyville d. Lake Forest 2-0,
— Lake Forest was aiming for win No. 18.
Didn’t happen.
The host Scouts lost for the first time this season, when they came up short against Libertyville 25-20, 25-23 on Sept. 20.
The 17-1 squad was led by Emma Patlovich (16 assits, 8 digs, 2 aces), Ashley Williams (12 kills), Meghan McGrail (6 kills, 7 digs) and Brigid Brennan (7 digs, 4 assist).
St. Francis d. Loyola 2-0
— Loyola fell 25-20, 26-24 to visiting Wheaton St. Francis on Sept. 20. Caroline Walker had six kills for the Ramblers (9-3). Lauren Henning was credited with five kills.
Niles West d. Glenbrook South 2-0
— Glenbrook South fell to 2-1 in the CSL South following its 25-19, 25-21 setback to host Niles West on Sept. 19. The stat leaders for GBS included Sarah Wojick (4 kills), Julia Rytel (3 kills, 7 digs), Lindsay Lathrop (2 blocks), Enola Varga (9 digs), Kasey Leone (6 digs, 5 assists) and Megan Quill (7 assists).
New Trier d. Niles North 2-0
— Sparked by the return of senior Nicole Urbanowicz (6 kills, 2 aces), New Trier topped host Niles North 25-9, 25-9 in CSL South action on Sept. 19.
Urbanowicz had been sidelined with appendicitis.
The other stat leaders for NT (8-3) were Taite Ryan (3 kills, 2 blocks), Maggie Murdoch (5 assists) and Michelle Cheng (5 assists).
Maine East Invite: Seventeen and counting.
— Lake Forest downed Niles West 25-21, 25-24 in the championship of the Maine East Invite on Sept . 17. The Scouts went 5-0 in the tourney to raise their overall record to 17-0.
LF advanced to the final after taking care of Warren 25-12, 25-17 in the semifinals.
The other wins came against Deerfield 25-13, 25-14; Leyden 25-21, 25-15 and Maine South 25-27, 25-22, 15-11.
The Molly Grzesik-coached squad was led by Ashley Williams (52 kills, 5 blocks, 18 aces), Emma Patlovich (101 assists, 7 aces), Brigid Brennan (46 digs, 10 aces) and Meghan McGrail (42 kills, 33 digs).
St. Viator Invite: Glenbrook North is putting it all together.
The Spartans went 5-0 in the St. Viator Tournament on Sept. 17. They defeated Carmel Catholic 25-19, 25-22 in the championship. The win avenged an earlier loss to the Corsairs.
GBN advanced to the final downing Timothy Christian 25-23, 25-22 in the semfinal round. In pool play, the Spartans beat Queen of Peace 2-0, Rolling Meadows 2-1 and Proviso East 2-0.
Lake Forest d. Warren 2-1
— Standouts Ashley Williams and Emma Patlovich led the way as Lake Forest improved to 12-0 on the season by taking down host Warren 20-25, 25-14, 25-22 on Sept. 13.
Williams finished the night with 10 kills, eight aces and two blocks. Patlovich came up with 22 assists.
LF’s other stat leaders were Brigid Brennan (9 digs) and Meghan McGrail (10 kills, 6 digs).
Highland Park d. Deerfield 2-1
— Per usual, this match was not decided until (very) late.
Despite losing the first set 25-22, Highland Park rallied to beat host Deerfield on Sept. 15, winning the last two sets 25-17, 25-21.
Ireland Hieb turned in a stellar performance for the Giants (7-4) with 11 kills, four blocks and four aces. The team also received solid work from Miranda Mottlowitz (7 kills), Olivia Carter (6 kills), Ellie Sullivan (5 kills, 5 blocks), Jocy Spizman (4 blocks), Carly Nanberg (9 digs) and Allyson Gordon (22 assists, 8 digs).
Glenbrook North d. Maine West 2-1
— Strong defense by Mary Clare Crue (12 digs), Sam Myers (10 digs) and Lauren Mendelson (9 digs) helped Glenbrook North (5-7, 2-0) take down host Maine West 25-23, 25-27, 25-20 in CSL North action on Sept. 15. Myers also came through with 14 kills, while Brooke Schooley had nine kills. Myers, Crue, Mendelson and Sam Heyman had two aces each.
Carmel d. Glenbrook North 2-1
— This one could’ve gone either way.
Despite a huge outings by Sam Myers (16 kills, 21 digs) and Lauren Mendelson (13 kills, 11 digs), host Glenbrook North sustained a 25-19, 19-25, 26-24 to visiting Carmel on Sept. 14. Sam Heyman tallied 10 kills, while Mary Clare Crue had 18 digs for the Spartans.
Glenbrook South d. Maine South 2-0
— Glenbrook South raised its record to 11-4 with a 25-23, 25-17 triumph over visiting Maine South 25-23, 25-17 on Sept. 14.
Julia Rytel led the Titans with eight kills, eight digs and two aces. Sarah Wojick produced six kills and seven digs, while Kacey Leone had 14 assists.
Loyola d. De La Salle 2-0
— Loyola improved to 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the GCAC with a decisive 25-15, 25-20 win over visiting De La Salle on Sept. 14. Senior captain Caroline Walker had three kills and three blocks for the Ramblers. Sophomore right side Mary Kate Lopez added five kills and one block.
New Trier d. Evanston 2-0
— New Trier improved to 2-0 in the Central Suburban League South Division by downing host Evanston 25-16, 25-20 on Sept. 14. The Trevians, who are 7-3 overall, were led by Maddie McGregor (5 kills, 1 block), Callie Fauntleroy (3 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces), Grace Kapsimalis (3 kills), Taite Ryan (2 kills, 1 block), Payton Hielscher (7 assists) and Michelle Cheng (3 assists).
Glenbrook North d. Vernon Hills 2-0
— Sam Myers compiled seven kills, seven digs and five aces to lead Glenbrook North to a 25-14, 25-15 win over host Vernon Hills on Sept. 13.
GBN’s other key contributors included Rachel Levin (4 aces, 5 digs), Sam Heyman (5 kills), Lauren Mendelson (5 kills) and Mary Clare Crue (6 digs).
Highland Park d. Maine West 2-0
— Highland Park claimed a 25-19, 25-22 victory over visiting Maine West on Sept. 13 to run its record to 6-4.
Jocy Spizman and Miranda Mottlowitz led the attack with six kills each. The other stat leaders were Allyson Gordon (10 digs, 12 assists), Carly Nanberg (10 digs), Emma Young (9 assists, 7 digs) and Ella Weil (3 aces). Mottlowitz and Ireland Hieb had two blocks each.
Lake Forest’s Maria Gabrielsen, Katie Constantine, Jill Fontana and Cassidy Shaul celebrate during its win over Loyola. The Scouts continue to celebrate. After winning the Maine East Invite on Sept. 16-17, they are 17-0 on the season. PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE HANDWERKER
Lake Forest d. Loyola Academy 2-1
— Dig this. Lake Forest’s senior libero Brigid Brennan was a defensive wizard in her team’s 25-20, 24-26, 25-17 victory over host Loyola on Sept. 13. Brennan had 23 digs in the three sets.
Ashley Williams was the team’s ace at the net, amassing 21 kills to go along with five aces.
Emma Patlovich (28 assists) and Meghan McGrail (8 kills, 11 digs, 2 aces) also contributed in a big way.
Glenbrook South d. Evanston 2-0
— Glenbrook South came up with a convincing 25-18, 25-15 victory over host Evanston on Sept. 12.
The team was led by Sarah Wojick (7 kills, 8 digs), Julia Rytel (5 kills), Zimmie Frerichs (5 kills, 2 blocks), Megan Quill (3 aces, 4 digs, 10 assists), Enola Varga (6 digs) and Kasey Leone (12 assists).
Highland Park d. Mundelein 2-0
— Miranda Mottlowicz and Olivia Carter came up with eight kills apiece to help Highland Park top visiting Mundelein 17-25, 25-11, 25-13 on Sept. 12.
The Giants (5-4) also received solid outings from Allyson Gordon (19 assists, 3 aces), Emma Young (10 digs, 12 assists) and Ella Weil (10 digs). Mottlowitz added eight digs.
New Trier d. Niles West 2-0
— New Trier took care of visiting Niles West 25-17, 25-18 in Central Suburban League South Division play on Sept. 12.
The Trevians received solid contributions from Callie Fauntleroy (5 kills, 3 blocks), Maddie McGregor (4 kills), Payton Hielscher (4 kills, 2 blocks, 12 assists, 1 ace), Taite Ryan (3 kills, 1 block, 1 ace), Grace Bozzo (2 aces) and Nicole Cherro (10 digs, 1 ace).
Stevenson d. Glenbrook South 2-1
— Glenbrook South dropped a 25-16, 19-25, 25-20 decision to visiting Stevenson on Sept. 9.
GBS’s stat leaders Sarah Wojick (9 kills, 3 aces, 3 blocks), Zimmie Frerichs (8 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks), Lindsay Lathrop (6 kills, 7 digs), Nina Hood (2 blocks), Enola Varga (17 digs), Megan Quill (6 digs, 12 assists) and Kasey Leone (13 assists).
Lake Forest d. Loyola 2-0
Meghan McGrail was on her game.
The senior led the way as Lake Forest topped visiting New Trier 25-17, 27-27 on Sept. 9. McGrail ended up with eight kills and seven digs.
The Scouts, who improved to 10-0, also received strong efforts from Ashlee Amos (17 assists), Ashley Williams (7 aces, 6 kills) and Brigid Brennan (6 digs). Senior star Emma Patlovich didn’t play.
New Trier was led by Taite Ryan (5 kills, 2 blocks), Emma Tomlinson (3 kills, 2 blocks), Callie Fauntleroy (2 kills, 3 blocks, 2 aces), Maddie McGregor (2 kills, 2 blocks), Payton Hielscher (2 kills, 2 blocks, 10 assists) and Nicole Cherro (10 digs, 2 aces).
Niles West d. Highland Park 2-0
— Highland Park’s record moved to 4-4 on the season with a 28-26, 25-21 setback to host Niles West on Sept. 8. The Giants were led by Allyson Gordon (15 assists, 2 aces), Ella Weil (4 digs), Emma Young (4 digs), Giselle Fesalvo (5 digs, 2 aces), Ireland Hieb (5 digs, 3 kills), Miranda Mottlowitz (7 kills), Olivia Carter (4 kills), Jocy Spizman (4 kills) and Ellie Sullivan (3 kills).
“For the most part, we have been playing tough,” said HP coach Beth Peterson. “We need to continue to work on finishing the close ones.”
Glenbrook South d. Glenbrook North 2-1
— Set No. 3 was all South.
Visiting Glenbrook South ended up downing GBN 23-25, 25-23, 25-13 in the battle of Glenbrook on Sept. 7.
Sarah Wojick (14 kills) and Zimmie Frerichs (10 kills) paced GBS’s attack. Sam Myers (14 kills) and Sam Heyman (11 kills) led GBN’s offense.
Loyola d. Evanston 2-0
— The Walkers led the way in Loyola’s home victory over Evanston 25-19, 25-15 on Sept. 7. Senior captain Caroline Walker and her sophomore sister, Lizzy, came up with five kills each. With the win, LA improved to 8-1.
Loyola d. Maine South 2-0
— The sophomores got it done. In Loyola’s 25-8, 25-18 win over visiting Maine South on Sept. 6, Elizabeth Ford registered six kills and two blocks while Lizzy Walker had four kills, three aces and 10 digs.
Champaign Invite
— Lake Forest raised its record to 9-0 by going 5-0 and winning the Champaign Centennial Invite on Sept. 2-3. The Scouts earned wins over Centennial 25-18, 25-15; Rochester 25-20, 25-15; Whitney Young 25-12, 19-25, 15-11; Nazareth 25-11, 19-25, 15-11; and Kaneland 10-25, 25-16, 15-10.
LF’s stat leaders were Ashley Williams (51 kills, 10 aces), Emma Patlovich (83 assists, 25 digs), Brigid Brennan (40 digs), Meghan McGrail (8 aces, 27 kills, 24 digs), and Claire Torkelson (7 blocks).
Williams and Patlovich earned all-tourney honors.
Summer’s End Tourney
— Things didn’t start too well for the New Trier volleyball. The Trevians opened the season with losses to Libertyville and Stevenson.
But, the team got well in a hurry. The host Trevians went 5-0 to capture top honors in the Summer’s End Tourney on Sept. 2-3. They topped Loyola 27-25, 21-25, 25-10 in the title match.
NT received solid work from Taite Ryan (29 kills, 3 blocks, 6 aces), Maddie McGregor (28 kills, 5 blocks, 3 aces), Callie Fauntleroy (25 kills, 17 blocks, 2 aces), Emma Tomlinson (8 kills, 5 blocks), Payton Hielscher (7 kills, 5 blocks, 5 aces, 74 assists) and Nicole Cherro (42 digs, 7 aces, 5 assists).
Loyola (6-1 overall) finished the tourney a 4-1 record. The Ramblers defeated Oak Park-River Forest 25-23, 21-25, 25-20 in the semifinal round. In pool play, they took care of Evanston 25-16, 25-14; Niles North 25-6, 25-7; and Highland Park 25-15, 25-12.
Glenbrook South finished fifth in the tournament with a 4-1 mark. The Titans downed Warren 25-21, 22-25, 25-21 in the fifth-place match. Their wins came over Zion-Benton, Evanston and Wheeling. Their lone setback was to Oak Park-River Forest.
Highland Park went 3-2 at the invite. The Giants defeated Niles North 16-25, 25-15, 17-16; Zion-Benton 25-18, 14-25, 25-20; and Wheeling 19-25, 25-22, 25-20. Their losses were against Evanston 25-19, 25-20 and Loyola.
Glenbrook North finished with a 2-3 record. The Spartans lost to Niles West 25-14, 26-24; Warren 16-25, 25-18, 17-16; and Wheeling 22-25, 25-19, 25-20. They claimed wins against Zion-Benton 25-17, 25-14 and New Trier JV 25-13, 25-19.
In the Niles West match, the team’s stat leaders were Lauren Mendelson (7 kills), Sam Myers (6 kills, 7 digs) and Mary Clare Crue (8 digs).
Versus Warren, the team was led by Mendelson (5 kills, 4 aces), Myers (11 kills, 14 digs), Crue (16 digs), Sam Heyman (10 kills) and Stephanie Serbu (9 digs).
Heyman (8 kills), Myers (8 kills), Mendelson (7 kills, 12 digs), Crue (19 digs) and Tyler Bear (7 kills) put up solid numbers against Wheeling.
In the win over Zion-Benton, the Spartans were paced by Heyman (9 kills), Mendelson (4 aces, 4 kills), Serbu (7 digs, 2 aces), Rachel Levin (6 digs) and Annette Davis (4 kills).
Myers (9 digs, 6 kills), Mendelson (5 kills), Crue (8 digs) and Julia Rothschild (4 aces) keyed the win over NT JV.
Lake Forest d. Evanston 2-0
— The wins keep coming for Lake Forest.
The host Scouts improved to 4-0 with a convincing 25-14, 25-17 victory over Evanston on Sept. 1. Ashley Williams (15 kills), Emma Patlovich (25 assists, 2 aces), Brigid Brennan (12 digs) and Meghan McGrail (9 kills, 2 aces) were the standouts.
Antioch d. Highland Park 2-0
— The Giants sustained a 25-17, 25-17 setback to visiting Antioch on Aug. 31. HP’s stat leaders were Ireland Hieb (5 kills, 3 aces), Ellie Sullivan (3 kills), Allyson Gordon (2 kills, 4 digs) and Giselle Fesalvo (4 digs, 2 kills).
Stevenson d. New Trier 2-0
— New Trier came up short in its home opener on Aug. 30, losing to Stevenson 25-18, 25-17. The Trevians (0-2) received solid outings from Payton Hielscher (3 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces, 6 assists), Grace Kapsimalis (3 kills, 2 blocks) and Maddi McGregor (2 kills, 2 blocks).
Loyola d. Glenbrook North 2-1
— Sparked by Laurren Henning, Loyola rallied to beat Glenbrook North 25-27, 25-13, 25-11 on Aug. 31. Henning finished the match with 10 kills and one block for the Ramblers (2-0). Sophomore Elizabeth Ford came up with four kills and a team-best five blocks.
GBN (1-2) was led by Sam Myers (12 kills, 9 digs), Sam Heyman (6 kills), Lauren Mendelson (6 digs) and Rachel Levin (2 aces).
Lake Forest d. Glenbrook South 2-0
— Ashley Williams registered 13 kills to lead visiting Lake Forest past Glenbrook South 25-11, 25-20 on Aug. 30. Emma Patlovich had 19 assists and four digs for the Scouts (3-0). Meghan McGrail and Ashlee Amos had six digs each.
Glenbrook North d. Mundelein 2-0
— Strong showings by Sam Myers (6 kills, 6 digs), Lauren Mendelson (4 kills, 3 aces), Mary Clare Crue (7 digs) and Courtney Anetsberger (3 kills) carried Glenbrook North to it first victory of the season on Aug. 29. The Spartans topped host Mundelein 25-21, 25-15.
Libertyville Invite
— Glenbrook South ended up with a 2-1 record in the Libertyville Invite on Aug. 26-27.
After downing Mundelein 25-17, 25-18 in the opening match of the Orange Pool play, the Titans came up short against Stevenson 25-11, 25-21.
Then, in the Silver Bracket playoffs on Aug. 27, GBS claimed wins over Zion-Benton 25-18, 26-27, 25-16 and Wheeling 22-25, 25-15, 25-19.
Highland Park d. Niles North 2-1
— It went down to the wire.
Highland Park started the season with a tense 18-25, 26-24, 25-23 win at Niles North on Aug. 25.
Returning all-conference setter Allyson Gordon led the Giants with two aces, two kills, three blocks, nine digs and 13 assists.
The other stat leaders were Ellie Sullivan (3 kills, 5 blocks), Ireland Hieb (3 aces, 6 blocks), Jocy Spizman (4 kills, 4 blocks), Miranda Mottlowitz (4 kills, 8 digs) and Olivia Carter (5 kills, 2 blocks, 7 digs).
Loyola d. Prospect 2-0
— Highlighted by senior Natasha Borkowski and sophomore Elizabeth Walker, Loyola opened the 2017 campaign with a 25-14, 25-23 victory over host Prospect on Aug. 25.
Borkowski, a three-year varsity middle hitter, finished the match with four kills. Walker had a nice varsity debut: 5 kills, 6 digs.
Lake Forest d. Niles West 2-1
— Ashley Williams had another huge outing as Lake Forest (2-0) took down visiting Niles West 25-8, 26-27, 25-17 on Aug. 25. The senior opposite smacked down 18 kills in the three sets. Teammate Meghan McGrail added seven kills to go along with a team-best nine digs.
Emma Patlovich ran the show, ending up with 29 assists. She added four digs, while Brigid Brennan finished with five digs. Mia Lanzilotti had four digs.
Warren d. Glenbrook North 2-0
— Glenbrook North got off to a great start in its season opener at Warren on Aug. 24. But the Spartans were unable to maintain that momentum, and they eventually fell 25-23, 25-9 in nonconference action.
Sam Myers led the GBN attack with eight kills. Liza McMahon had five kills.
Stephanie Serbu paced the team in digs (6). Mary Clare Cure had five digs, while Julia Rothschild added four digs.
Lake Forest d. Wheeling 2-0
— Senior Ashley Williams registered 12 kills in leading visiting Lake Forest past Wheeling 25-19, 25-5 in its season opener on Aug. 23.
Meghan McGrail helped the Scouts’ cause by recording seven kills and six digs. Emma Patlovich amassed 18 and five digs, while Claire Torkelson had two blocks.
Libertyville d. New Trier 2-1
— Sophomore Maddie McGregor came up with 10 kills and sophomore Payton Hielscher tallied 25 assists in New Trier’s season-opening setback to host Libertyville 20-25, 27-25, 26-24 on Aug. 23.
NT’s other kill leaders were senior Callie Fauntleroy (4), sophomore Taite Ryan (4) and sophomore Gillian Klise (4). Nicole Cherro finished the match with 17 digs, while Fauntleroy and Hielscher had two blocks apiece.
Nicole Urbanowitcz, who is a captain along with Fauntleroy, didn’t play due to an injury.