By Mark Gregory
Editorial Director
@Hear_The_Beard
mark@buglenewspapers.com
In a game that coach Christine Scheibe said the team did not play its best defense, the Joliet Catholic Academy volleyball team fell to Sterling 27-25, 25-20 in the IHSA Class 3A semifinal at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena.
The Angels (27-14) will play for third place Saturday at 4 p.m. and are guaranteed the program’s 11th state trophy – ninth under Scheibe and first since placing second in 2015.
“We didn’t play our best match tonight,” Scheibe said. “We were out of system way too much. I don’t think they were serving us particular hard, we just weren’t passing well. We were out of system 20 different times and that is not going to get it done against a team like Sterling that has the weapons they do and we just gave them too many opportunities.”
Case in point was the first set.
After batting back from an early deficit, the Angels held a 24-21 lead with the set in its sights.
“We just weren’t able to get that point at the end,” Scheibe said. “The little things that we have done wrong all year was magnified on the big stage – the lack of communication at times and I think that shows up in your defense.”
“I think we did it to ourselves. We made a lot of mistakes on our side,” said senior outside hitter Emily Holbrook. [Sterling’s sophomore right side hitter Breelyn Borum] put the ball in the same place and we just could not stop it.”
Jillian Gray led Joliet Catholic Academy with nine kills, while junior middle hitter Bella Ray added eight and Holbrook four. Holbrook and Ryan Hinshaw each had 12 digs. Hinshaw added 24 assists.
With their initial goal of winning a state title no longer an option, the Angels have to now refocus and bring home third place.
“This will really test our strength as a team to see how we bounce back, but I am confident this team can do it,” said Ray. “We have a lot of energy on this team when we get points and when we are winning and we have to figure out how to have energy when we are losing. I think we have had more at the end of the season, but we need to have push ourselves further.”