’Canes reach final

Members of the Marian Central girls volleyball team celebrate after winning their IHSA Class 3A Genoa-Kingston Sectional semifinal against Rock Falls on Tuesday in Genoa. The Hurricanes won, 23-25, 25-19, 25-20. (Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com)

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GENOA – The agony didn’t stay on Emma Hussey’s face for very long.

The Marian Central senior showed some emotion after a rare miss-hit on the final play of an opening-game loss Tuesday night.

“It was nerve-wracking because I wanted it so bad and I just whiffed on it,” Hussey said. “I just thought I’d make it up in the next game. It was definitely motivation.”

Hussey took out her frustration on unsuspecting Rock Falls – and the Hurricanes never trailed again.

Marian’s powerful outside hitter didn’t miss much the rest of the way, raining down a game-high 16 kills as the ’Canes rallied past the Rockets, 23-25, 25-19, 25-20, in the IHSA Class 3A Genoa-Kingston Sectional semifinals.

“I think when we get her and Abby connecting, she’s really hard to stop,” ’Canes coach Laura Watling said. “I always tell my other coaches that I’m jealous of her because I could never play like that. She did phenomenal tonight.

The Hurricanes (32-6) advance to take on Crystal Lake Central (32-6) in the sectional championship game at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Tigers defeated Rockford Boylan in three games in the other semifinal match.

Marian Central and Crystal Lake Central met once during the regular season, with the ’Canes coming out on top in a three-game thriller back on Oct. 15.

The Hurricanes trailed throughout most of the first game against Rock Falls before coming back from a 23-19 deficit with four consecutive points to even things up.

But Rock Falls (35-3), which had lost only twice during the regular season, captured the next point and the game, 25-23, after Hussey’s miscue.

“I think we just started off with nerves,” said Watling, whose club took third in Class 3A a year ago. “I doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been here, every year it’s a new team. They just had some nerves and instead of embracing them, they got a little bit scared by them.”

The Hurricanes came back with some defensive adjustments after the Rockets created some havoc in the Central back with one tip after another.

Juniors Caitlin Brocker and Tara Blake led the defensive effort with 28 and 15 digs, respectively.

“At first, we really struggled against them,” Brocker said. “But we did a really good job adjusting fast and easily, and I think that helped a lot.”

Hussey came back with a vengeance in the final two games. After the Hurricanes’ 25-19 win in Game 2, Central setter Abby Gilleland (31 assists, four blocks) found Hussey for the three of the first five points in the decisive third game as the ’Canes jumped out to an 11-5 advantage.

Central built an eight-point lead behind the strong serving of Frankie Taylor before three more vicious blasts by Hussey made it a 21-14 contest.

Junior Meredith Patterson (five blocks) stepped up down the stretch, scoring the final two points for the ’Canes to seal the tough three-game victory.

“Halfway through the first game, I felt like they were kind of getting it going,” Watling said. “And then in the second game, I had no doubt in my mind. You could just see the look on their faces that they knew what they need to do.”