Inside girls volleyball

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Athlete of the week

Taylor Humm

Prairie Ridge, junior

Humm, an outside hitter, helped the Wolves win the Bronze Bracket of the Wheaton Classic last weekend, finishing with 39 kills and 64 digs to help Prairie Ridge go 3-2.

Humm followed the performance with eight kills in a win against Grayslake Central on Tuesday, and five kills, nine digs and two aces on Thursday in a win against Johnsburg.

The Wolves are cruising through an undefeated season in Fox Valley Conference Fox Division play and are 13-5 overall.

Noteworthy

Moving up: Cary-Grove is ranked No. 73 in the nation by prepvolleyball.com, up three spots from last week after the Trojans’ win against previously unbeaten Crystal Lake South on Thursday.

The Gators are listed as a Team on the Bubble. Other Illinois teams to crack the 2009 Century Club National Top 100 Rankings are Joliet Catholic (No. 3), St. Francis (No. 8), Belleville Althoff (No. 54), Benet Academy (No. 70), Freeburg (No. 71) and Hinsdale Central (No. 85).

C-G coach Patty Langanis on Thursday attributed much of her team’s success this season to its scrappy defense. The Trojans improved to 14-1 overall – their only loss coming to Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic at Jacobs’ Golden Eagle Invitational during the second week of the season – and are undefeated in the FVC Valley Division.

“I’ve had some very talented teams in the past,” said Langanis, “but this team makes it very difficult for opponents to get the ball to hit the floor. Opponents really struggle to score against us, and I think that’s one of the things that makes this team so special.”

This week’s

top matches

Burlington Central at

Hampshire, 6 p.m.

Wednesday

The Rockets have long been a thorn in the Whip-Purs’ side, and the two should enter this match undefeated in Big Northern Conference East Division play.

CL South at Marian Central, 6:15 p.m. Thursday

The Gators and the Hurricanes were undefeated when they met last season, and South won the non-conference contest. See whether the Gators can extend their series lead against the ’Canes to 2-0 or if Marian’s scrappy defense and solid blocking can carry it to a win.

Cary-Grove at Hampshire,
7 p.m. Thursday

Whips coach Karen Whitehouse played under Langanis, and the two are close friends. C-G and Hampshire played one another during the Golden Eagle Invitational in early September, and the Trojans won in three sets.

– Maureen Lynch
mlynch@nwherald.com