Red Raiders rally for regional crown

Huntley’s Emily McGran (center) and Hailey Vitacco (right) attempt a double block against Barrington’s Olivia Szuszkiewicz in the IHSA Class 4A regional final Thursday in Carpentersville. Huntley won 25-18, 13-25, 25-17. ( Daniel J. Murphy – dmurphy@shawmedia.com)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

CARPENTERSVILLE – Huntley’s girls volleyball team, in a 16-point hole during a dreadful second set against Barrington on Thursday, finally earned sideout and Ashley Smith rotated into the Red Raiders’ lineup.

The Fillies could have continued to run over Huntley in Game 2 of the IHSA Class 4A Dundee-Crown Regional final.

A third set already was evident, and Barrington was on fire. But Smith had waited for this moment all season.

Out for a stretch midseason with tendinitis in her hitting shoulder, the Huntley senior outside hitter relished her opportunity to be the hero. Smith’s four kills in Game 2 saved the Raiders from a second-set blowout, and Huntley coach Michelle Jakubowski knew what the Raiders needed to win the game.

“I told her, ‘You start that way in the third, this team wins,’ ” Jakubowski said.

Setter Eli Manning set Smith for the first kill of the third game, Smith terminated and the match was over 24 points ahead of schedule.

The top-seeded Raiders secured their third regional title in four seasons with a 25-18, 13-25, 25-17 victory against the second-seeded Fillies thanks in large part to a right shoulder that was so wracked with tendinitis this year it made Smith wince almost every time she moved it.

Huntley advances to the Class 4A Prairie Ridge Sectional semifinal against Hononegah at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“It was really important,” said Smith of having her best game of the year. “Coach told each of us that we have a responsibility to do and she told me before the game started that this is my senior year and I have to go out with a bang. I thought, ‘You know what, you’re right, I do have to go out with a bang.’ ”

A season-high 13 of them, to be precise.

“She was on fire tonight,” Jakubowski said. “She came to play. It was amazing.”

Smith entered Game 2 with the Raiders down 21-5.

Identifying a single problem would have been silly; Huntley (30-7 overall) was struggling with everything and Barrington couldn’t seem to miss.

Senior outside hitter Sam Boesch (11 kills) had accounted for four of the Raiders’ five points when Smith entered the lineup.

Smith’s first kill made it 21-6, and she sparked a 7-2 run that rejuvenated the Raiders and their fans who had become eerily quiet.

“We knew we had to get the momentum back because we couldn’t let Barrington get any more confident,” said Manning who finished with 32 assists. “Going into the third game we just kept our energy up the whole time.”

Smith’s dramatic kill to open the third set helped the Raiders take an 8-3 advantage and forced Barrington to burn its first timeout. The Fillies pulled within two, 8-6, on a kill block from Madison Keller, but never got closer again.

“We determined that we had a little trip up, but otherwise this was a great game,” Smith said. “... I’m so happy I get to play another game.”