But not Young's Alexis Lloyd.

"We knew what we were looking at," she said. "They played great. Maybe if we could have limited our turnovers and made more shots and not having missed layups, we probably could have been further ahead. But it was a great game. It's always great playing against them."

There are also a lot of emotions anytime Young and Morgan Park meet.

"A lot of emotions go on anytime we play each other," Young coach Corry Irvin said. "It's always going to be a close game. It was good for us to play a good game so we can see what we can work on in practice this week.

"I think if it wouldn't have been a close game, we really wouldn't know what to work on," the coach added. "So it was good for us. We played a lot of games during this tournament. It will be good to get back in the gym and practice."

Morgan Park might want to practice free throws ahead of next week's Class 3A tournament. The Mustangs finished 9 of 17 from the foul line Saturday compared to 22 of 28 for the Dolphins. The Mustangs were just 3 of 10 in the first half, while Young connected on 8 of its 10 attempts.

"We practice free throws every day, that's one of our main focuses in practice is free throws," Young's Janee Thompson said. "We knew they were going to come out tough and rough, so we knew that once we got into the bonus we were going to have to make free throws.

"It was easy with the amount of free throws we shoot every day in practice," she added. "It was a big game. They played hard, we played hard. I think the better team came out today."

But the future looks awfully bright at Morgan Park. The Mustangs started two freshmen and a sophomore, and the school's sophomore team was the No. 1 seed heading into the city's sophomore tournament.

A player to watch for the next two years is 5-7 sophomore Shami Goodman, who scored 19 points to lead the Mustangs Saturday.

"I knew I had to step up when Gabrielle (Richmond) went down with an injury," said Goodman, who likes the Mustangs' chance in next week's Class 3A tournament. "I think we're going to go real far this year."

If not this year, certainly next.

"I knew a lot of people gave up on us early because we lost our inside presence," Morgan Park coach TJ Johnson said. "But our two freshmen - Tammy Russell and Marsha Howard - did a great job, and Shami's only a sophomore.

"I think we're going to be better next year than we are this year," he added. "But right now, we're looking forward to state. We have a very good chance. We're in a great sectional. I'm looking forward to that. We ain't through yet."

Neither is Young.

"Now we have to get ready for state," Lloyd said. "We know nothing is going to come easy. We have to prepare for whatever happens next."

***

At last report, Montini is still looking for one girls basketball team to add to the field of its 2012 Christmas tournament. Teams looking for a Christmas tournament next year should contact Jason Nichols at (630) 627-6930 or jnichols@montini.org.

***

The Illinois High School Volleyball Coaches Association will hold its Winter Coaches Clinic on Saturday, February 25. The clinic will be held at Harter Middle School, 1601 Esker Drive in Sugar Grove.

Speakers include: Bill Gleason of St Ambrose, 2011 NAIA Men's Finalist, Blocking-"Building a Wall;" and Pete Hanson of Ohio State, 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Champions, "Championship Drills From A Championship Coach."

Also, Pete Waite of the University of Wisconsin, "Get Into the Swing of Things;"
and Kevin Hambly, University of Illinois Women's Coach, 2011 NCAA Finalist and 2011 Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year, "Charting for Champions."

Register at http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=ihsvca.

"Rebounding was a key to beating Bartlett," Brooks said. "They're all big girls. They all can rebound. It's nice to win, but we still have some more conference games if we're going to get co-champs with Bartlett. It's also the next step closer to state, closer to Bolingbrook, closer to Benet."

Playing together was also a key for Waubonsie, which suddenly looks like a very strong threat to Benet and Bolingbrook in the Neuqua Valley sectional.

"We said we'd have to play together to beat Bartlett, and that's exactly what we did," senior point guard Becky Williford said. "We moved the ball very well, we got our posts some open shots, our guards hit shots, so it worked very well for everyone."

***

The indeterminate loss of sixth man Madeline Eilers to a knee injury may change how Benet does business as the season winds down.

"The key without Madeline Eilers - we lack a huge offense attribute," said Benet's Sidney Prasse. "We obviously to make up for that on the defensive end. We'll have to keep working on defense and make key shots that Madeline would have helped us out with. We'll be fine."

Benet coach Peter Paul agreed with his star guard that his team will have to focus more on defense without a key part of its three-headed three-point shooting attack.

"We're learning to adjust without Eilers," he said. "It's a different ballgame for us. She was leading three-point shooter in the area. It was hard to guard us when we had three people who could hit from the arc. It's easier to guard us when we only have two.

"We're a different team now," he added. "We've got to pick it up on the defensive end rather than outscore people. It's an adjustment for us, but we've got a couple weeks to figure things out."

***

This week's GCAC tournament continues Wednesday with the semifinals featuring Trinity (23-1) and St. Ignatius (17-8) at 5:30 p.m. and Mother McAuley (16-9) and Loyola (20-6) at 7:00 p.m. Both games are at Trinity.

The title match is scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 with the third-place game at 4:00 p.m., also at Trinity

***

Chicago State University at 95th and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive will be the site of the Windy City Championship tournament final Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

The quarterfinals are scheduled for Tuesday at Whitney Young and Simeon with Thursday's semifinals at Chicago State.

Young is the top seed with Morgan Park seeded No. 2, Bogan No. 3 and Lincoln Park No. 4.

***

Talk about a tough act to follow.

Former Sandburg star and current Lockport teacher Erika Lange has been tabbed to succeed Julia Hudson as the Porters' head girls volleyball coach. Hudson won 857 matches in 32 seasons, winning a state title in 1993 and taking home five trophies from the state finals.

Lange was the sophomore coach the last five seasons at Lockport. She was a leader on Sandburg's 1998 Class AA state championship team and played collegiately at Northwestern, where she broke school records for blocking and hitting.

***

Matt Callaway, a 6-foot-8 middle/opposite hitter at Wheaton Warrenville South, has committed to play collegiately at Penn State.

Callaway is a three-year starter at WW South. He also plays for the Sports Performance 18 Mizuno team that has qualified for the USA Junior Volleyball National Championships the past two years.

Callaway helped SPVB 18 Mizuno finish fifth in a field of 86 club teams in a California qualifier to earn a bid to this year's USA Junior Boys Nationals scheduled for July in Dallas, Texas.

"It kind of looked like a bad day in the pool hall," he said. "The ball was going everywhere but it wasn't going in the pocket. It was like somebody hit the cue ball and all 15 balls are flying off the table."

***

After four years on varsity and 10 games every year against Central Suburban South teams that are thoroughly familiar with you, perhaps no one is looking forward to college more than New Trier's Maggie Lyon.

Or at least playing an occasional nonconference game like Tuesday's contest at Hinsdale Central.

"I would argue that we have the toughest conference in the state," the 6-foot-1 Northwestern recruit said. "We have Maine South, Niles West, Evanston, Glenbrook South, Waukegan...all these great teams, especially playing them so many times.

"This is my fourth time around playing them and their coaches. We know them really well and they know us really well. It's hard to come out with a new offense and new defenses that they don't know.

"It's nice to play new teams like this," she added. "They're a good team. They have good players. It's nice to see somebody different."

***

Tuesday at Hinsdale Central, New Trier coach Teri Rodgers emphasized working on some things her team did not do particularly well in last week's loss to Evanston.

"We came out in the second half and did some really good things," she said. "Like finishing strong, being a little more aggressive around the basket. The first half we were tentative around the basket and not being as aggressive. We did a much better job of that in the second half."

Despite her team's 54-34 victory, Rodgers is not looking forward to playing the young Red Devils in a year or two when 5-10 freshman Gabrielle Rush, 5-11 sophomore Maddie Roglich, 5-9 freshman Sydney Griffin and 6-2 sophomore Jenna Broz have a little more experience.

"Hinsdale Central is really young," Rodgers said. "I told (Hinsdale Central coach McKenna) Tom I don't want to play him in a couple of years. I really like his point guard (Rush) only being a freshman."

***

Hillcrest 5-9 senior guard/forward Brittany Wilson has signed a letter of intent to play for Ashford University, an NAIA school in Clinton, Iowa. Wilson averages 4.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game for the 15-2 Hawks. Wilson plans to major in business administration.

***

It's an age-old question: what to do when you have a big lead late? Do you play aggressively, or just hope to take time off the clock?

Plainfield East first-year coach Missy Mitidiero and her young team faced that problem Friday at Romeoville. The Bengals might have been caught somewhere in between, watching their 41-23 lead evaporate under the weight of a 30-10 run by the hosts over the final 12 minutes.

"It comes with maturity, about learning the game, about basketball IQ, all that kind of stuff," Mitidiero said. "What we had a problem with was that we gave them a spurt where we didn't do the things that gave us the lead.

"We didn't rebound, we gave them second-chance opportunities and we turned over the ball," she added. "That ignited them. That gave them confidence. I just wish we could close out these games. We'll get there."

***

A player to watch over the next four years is Plainfield East freshman Faith Suggs. Suggs, an adept ballhander, shooter and all-around player, had 11 points and five rebounds in a losing effort Friday at Romeoville.

"She's a phenomenal athlete," Plainfield East coach Missy Mitidiero said. "She works on her game all the time. It's a blessing to have her to kind of help start Plainfeld East basketball and to help being that person that binds everybody together."

The 6-foot Suggs, who studied ballet before focusing exclusively on basketball, scored a team-high 20 points in a five-point loss to league-leading Oswego East earlier this year.

"She's a tireless athlete," Mitidiero said. "She does it on the floor and leads by example. That's all you can ask from a player, let alone a freshman. She works tirelessly on her game and tries to understand the knowledge of the game."

West Aurora's Lauren Carlini was recently named one of the top 50 junior recruits in the nation.

Prepvolleyball.com recently released its list of the top 50 junior recruits in the country. The list includes several juniors from Illinois and others who are headed either to Big 10 schools or other major Midwest universities. The list was determined exclusively by a panel of college coaches.

Among the Top 50 Juniors (and the colleges to which they have committed) are these athletes from Illinois:

Lauren Carlini, 6-0 S/RS, West Aurora (Aurora, Illinois), Mizuno Sports Performance -- Wisconsin

Meghan McDowell, 6-1 S/MB, Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, Illinois), Mizuno Sports Performance - Virginia

Cindy Zhou, 6-0 S, Libertyville (Illinois), Sky High -- Michigan

The athletes from outside Illinois who are committed to either Big 10 schools or other major Midwestern universities are:

Middles

Tori Blake, 6-2 MB, Midland (Michigan), MVA - Wisconsin

Abby Cole, 6-5 MB, Grand Haven (Michigan), MVA -- Michigan

Kira Larson, 6-3 MB, Fargo North (Fargo, North Dakota), Northwoods Black Ice - Nebraska

Setters

Ashley Evans, 6-1 S/MB, Lakota East (Liberty Township, Ohio), Cincy Classics -- Purdue

Kelly Hunter, 5-11 S/RS, Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Nebraska), Nebraska Juniors -- Nebraska

Katie Schau, 5-9 S, Gull Lake (Richland, Michigan), DFFO - Minnesota

Outsides

Kayla Morin, 5-10 OH, Portage Northern (Portage, Michigan), DFFO - Northwestern

Kylie Randall, 6-2 OH, Magnolia (Texas), Asics Willowbrook - Ohio State

Chloe Reinig, 6-4 OH, South Lyon (Michigan), Michigan Elite - Michigan State

Amber Rolfzen, 6-3 OH, Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Nebraska), Nebraska Juniors - Nebraska

Kadie Rolfzen, 6-3 OH, Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Nebraska) , Nebraska Juniors - Nebraska

Michelle Strizak, 6-0 OH, Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati, Ohio), Team Z - Illinois

Sarah Wilhite, 5-11 OH, Eden Prairie (Minnesota), Northern Lights - Wisconsin

Prepvolleyball.com also released a list of the Next 35 juniors who were just outside the top 50. Those athletes included:

Ciara Capezio, 6-2 OH, Burlington (Wisconsin), Club Fusion - Minnesota

Simmone Collins, 5-11 MB, Pine Creek (Colorado Springs, Colorado), Colorado Juniors - Notre Dame

Jazzmine McDonald, 6-2 MB, Cathedral HS (Indianapolis), Vision Volleyball Club - Indiana

Katie Roustio, 6-1 OH, O'Fallon (Illinois), HP St. Louis -- Illinois

Katie Stadick, 6-2 MB, Watertown (Wisconsin), Milwaukee Sting -- Illinois

***

The Illinois High School Volleyball Coaches Association will hold its Winter Coaches Clinic on Saturday, February 25. The clinic will be held at Harter Middle School, 1601 Esker Drive in Sugar Grove.

Speakers include: Bill Gleason of St Ambrose, 2011 NAIA Men's Finalist, Blocking-"Building a Wall;" and Pete Hanson of Ohio State, 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Champions, "Championship Drills From A Championship Coach."

Also, Pete Waite of the University of Wisconsin, "Get Into the Swing of Things;"
and Kevin Hambly, University of Illinois Women's Coach, 2011 NCAA Finalist and 2011 Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year, "Charting for Champions."

Register at http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=ihsvca.

***

Former Cary-Grove star and current Indiana player Colleen Smith is fighting a rare autoimmune disease that sidelined her much of her freshman season and will keep her on the sidelines again next year, although the long-term prognosis is good.

***

Geneva senior Ashley Santos is likely out for the season with a torn ACL in her right knee. The Marquette recruit suffered the injury Saturday at the McDonald's Shootout in a game against Lincoln-Way East.

Santos was averaging 15 points per game for the Vikings, who had rebounded from consecutive losses at the Benet/Naperville North Christmas tournament. She had eight points Monday before going down in the first half.

Santos' younger sister, sophomore Sidney, has suffered ACL tears at the beginning of each of the last two seasons.

The Hawks were still without 6-foot-2 center Jahmia Phillips, who has been out with a concussion. Her absence left Hillcrest a little short inside against Trinity's duo of 6-foot Megan Podkowa and 6-1 Victoria Harris.

Hillcrest coach John Maniatis expects Phillips back this week.

"Phillips will be back Thursday," he said. "Obviously, protocol is in play with the concussion. (Saturday) she did the mile jog which went well, so Monday she'll go through the agility drills. Tuesday, she'll do another set of agility. Wednesday will be her first practice."

With Phillips sidelined, the dirty work inside Saturday was left to 5-11 Shannise Heady (eight rebounds) and 5-9 Brittney Wilson (five rebounds).

"We got hurt in the second half on the rebounding and stuff," Maniatis said. "We needed to have people to step up and at times we did. I thought Wilson did a great job filling in. We're going to grow from this and we're going to get better."

***

Trinity's Megan Podkowa began her career as a perimeter player. So her two three-pointers Saturday at Hillcrest were no surprise. However, the DePaul-bound senior continues to work on her inside game to become the all-around player the rugged Big East demands.

"I used to be only a three-point shooter," she said. "I've definitely been working more on my inside game and getting to the basket. Now I'm starting to work on both. I have to balance them out and work on them at the same time."

Podkowa and Alyssa Dengler played the entire 32 minutes Saturday, a testament to the conditioning that coach Ed Stritzel demands of his players.

"We all have been pushing ourselves in practice," Podkowa said. "It definitely had an impact not only on how I played, but how we played as a team and how we're starting to play together more and more each game. You could see it on the court, passing and pushing the ball up the floor."

***

Trinity coach Ed Stritzel and his staff drew up a play to start the second half Saturday at Hillcrest. The result was a perfectly executed play that set up Alyssa Dengler for a three-pointer from the right of the key that extended a 29-27 halftime lead to 32-27.

"I thought that really got our juices going as a coaching staff and as a team," Stritzel said. "It got a little hairy at the end. We told the girls that Hillcrest is always going to make it that way. It's going to be an ugly game. It's going to be fast."

***

For three years, Morgan Tuck and Ariel Massengale were the engines that drove Bolingbrook to three consecutive state titles.

Bolingbrook's bid for a fourth straight title revolves around Tuck, who poured in 41 points against Homewood-Flossmoor on Thursday. But guards Kennedy Cattenhead and Keiera Ray have been asked to fill some mighty big shoes with Massengale now toiling at Tennessee.

"I think everybody is still a work in progress," Tuck said. "They (Cattenhead and Ray) definitely been doing a great job. I think a lot of people thought since we lost Taylor (Tuck) and Ariel at guard that we were not going to have no guards anymore.

"They (Cattenhead and Ray) are proving a lot of people wrong," she added. "They know how to set me up and do the same things. I still miss Taylor and Ariel, that's always going to be there. But I'm happy with how our guards are playing."

***

Montini is looking for girls basketball teams to add to the field of its 2012 Christmas tournament. Montini is expanding its eight-team field and has already added two teams. Teams looking for a Christmas tournament next year should contact Jason Nichols at (630) 627-6930 or jnichols@montini.org.

Sky High 18 Black's Amelia Anderson is a big reason why the team is seeking a second consecutive national title.

How strong is the Great Lakes 18s Power League?

Entries include Sky High 18 Black, which will be seeking its second AAU Girls National Volleyball Championship this season after team members won a national title in Orlando, Fla. as 17-year-olds in 2011.

Last year. after beating Club Fusion 17 Black, 25-16, 25-20, in a challenge match, Sky High defeated OVA (Orlando Volleyball Academy) 17 Asics in the quarter final, 25-19, 16-25, 15-11, Northern Lights 171, 25-19, 25-22 in the semifinal, and Texas Advantage 17 Black, 25-15, 17-25, 15-10, in the championship. !

Back from that team are Sun-Times All-Area selections Amelia Anderson, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter from Crystal Lake Central committed to Indiana, and former Marian Central setter Abby Gilleland, who is headed to Ohio.

Other team members (and the schools they are headed to) are 6-1 opposite Sam Boesch (Wake Forest), 5-6 libero Sam Bohne (Jacksonville State), 5-6 libero Amy Dion (Maryland) and 6-1 outside hitter Melanie Jereb (Creighton).

Also, 6-1 outside Amanda Orchard (Pittsburgh), 6-foot middle blocker Ashley Rosch (Illinois State), 5-10 opposite Mary Striedl (Pittsburgh), and 6-2 middle blocker Daiva Wise (Toledo).

The 2012 Great Lakes Power League will feature 29 of the nation's top 250 seniors, according to PrepVolleyball.com.

***

Folks know a good thing when they see it.

Sports Performance's annual President's Day tournament February 18-20 will feature 272 teams playing at three sites including the Great Lakes Center, Schaumburg Convention Center and Lake County Expo Center.

The tournament sold out in about three weeks.

***

The Angels are building toward another run in 2012.

Two members of Joliet Catholic's highly successful 2011 sectional finalist girls volleyball team will be competing in the Great Lakes 18s Power League for Uno 17 Elite beginning this weekend - setter Mallory Mangun and outside hitter Morgan Reardon.

***

Montini Catholic High School in Lombard is looking for girls basketball teams to add to the field of its 2012 Christmas tournament. Montini is expanding its eight-team field and has already added two teams. Teams looking for a Christmas tournament next year should contact Jason Nichols at (630) 627-6930 or jnichols@montini.org.

You can catch former Hinsdale Central standout and Michigan recruit Ally Davis and her SPVB 18 Elite teammates when the Great Lakes Power League 18's starts January 7-8 at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora.

After weeks of tryouts, practices and roster shuffling, the Great Lakes Power League 18's gets underway next weekend, January 7-8, at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora.

The Power League kicks off a full season of leagues and tournaments that prepare teams to chase JVA, AAU and USAV national titles.

More than 45 clubs are represented by entries in the league, including 1st Alliance, Capital, Celtic Force, Edge, Fusion, Dead Frog, Diamond Elite, Illini Elite, Illinois Heat, Iowa Rockets, IPV, Kaepa Krush, Kane County, Michio Chicago and Milwaukee Sting.

Also, MVA, New WAVE, Northshore Assault, Powerhouse, Rolling Thunder, River City, Sky High, Southshore, Sports Elite, Sports Performance, Team One, Ultimate, Uno, West Allis Lightning, Wisconsin Juniors, Wildcat Juniors and the Wisconsin Volleyball Academy.

The 16's Power League begins January 14-15. Schedules can be found at www.advancedeventsystems.com.

***

The Sports Performance President's Day Challenge for 15-18's club and open divisions is scheduled for February 18-20 at the Great Lakes Center, the Schaumburg Convention Center and the Lake County Expo Center.

The 18 and 17 Open divisions will be played at the Great Lakes Center, the 18 and 17 Club and 15 Open and Club divisions will be played at the Schaumburg Convention Center, and the 16 Open and Club divisions will be played at the Lake County Expo Center.

For more information, email luke@greatlakescenter.com.

***

1st Alliance Volleyball Club out of Western Springs was well-represented on the 30th Champaign News-Gazette All-State First team.

The members of the first team included Katie Gallagher (Iowa State) and Caroline Rose (Western Michigan) of York and Alexis Viliunas (Illinois) of Lyons, all members of the 1st Alliance 18 Silver team that will make its debut at the Great Lakes 18's Power League on January 7.

The second team included Ashley Holder (Marist), whose 1,121 assists last season are second in IHSA history and whose 2,940 career assists are fourth in IHSA history, Sun-Times All-Area selection Katie Urchell (Providence), and Laura Williams (Duke) of Lyons.

Among the 50 players selected special mention were Melissa Deatsch (York), Sophia Dodd (St. Ignatius), Jill Hickey (Joliet Catholic), Melissa Nava (Hinsdale South), Lizzy Scanlon (Mother McAuley), Jessie Tulacka (Downers Grove North) and Nora Young (Benet).

The 100 honorable mention choices included Megan Miller (Lyons), Nora Mitros (Providence), Bridget Powell (Mother McAuley), Caleigh Ryan (Glenbard West) and Mallory Salis (Marist).

Deatsch, Dodd, Ryan and Salis are juniors.

***

Congratulations to Club Fusion, which opened a new three-court facility in Batavia during the summer at the corner of (501 W.) Fabyan Parkway and Route 31. Fusion-South will be among the entrants in the Great Lakes 18's and 16's Power Leagues.

Mike Bui, who also serves as an assistant volleyball coach at St. Charles East, is the program director. For more information, call (815) 923-4466 during business hours.

***

Chicago Sun-Times' 2007 Player of the Year Kelly Murphy, formerly of Joliet Catholic and a senior at the University of Florida, has signed to play professionally for the Guaynabo Mets of the Superior Volleyball League in Puerto Rico. Murphy was named an AVCA Division I First-Team All-America in 2011.

***

Joiet Catholic's Kelly Feigh and Lauren Robertson and Minooka's Stacey Perinar will lead the UNO 18 Elite entry at the Windy City Power League beginning January 7.

The Windy City Power League is played at a number of different locations including Adversity, Energy, Midwest, Palos Courts, Sky High, Sunsetters and Top Flight.

Net Force 17 Competition, which plays out of Waukegan, won the Windy City Power League in 2011.

***

Sun-Times All-Area selection and Marist setter Ashley Holder, who ranks second in IHSA history for single-season assists and fourth for career assists, has committed to the University of Akron for her collegiate career.

"It is a great fit for both of them," Marist coach Natalie Holder said.

Ashley Holder will begin college as a sophomore in Akron's Honors College because of her AP courses and scores at Marist.

Meghan Haggerty (left) and Jenna Jendryk helped lead Benet to an Illinois Class 4A state championship and a No. 11 national ranking in the final Prepvolleyball.com Century Club list of the country's top 1,480 teams.

Prepvolleyball.com recently released its list of the top 1,480 teams in the country, although the rankings from 101-1,480 are "largely ceremonial, designed to recognize teams for their outstanding seasons rather than meticulously determine their place in the national pecking order," according to Prepvolleyball.com guru John Tawa.

The list is headlined by Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), Prepvolleyball.com's 2011 national champions which finished 50-0 and its first-ever winners from the state of Texas.

Seventeen teams from Illinois cracked the top 200, including Class 4A state titlist Benet, which was ranked No. 41 in the pre-season and finished 11th in the final rankings. Class 4A runner-up Cary-Grove finished 44th.

The rest of the teams from Illinois breaking into the top 200 are: 48. Breese Mater Dei; 50. St. Charles East; 53. Marist; 62. St. Francis; 66. York; 67. Edwardsville; 69. Joliet Catholic; 70. Mother McAuley; 120. Lyons; and 121. Sandburg.

Also, 130. Huntley; 131. Marian Central; 185. Whitney Young; 198. Barrington; and 200. Providence.

***

Naperville North's 6-foot-7 senior outside hitter Spencer Sauter led his club team, Ultimate 18 Gold, to the title of the Palos Points Series last weekend. The tournament ran three weeks and Sauter was named the tournament MVP.

Sauter is being recruited by Harvard, New York University, University of California-San Diego and a few other schools.

The younger brother of former Naperville North standout Sidney Sauter missed a large part of his junior year due to injury. However, the Huskies lost only one match with Sauter in the lineup - the state championship match.

***

A player to watch this spring is Oswego's middle hitter Freddy Miller.

Miller was one of five athletes from Illinois selected to the USA Volleyball Indoor High Performance Boys' Youth A2 roster. The Youth A2 program consists of 31 top athletes born in 1998 or 1999 and selected from any of the 16 USAV Boys' High Performance tryouts held in 2011.

Miller was joined on the squad by Maine South libero Scotty Adamczyk, Edwardsville's opposite Eric Fitterer, and setter Zack Parik and middle blocker Jonathan Tulacka from Downers Grove North.

"Miller rocks the ball and hit .522 against Sports Performance 18 Mizuno a couple weekends ago," said West Aurora coach Tolis Koskinaris.

***

The toughest conference in the state for girls basketball?

How about the Central Suburban South?

Mane South, New Trier, Glenbrook South and Niles West are among the top 20 teams in the Chicago area, and Evanston, with the addition of 6-foot-1 senior Sinclair Cunningham from Whitney Young, is a team with which to contend.

"It's ridiculous," Glenbrook South coach Steve Weissenstein said. "There are so many talented teams. It's fun in the fact that every game is important. You have to come to play. If you don't come to play, you're going to lose because the other team is really good."

Among the top players in the conference are Niles West's Jewel Loyd, a Notre Dame recruit, and Northwestern-bound Maggie Lyon of New Trier.

***

Don't be surprised to see Fremd awaiting the winner of the New Trier sectional at the Stevenson supersectional later this season. Fremd, which starts only one senior, 6-1 wing/post Jessi Wiedemann, is 9-1 after losing at Trinity on Monday.

"I think one thing we're working on is we're defending better than we were earlier in the year," Fremd coach Dave Yates said. "I like that we're balanced. We have a lot of different kids, three kids leading us in scoring, not one kid.

"Our unsung kids are our post kids," he added. "They're not very tall, but they get their hands on a lot of balls and play real good defense. I'm pleased with what I've seen so far.

"We've had some hiccups here and there, but we play a lot of young kids who are just beginning to understand what it takes to succeed at the varsity level."

Fremd is one of the top seeds at the prestigious Dundee-Crown tournament next week. Players to keep an eye on include freshman guard Haley Gorecki and junior sharpshooter Ashley McConnell.

***

Montini junior Malayna Johnson, a 6-foot-4 center, verbally committed to play basketball at Wisconsin earlier this week. Malayna is the younger sister of Connecticut sophomore Michala Johnson.

Lyons' Alexis Viliunas, the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year, was recently named the Gatorade Illinois Volleyball Player of the Year.

Lyons' Alexis Viliunas, the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year, has been named the 2011-12 Gatorade Illinois Volleyball Player of the Year. Viliunas is the first Gatorade Illinois Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Lyons.

The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence and high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the court. As the Illinois awardee, Viliunas qualifies as a finalist for the Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year award announced in December.

The 6-foot-1 senior setter/outside hitter led the Lions (30-9) to the Class 4A supersectional this past season. She recorded 644 assists, 320 kills, 300 digs, 54 service aces and 43 blocks while posting a kill percentage of .499. Viliunas set a school record for career assists with 2,202.

Viliunas has maintained a 4.44 weighted GPA in the classroom. A member of the National Honor Society, she has volunteered locally on behalf of the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation and Project Linus, a non-profit organization that provides blankets for needy children.

"Alexis Viliunas leads not only with her skill but also with her poise and confidence," Lyons coach Joann Pyritz said. "She is knowledgeable about the game and highly skilled, but more importantly she brings out the best in her teammates."

Viliunas has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball on scholarship at the University of Illinois beginning in the fall of 2012.

Viliunas joins recent Gatorade Illinois Volleyball Players of the Year Kelly Lamberti (2010-11) of Cary-Grove, Joliet Catholic's Annemarie Hickey (2009-10) and Chatham Glenwood's Hannah Werth (2008-09).

***

Benet's 6-foot-3 middle hitter Gabby Pethokoukis signed her letter of intent to play at Villanova on December 9, head coach Josh Steinbach announced.

Pethokoukis, from Western Springs, was named one of Prepvolleyball.com's 250 Senior Aces in 2011 and was a member of the Class 4A state championship team in 2011. She put away the state championship point for the Redwings.

Benet was ranked No. 8 in the country by ESPN and No. 12 by Prepvolleyball.com. She played club last season for 1st Alliance 17 Silver and finished 10th in the country at the USA Volleyball Girls Junior High National Championship in 2011.

"Gabby is a physical presence in the gym, and at 6-4 she immediately will be a force at the net." Steinbach said. "She has a great feel for blocking and a developing offensive game that I think will make her a top-notch middle blocker in our league.

"Her determination to improve is already showing as she has made big jumps in skills from year to year in her high school career," he added. "I'm looking forward to her making even bigger leaps after she arrives in the fall."

Gabby is not the only Pethokoukis is the news, however. Little sister Sam, a 6-foot-1 sophomore who played at Fenwick last season, will be playing for the 16 Silver team at 1st Alliance during the club season.

***

Prepvolleyball.com is compiling a list of the top 1,000 high school teams in the country. Here is a list of the top 50 teams in Illinois that Prepvolleyball.com will consider for inclusion. Feel free to discuss:

1. Benet 39-3
2. Cary-Grove 37-5
3. St. Charles East 35-7
4. Marist 34-8
5. Edwardsville
6. York 32-4
7. Breese Mater Dei 39-3
8. St. Francis 35-7
9. Joliet Catholic 32-7
10. Mother McAuley 31-6
11. Lyons 31-9
12. Sandburg 32-7
13. Huntley 32-8
14. (Chicago) Whitney Young 33-5
15. Barrington 28-8
16. Providence 27-9
17. Quincy 36-2
18. Glenbard West 31-6
19. Marian Central 35-7
20. Marian Catholic 24-18
21. Stevenson 30-9
22. Crystal Lake Central 32-7
23. Lake Zurich 26-12
24. Lincoln-Way Central 26-12
25. New Trier 30-8
26. (Chicago) Payton 25-10
27. Lake Forest 32-5
28. Lincoln-Way East 29-8
29. St. Ignatius 25-7
30. Minooka 29-5
31. Hinsdale South 27-10
32. Hersey 31-6
33. Naperville North 29-8
34. Rosary 24-13
35. Hinsdale Central 21-16
36. Libertyville 27-10
37. West Chicago 26-11
38. Downers Grove North 22-15
39. Geneva 20-10
40. (Chicago) DeLaSalle 23-12
41. Quincy Notre Dame 28-9
42. Chicago Christian 23-19
43. Timothy Christian 34-4
44. West Aurora 24-13
45. Naperville Central 21-15
46. Plainfield Central
47. Belleville West
48. Lockport 26-12
49. Immaculate Conception 25-11
50. Dakota 36-1

***

First-round pairings for the Montini Christmas Girls Basketball Tournament have been announced. Play begins at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 27 and concludes at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, December 30.

First-round match-ups on December 27 are: St. Joseph vs. Oak Park, 8:00 a.m.; Bogan vs. Marian Catholic, 9:30 a.m.; Westinghouse vs. Montini, 11:00 a.m.; Guerin (Ind.) vs. Hinsdale South, 12:30 p.m.; Oak Park vs. Marian Catholic, 3:30 p.m.; Bogan vs. St. Joseph, 5:00 p.m., Montini vs. Hinsdale South, 6:30 p.m.; and Westinghouse vs. Guerin, 8:00 p.m.

***

First-round pairings for the Hillcrest Holiday Classic Girls Basketball Tournament have been announced. Play begins at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 27 and concludes at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 29.

First-round match-ups on December 27 are: Tinley Park vs. Rich Central, 9:00 a.m.; Lockport vs. T.F. North, 9:00 a.m.; St. Ignatius vs. Stagg, 10:30 a.m.; Hillcrest vs. Simeon, 10:30 a.m.; Homewood-Flossmoor vs. Thornton, 12:00 p.m.; Rich South vs. Harlan, 12:00 p.m.; Sandburg vs. Oak Forest, 1:30 p.m.; and Marist vs. Thornwood, 1:30 p.m.

First-round winners and losers play again on December 27 at 3:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

***

First-round pairings for the Wheaton North Girls Christmas Basketball Tournament have been announced. Play begins at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, December 26 and concludes at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 29.

First-round match-ups on December 26 are: Hersey vs. Willowbrook, 9:00 a.m.; Glenbard South vs. West Aurora, 10:30 a.m.; Glenbard North vs. Jacobs, 12:00 p.m.; Glenbrook South vs. Downers Grove North, 1:30 p.m.; Lyons vs. Elgin, 3:00 p.m.; Elk Grove vs. Hinsdale Central, 4:30 p.m.; St. Charles East vs. Wheaton North, 6:00 p.m.; and Waubonsie Valley vs. Schaumburg, 7:30 p.m.

***

First-round pairings for the 29th Annual Dundee-Crown Charger Classic Girls Basketball Tournament have been announced. Play begins at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 26 and concludes at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 29.

First-round match-ups on December 26 are: Fremd vs. Johnsburg, 10:00 a.m.; Resurrection vs. Rockton Hononegah, 11:30 a.m.; Regina vs. New Trier, 1:00 p.m.; Buffalo Grove vs. Naperville Central, 2:30 p.m.; Prospect vs. Maine West, 4:00 p.m.; St. Charles North vs. Fenwick, 5:30 p.m.; Mother McAuley vs. Evanston, 7:00 p.m.; and Bartlett vs. Dundee-Crown, 8:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Morgan Park rolled past Simeon and Harlan last week with Johnson going back to the formula that carried Morgan Park to the sectional championship game last season before it lost to Hillcrest.

"We're actually played very well last week," Johnson said. "We changed our lineup. We're playing four guards and a post like we did last year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Toledo recruit Kendyl Nunn is joined out front by veteran point guard Debra Jenkins and 5-7 junior Kierra Graves. Two freshmen - 5-9 Tammy Russell and 6-0 Marsha Howard - are sharing the post.

***

Who you going to stop?

Hillcrest is 6-0 with good reason - talent, quickness, depth and balance.

Shannise Heady leads Hillcrest with 15.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game; Dana Gettis is averaging 13.7 points per game and is 6-of-12 from downtown; Jahmia Phillips is averaging 10 points and 6.7 rebounds per game; and Samirah Ali is averaging 9.3 points and 4.7 assists.

***

St. Joseph is 6-1 and 1-0 in the East Suburban Catholic thanks to Briya Wilborn's three-pointer at the buzzer that beat Joliet Catholic last week. But don't go to sleep on 5-11 senior forward Donna Koerber, who chipped in 19 points and seven rebounds in the win.

***

Six-foot-1 senior Marissa Pezzopane of Addison Trail missed the entire volleyball season after breaking the big bone in her foot last June, but it has healed enough for her to become a factor in the Blazers' basketball season. She averaged 12.5 points and 7 rebounds a year ago.

***

You may know her as a pivotal member of Chicago Christian's Class 2A state runner-up volleyball team, but 6-foot senior forward Becky DeRuiter plays a pretty mean game of basketball, too.

***

Curie is perennial powerhouse in boys basketball. Ricky Robinson is trying to do the same with the girls program. He hopes 6-3 junior center Caelyn Allen-Manning and 5-7 senior guard Christina Griffin can get Curie to the upper echelon in the city.

***

In case you missed it late Saturday, Plainfield East defeated Oswego 46-42 behind 13 points from Dominique Hartsfield and 11 from Chantise Adams. Deni Owikoti added 10 rebounds and three blocks for the winners.

"This was a fast-paced, intense game with a lot of fouls which hurt us in the first half," Plainfield east coach Melissa Mitidiero said. "We managed to keep our composure in the second half. With solid defense in the fourth quarter, we were able to pull out the win."

***

Here are some players to watch this season: Conant's Natalie Kutramanes, DuSable's Dianne Sales; Highland Park's Ariel Swartz; Downers Grove North's Mary Echemann; Harper's LaQuesha Carter; and Joliet Catholic's Megan Williams.

Also, Luther East's Kathy Gentry; Marengo's Jessica Villie; Somonauk's Lauren Brummel; Chicago Talent's Julie Burgess; T.F. South's Dominique Brooks; West Chicago's Claire Monroe; Wheaton Warrenville South's Kasey Gassensmith; and Woodlawn's Alexa Capps.

***

'Tis the season for holiday tournaments and shootouts, and it all gets underway Friday and Saturday at the 2011 Chitown Showdown hosted by Whitney Young.

Three games are on tap Friday, starting with Champaign Central vs. Proviso West at 5:00 p.m.; St. John the Baptist (West Islip, N.Y.) vs. Trinity at 6:30 p.m.; and Proviso East vs. Whitney Young at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, Champaign Central faces Bogan at 11:30 a.m.; Penn meets Marian Catholic at 1:00 p.m.; Clyde Miller (St. Louis, Mo.) plays Morgan Park at 2:30 p.m.; St. John the Baptist plays Young at 4:00 p.m. and Milwaukee Riverside faces Montini at 5:30 p.m.

***

The annual Benet/Naperville North Holiday Tournament gets underway December 15-17 with pool play and continues December 22-23 with the championship brackets.

The Benet pool features Benet, Wheaton Warrenville South, York and Geneva. The Naperville North pool features Naperville North, DeKalb, Glenbard West and Providence. The tournament features three levels - freshman, junior varsity and varsity.

The championship bracket will be played at Benet. The winner of the Naperville North pool will face the Benet runner-up at 6:00 p.m. on December 22, and the winner of the Benet pool will face the second-place team from Naperville North at 7:30 p.m. on December 22.

The championship will be played on December 23 at 7:30 p.m.

***

Bolingbrook and Niles West will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 16 in the headline game of the 22nd Annual McDonald's Shootout at Willowbrook High School.

Games on Friday, January 14 feature St. Ignatius vs. Willowbrook at 6:00 p.m. and Andrew vs. Warren at 7:30 p.m.

Games on Saturday, January 15 feature Bogan and Maine West at 10:00 a.m.; Wheaton North and Morgan Park at 11:30 a.m.; New Trier and Wheaton Warrenville South at 1:00 p.m. and Oregon Davis (Ind.) and Prospect at 2:30 p.m.

Other games Saturday feature Proviso East vs. Hillcrest at 4:00 p.m.; Lincoln-Way East vs. Geneva at 5:30 p.m.; and Neuqua Valley and Fenwick at 7:00 p.m.

On Monday, January 16, Streamwood plays Marian Catholic at 10:00 a.m.; Fenwick plays St. Joseph (Mo.) at 11:30 a.m.; Providence plays Plainfield North at 1:00 p.m.; Trinity meets Marist at 2:30 p.m.; and Montini plays Young at 4:00 p.m.

Monday's games wrap up with Waubonsie Valley and Benet at 5:30 p.m. followed by Niles West and Bolingbrook.

***

Oswego has changed its tournament schedule....again. According to one source, the latest schedule is the "third or fourth" version.

Once-beaten Neuqua Valley (6-1) heads up the Blue Division with Minooka and Batavia while Rosary and Oswego are the best of the Orange Division.

Play begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, December 10 and first-round games feature Neuqua vs. Batavia at 4:30 p.m. Play continues Monday, December 12 through Thursday, December 15 with the championship match scheduled at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 17.

Sun-Times All-Area selection Ally Davis was selected as an Under Armour Honorable Mention All American after leading the Red Devils toi their second consecutive regional title, a three-set win over St. Ignatius.

Davis finished her career breaking both the career kills and blocks records at Hinsdale Central. The 6-foot-1 senior finished her career with 1,148 kills (2008-2011) and 170 blocks.

Also, setter Ellie VanKeirsbilck finished second on the school's list of career assists with 1,702 (2009-2011), and Davis, Meg McDowell, Katie Grabowski and Rachael Lenderman were named to all-tournament teams throughout the season for the 20-18 Red Devils.

"Davis, Grabowski, Sanne Hilbrich, VanKeirsbilck and Emily Grasso will be deeply missed next year," assistant coach Maggie Stewart said. "They provided the Red Devils with leadership and determination."

***

And now for some girls basketball news....

Kankakee McNamara coach Jeff Bennett unexpectedly resigned last week, saying he wanted to "spend more time with my family," according to Kankakee Daily Journal.

Bennett led McNamara to state final four appearances in 2008, 2010 and 2011. The Fightin' Irish finished third in Class 2A last season, going 23-9. They were 21-11 and finished fourth in 2010 and 22-10 and fourth in 2008.

"Hopefully, the record speaks for itself," Bennett said. "I had the pleasure of coaching a lot a good kids in a great conference, which got us ready for a state tournament run each and every year."

***

No surprise here. Hillcrest is off to a 4-0 start after claiming the 6th Annual Rich South Galaxy Tournament title behind MVP Shannise Heady. All the 5-foot-11 senior did was average 15 points, four rebounds, 3.5 assists and four steals in four games.

She had nine points and 11 rebounds against Homewood-Flossmoor, scored 17 points with three steals against Thornwood, got 19 points and four rebounds against Rich South, and scored 15 points with six rebounds and six steals against Lincoln-Way North.

Other contributors included Dana Gettis (14 points per game), Jahmia Phillips (12 points, seven rebounds per game), Samirah Ali (10.5 points, four assists per game), Jasmine Sanders (8.8 points per game) and Mariam Awoniyi (6.5 points, 6-.3 rebounds per game).

***

Batavia is not afraid to travel, whether it's the boys traveling to Quincy to experience the Blue Devil pre-game ritual or the girls taking the long and winding road south to downstate Morton near Peoria.

Last weekend, Batavia finished 2-2 at the Morton Thanksgiving tournament. The Bulldogs defeated Freeport (62-57) and Moline (41-39), lost to host Morton (61-36) and dropped a heartbreaker to Normal Community (42-39).

Batavia overcame a 13-point second-quarter deficit to beat Freeport.

Liza Fruendt came up huge in the tournament. She scored 22, 11, 14 and 15 points in the four tournament games. Miranda Grizaffi added 13 points in the win over Freeport.

The Bulldogs are currently 3-2 on the season.

***

St. Joseph's Briya Wilborn and Arriel Anderson were named to the all-tournament team at the Willowbrook Thanksgiving tournament. The duo led the Lady Chargers to their second straight Willowbrook championship.

Wilborn averaged 11.8 points, three rebounds and three steals for the tournament. Anderson averaged seven points, four assists and two steals.

***

Streamwood lost two key players and 25 points per game from last year's 22-6 team that finished second in the Upstate Eight River Division. But 32-year veteran coach George Rosner welcomes back three starters and an impact sophomore.

Back are point guard Amanda Patterson, a 5-foot-5 senior and four-year starter, 5-9 junior guard Jessica Cerda, who averaged better than eight points per game and bagged 47 three-pointers as a sophomore, and 5-6 junior guard Deja Moore, who averaged 7.3 points per game and is an outstanding defensive player.

Add to the mix 6-foot sophomore post Hannah McGlone, who Rosner predicts will be an impact player for the next three years.

"She is an outstanding young player who will be noticed by everyone," Roser said. "She is the real deal."

However, there is one small problem at Streamwood.

"We must play with five players on the court," Rosner said. "That missing piece is a big piece, and we are short on depth. So we will see how things develop."

***

Zion-Benton is posed for another run at the Class 4A state tournament between its dynamic 1-2 punch of 5-11 senior Octavia Crump and 5-10 sophomore Samantha Rodriguez. Both were starters on the Zee-Bees' state runner-up last season.

Stepping into starting roles off the bench will be former sixth man Morgan Franklin, a 5-9 senior forward, and 5-6 junior guard Kaitlyn Stabenow, Slated to see minutes in the frontcourt are 6-1 senior Aaliyah Smith and North Chicago transfer Lakanesha Robinson, a 6-foot senior forward.

Also expected to contribute are sophomore guards Shania Thompson and Carly Fernandez.

"Defense will dictate how well we do this season," coach Tanya Johnson said. "We are working hard and improving every day. I'm really looking forward to watching the development of this team this season and know we have a great deal of potential."

No. 13 Zion-Benton is off to a 4-1 start and has a key date at Libertyville Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

***

Marian Catholic graduated six seniors including three starters, and lost senior Sarafina Handy and freshman Kauai Bradley to knee injuries over the summer. Bradley is expected to return after the Christmas holidays, but Handy has been lost for the season.

"Sarafina is a wonderful young lady that has given so much to the Marian Catholic program over the past four years and will continue to do so," coach Annie Byrne said. "Unfortunately, it will be from the sideline this year."

Despite those losses, don't expect much of a drop-off, if any, from last year's 30-5 record, including a 9-0 mark in the East Suburban Catholic Conference. Marian Catholic will rely on 5-5 senior guard Alanna Ferry, 5-9 forward Amber Williams and 6-1 forward Megan Walsh.

"Alana can do it all," Byrne said. "She is an extremely hard worker who brings the best out of her teammates on a regular basis. She is expecting and demanding big things out of herself and her teammates in her senior campaign."

Williams is a coach's dream...a player who hustle baseline to baseline on every possession.

"Amber is an excellent Leader and communicator on and off the floor," Byrne said. "She is our defensive expert. She has greatly improved her offensive confidence and ability in the offseason. Amber is one of our intangible pieces that makes our puzzle go together."

Walsh will be counted on to provide an inside presence.

"She has worked very hard for the past two years and knows what will be expected out of her this season as she steps on the floor as an upperclassman," Byrne said. "Her foot speed has improved tremendously and her touch around the basket will help us a lot."

Youngsters who Byrne expects big things from include 5-5 sophomore guard Brianna Morrison, 5-7 freshman guard Teniya Page and 5-9 sophomore guard Ashton Millender.

"We have had a lot of adjustments to make, but the girls never cease to amaze me," Byrne said. "They have come so far and are ready for the challenges ahead. We look forward to another fun year of basketball."

Marian Catholic is 3-1 and ranked No. 21.

***

No. 19 Romeoville is off to a 5-0 start on the heels of a 21-7 season one year ago that included a championship of the Oak Lawn Holiday Tournament and a second place finish in the Southwest Prairie Conference.

Back from that team are junior center/forward Kiera Currie (17 points, 11 rebounds per game in 2010), junior point guard Abby Smith (11 points, four assists per game), junior Brianna Harris, senior Hillary Van Meerten, junior Angelica Osusky and senior guard Precious Williams, who is sidelined until January with an Achilles injury.

Newcomers include junior forward Rosalinda Vasquez, senior forward Nicole Ramaglia and junior forward Ceara Floyd.

***

Waubonsie Valley 6-foot-3 post Rachael Ross verbally committed to Radford University last week. Radford is an NCAA Division I program that competes in the Big South Conference.

Ross also visited Memphis, UIC, Bradley, Chicago State and Roosevelt. Ross was sold on the school, size, academics and overall feel, and her family liked the connection and vibe from the coach and team, according to coach Kim Connell.

***

Keep an eye on T.F. North this winter. Although the Meteors lack depth, there is no lack of talent led by Alabama-Birmingham recruit Schneia Battle and Morgan State-bound Sabrina Montgomery.

Other key returners include Sharee Greenlee, Chardae Greenlee and Raven Winburn. The Greenlees are back at T.F. North after playing at Homewood-Flossmoor in 2010.

"This year's team will be challenged by moving up into the Class 4A," coach Tim Zasada said. "We will use a very competitive schedule to get us ready for the state playoffs. We lack depth, but will try to make up for that by getting in shape and playing hard."

***

Providence went 2-3 at Geneva last weekend and came within a point of going 3-2 following a 53-52 loss to Morgan Park. The Celtics led the Mustangs 19-3 early, but fell behind in the third quarter and was forced to play catch-up.

Providence is led by 6-foot senior guard Cassidy Glenn, who is coming back from an ACL injury suffered near the end of her junior season.

Other players to watch include 5-11 junior Alex Shermulis, 6-foot sophomore Anna Novak, 5-10 guard Sam Rohrer, 5-7 freshman guard Alyssa Jurges and 5-10 freshman forward Mary Fashingbaurer.

"Last year our record suffered but our young players earned a lot of playing time and have prepared well to compete this season," coach Eileen Copenhaver said. "We are a little bit older and seem to be more competitive."

***

After losing to St. Edward in the Class 2A regional finals last year, (Elgin) Westminster Christian is happy to be back in Class 1A.

Back from last year's 14-12 team are senior guard Whitney VandenBos, sophomore forward Claire Speweik, sophomore guard McKaila Hays, and senior guard Haley Flickinger.

***

Johnsburg, which has won seven consecutive regional titles and six conference titles in the past seven years, is trying to rebound from the loss of first-team Associated Press and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state selection Melissa Dixon (24 points per game in 2010).

But all is not lost.

"We return our starting point guard and center, and the senior class has won at least 20 games each of their three previous seasons," said first-year head coach Brad Frey, who was the sophomore coach the previous 11 years.

Top returning players include 5-9 senior point guard Morgan Berge, 6-1 senior center Ashley Schuld and 5-10 senior forward Stephanie Cherwin.

Newcomers include 5-5 senior guard Tayelor Neiss, 5-9 junior forward Kallie DiTusa, and 5-4 sophomore guard Kayla Toussaint, the daughter of Johnsburg boys coach Mike Toussaint.

***

With just about everybody back from last year's 25-4 team, Peotone figures to be one of the top teams in the Interstate Eight this winter.

Top returnees include 5-4 senior Caitlin Cann, 5-10 senior Kayce Nagel, 5-6 junior Brittney Campione, 5-7 senior Sophia Ruffino and 5-4 senior Julia Perri. Sophomore Skyler Hall and juniors Claire O'Neill, Shelby Maupin and Kayla Paeth provide depth.

***

Homewood-Flossmoor is off to a 4-2 start while trying to improve upon last year's 22-win season, which included a 10-4 record in the Southwest Suburban Conference Blue Division.

Charnelle Reed, a 5-10 senior guard who averaged 13.2 points per game in 2010, has committed to Western Illinois University. Also back are 5-10 junior guard Sydni Johnson, 5-8 junior Lauren Parker and senior forward Amena Brent.

***

Elk Grove coach Ryan Kirkorsky is excited to start the season, and with good reason - two of them. One of them is 5-10 junior forward Diamond Boyd, one of the top players in the Mid-Suburban East. The other is 6-4 freshman Amber Lindfors.

"We had a strong summer and we feel good about the developing identity of our team," he said. "Boyd and Kelly Naughton are growing into special players and exceptional leaders, and Lindfors is extremely skilled and has fit in well with this group."

***

Montini's 6-foot-4 junior Diamond Thompson has committed to Notre Dame. Thompson sat out Montini's 55-52 loss to Geneva in the finals of the Vikings' Thanksgiving Tournament with a minor injury.

***

Fenwick's Meredith Boardman, a three-year varsity player and one of the area's top 50 players, recently committed to Yale University.

***

Bolingbrook and Niles West will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 16 in the headline game of the 22nd Annual McDonald's Shootout at Willowbrook High School.

Other games of note include Proviso East vs. Hillcrest at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 14; Lincoln-Way East vs. Geneva at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 14; Trinity vs. Marist at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, January 16; and Montini vs. Young at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 16

Benet moved up to No. 12 in the most recent national poll of high school volleyball teams released by Prepvolleyball.com.

Newly-crowned Class 4A state champion Benet rose to No. 12 from No. 18 in the latest 2011 Century Club National High School Rankings released by Prepvolleyball.com. Cary-Grove made the biggest leap, however, rising to No. 44 from No. 67 in the previous week's poll.

Class 3A champion Breese Mater Dei checked in at No. 48, followed by No. 50 St. Charles East, No. 53. Marist, No. 62 St. Francis, No. 67 York, No. 68 Edwardsville, No. 70 Joliet Catholic, and No. 71 Mother McAuley.

Illinois teams that finished on the bubble included Hersey, Huntley, Lyons Township, Marian Central, Minooka, New Trier, Quincy, Providence, Sandburg, Stevenson and Whitney Young.

Note: Prepvolleyball.com released a new list just before Thanksgiving. Benet moved up to No. 11 and York, Edwardsville, Joliet Catholic and Mother McAuley each moved up one spot. There were no other changes.

***

The 2011 High School Volleyball All Star Game sponsored by SportsTownChicago.com will be played at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 3 at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. Proceeds benefit A Silver Lining Foundation for breast cancer awareness.

***

And is it too soon to talk boys volleyball?

Tommy Leonard, a 6-foot-8 middle hitter from Barrington, recently committed to the University of Southern California.

"It's incredible how far he's come in a few years because of his hard work and passion for the sport," Barrington coach Rob Ridenour said.

Members of the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area Girls Volleyball Team lived up to their plaudits during a remarkable and memorable 2011 season.

NORMAL - Perhaps the reason St. Francis came out firing in Saturday's third-place 3A match against Marian Catholic, a 25-20, 25-11 win, had more to do with some of the things the Spartans do between games that have nothing at all to do with volleyball.

"We do a lot of traditional things at St. Francis that some people might look at and say, 'Are you playing volleyball?' because we do a lot of other stuff," Kopec said. "We have a little tradition downstate. We choose words and talking about different things and what those words mean to each of us.

"Words like 'commitment,'" she said. "A person will talk about what that means to them. 'Trust.' We'll choose 20 different words. It puts the season in perspective, hearing from every team member what some of the different words mean to them."

"Happiness" might be the word that best describes Kopec and the Spartans following Saturday's third-place match.

"I am very happy for this team that they can go out as the winners they really are," Kopec said.

That's "Winners," with a capital "W."

***

Some observers said that the 2011 season may have been Cary-Grove's coach Patty Langanis' best coaching job, considering what she lost from the state championship team in 2009 and state runner-up team in 2010.

But Langanis said that Cary-Grove's success was a team effort by not only coaches, but former players and teammates .

"A lot of people have made comments, but you have kids who have been trained by me, by Ray (assistant coach Rugebregt), and also by Abbey Heredia, by Colleen Smith, by Kelly Lamberti, they have been trained by the best teammates," Langanis said.

"We know what to do every day in practice to try to get them ready, and they believe I us and we believe in them, and right now we have an incredible culture of volleyball and positive behavior at Cary-Grove, so I don't know (about the individual praise)," she added.

Langanis gave the example of junior outside Alex Larsen, who was a junior varsity player early in the year and became a starter at midseason when a senior decided to quit the team at the Asics tournament.

"She was a benchwarmer, and when our starting rightside quit, we were like, 'OK, you (Larsen) have to start,'" Langanis said. "Look at her tonight, every time she touched the ball. These players played out of their minds to get here and they believed it."

Langanis said her players will be able to look back in a couple of weeks at what they accomplished and the hurt will dissipate.

"This is a true team," she said. "Cary-Grove always prides itself that all 16 players are a part of this team and are equal. We needed every single person to get here. We didn't have a (Kelly) Lamberti to go to every single time, and a (Colleen) Smith, a Big Ten setter, to run the offense.

"Looking at Benet, at their size and their speed, and us out there on that court, for us to battle like we did, I'm really proud of them," Langanis added. "I think that with reflection in a couple of weeks, realizing what we accomplished, the sting will go away."

***

Saturday's state championship may have taken a little heat off Benet and coach Brad Baker and it certainly helped to lessen the pain of the Redwings' 2008 title match loss, at least for awhile.

"I don't know why, but it seems like there's been more pressure on us to win a state title than anybody else in the state," Baker said. "Maybe because we've had so much success over the last five years? But it feels great. I feel great for these kids because of how hard they worked.

"I don't just say that," he added. "We were running doubles at the end of the year because these girls want this."

Baker credited some advice he got from other coaches for helping the Redwings win their first state volleyball title.

"I got some great advice from some other coaches and it helped this year," he said. "The best advice was that we needed to pass forever, and I think we put a new meaning to that. If you ask our group, we just passed for hours and hours, and in the third game (against Cary-Grove) that was the difference.

"We knew we had big middles and we knew we had rightsides, but our ability to get those kids the ball in clutch situations was the difference," Baker said.

Baker added that he wasn't surprised Meghan Haggerty, who rarely string more than a few good serves together during the regular season, was able to put 12 consecutive balls in play during the pivotal third-game run.

"In the national championship for club, she went on a long serving run," he said. "She gets in that zone. She's got a great serve, it moves a lot, it's a hard floater. She was just hitting the same spot, it's her favorite spot, and they were just having trouble with it.

"But our front row was doing a great job, we were getting digs," he added. "It's not like she was getting aces. They were getting swings on the ball. You have to give credit to everybody out there, but you also have to give credit to Meghan. She was playing some defense out there, too."

Benet loses 10 seniors from the 2011 team -Meghan Haggerty, Jenna Jendryk, Gabby Pethokoukis, Nora Young, Mackenzie Kuhn, Mary Kate Whelan, Shannon O'Brien, Annie Ferlmann, Emily Thron and Sarah Jane Pavlik - but don't look for the Redwings to avoid the spotlight next season.

"We lose 10 seniors and we won't be favored to win it all next year," Baker said. "We'll be extremely young. But our goal is going to be the same to start the year. We're going to put the same pressure on ourselves that we do every year.

"We want to be back here in this same match and we're going to work to make sure we're there," he added. "We're going to be young next year, there's no doubt, but we're still going to be good."

Benet will rebuild around a solid core of experienced youngsters in sophomore outside hitter Maddie Haggerty, sophomore middle Brittany Pavich, junior setter Hannah Kaminsky, junior libero Sheila Doyle and junior defensive specialist Brittany Kmieciak.

***

Nobody seems to enjoy themselves more at the state tournament than St. Charles East coach Jenni Kull.

Saturday's win over Marist in the third-place game was just icing on the cake.

"It's always fun to win, always fun to win,' she said. "I saw our team do things (Saturday) that we haven't done in awhile. Our offense... they (Marist) are a great team. I think we battled. Our defense was better than I've ever seen it. I'm so happy, so happy.

"I'm so proud of these girls," she added. "This is a dream to come here. But we didn't know if we'd make it. To finish third and to end our season with a win is the greatest feeling in the world. I'm so proud of these eight seniors. They battled and they got it done."

St. Charles East loses Meghan Niski, Kathleen Dailey, Maisey Mulvey, Kadie Brooks, Sarah Dugan, Allison Manely, Stephanie Camper and Nichole Lambert to graduation.

Kull, who won state titles in 2001 and 2008, put the state tournament into perspective.

"This is a bonus, this is the bonus," she said. "The girls seized the moment and they took advantage of it. They did everything they could this season. I think that we had a great time."

***

Statistic of the weekend:

SIxteen appearances. Forty-four matches. Only once (a fourth-place finish in 1995) has a Peg Kopec-coached St. Francis team lost two consecutive matches at the state tournament. Overall, Kopec's state final tournament record is 35-9.

***

Quote of the weekend:

Cary-Grove coach Patty Langanis, talking about her team's 35-33, 25-19 victory over Marist in Friday's 4A semifinals.

"Winning that first game says something about the girls," Langanis said. "The experience of being in Redbird Arena before, the great joys we've had and the horrible pains we've suffered. The girls are not governed by fear like some teams I've had before.

"Other teams might be afraid to miss a serve or afraid to take that full swing," she added. "These guys have been through it all and they survived everything. They know at the end of the game they're going to survive. In a match like that, that experience came out and they were not going to give up."

***

Five-foot-11 sophomore Sarah Thompson is an oddity among her Dakota teammates. Other than a brief foray into track as a freshman, Thompson focuses exclusively on volleyball.

"Í did track last year, but I choked in the sectional otherwise I would have gone downstate in the high jump," she said. "Now, I'm just sticking with volleyball. No more track. I'm a volleyball player."

But how does one get good in volleyball playing in the northernmost corner of the state at least 40 miles from the nearest population center?

"You have to play club all year round," Thompson said.

For the past few years, Thompson has made the long trek to Freeport to play with Club Fusion. This winter, she will be moving to the Fusion club in Rockford. Her club team won a tournament at the Wisconsin Dells last year. But that accomplishment pales to playing for a state championship.

"OMG," she said. "This has been our goal all year long. We kept checking off the goals we have on a list in (coach Shannon Williams') office. It just seems unreal.

"We always want it more (than the other team)," she added. "Sometimes skill maybe won't be in our favor. We played Winnebago (a 21-25, 28-26, 30-28 victory early in the season), but we put our whole heart on the court. That's why we won that game."

Thompson, who led Dakota (41-1) to the Class 1A state championship with 13 kills (hitting .423) and eight digs against Mt. Pulaski Saturday at Redbird Arena, hopes to earn a scholarship to play volleyball in college. But financial assistance probably will not drive her decision.

"Hopefully I'll get a scholarship," she said. "We'll see. I don't even know if I'd play because I got a scholarship. I'd play because I love it. I LOVE this sport."

***

Mt. Pulaski is no stranger to the state tournament. The Lady Toppers have made 14 appearances under veteran coach Donna Dulle, winning two state titles (1989, 2007) and finishing second seven times (1988, 1996, 2002-2004, 2009 and 2011).

But few expected the Toppers to reach the state finals in 2011, especially without a single senior on the roster.

"We had a couple of kids who played in the past," Dulle said. "A couple played with us this summer. I think they realized they weren't going to play because these kids were a little bit stronger than they were. I don't beg kids to play."

Among the Mt. Pulaski youngsters who made the seniors see the handwriting on the wall were 5-7 sophomore Cady Lowery and 5-7 junior Allie Hickey.

"Cady played last year for us and we had her playing outside before she hurt her wrist," Dulle said. "Allie came on and played with some fire. Cady is quiet. Cade might be a little stronger player, but Allie brings that enthusiasm. Cady has been playing backrow and it's working, so I won't change it now."

Mt. Pulaski, which went 1-4 at the Autumnfest tournament hosted by Glenbard East and 0-5 at the Belleville East Metro Classic, had the worst record (25-15) of any of the four semifinalists coming into the 1A tournament. But don't expect Dulle to lighten the schedule anytime soon.

"Every year, I ask myself if I'm doing the right thing," she said. "But every year, the postseason seems to go pretty good. I think we had a turning point in the middle of the season at Belleville East. Although we went 0-5, we played every team tough.

"Then we played Pleasant Plains," Dulle said. "We were behind most of the match, but we won 27-25 in the third game. I think that was the turning point confidence-wise for the kids. After that, they knew they could do it."

***

Look for Dakota and Mt. Pulaski to meet a few more times at Redbird Arena during the next few years. In addition to Thompson, Dakota also started 5-11 sophomore middle hitter Cora Fiene, 5-7 freshman outside hitter Jaycee Cleaver (three kills, nine digs against Mt. Pulaski), and 5-10 freshman outside hitter Eden Meier.

***

Chicago Christian had everyone scratching their heads and scrambling for the record books after it dismantled Breese Central 25-23, 25-12 in Friday's Class 2A semifinal.

The most common question was, "How did this team lose 18 times?"

Simple arithmetic. Six loses came at the hands of teams who reached the 3A semifinals (St. Francis, Marian Central and Marian Catholic), six more were to Class 4A regional champions (York, Lyons, Mother McAuley, Lockport and Plainfield Central), and 3A sectional finalist Payton, and four more were against Class 4A teams.

But don't expect Chicago Christian coach James Garcia to soften his schedule. Not after three consecutive trips to the Class 2A championship match.

"I think realistically as a team returning your second year, third year, you need to harness that experience," Garcia said. "When you come out and you're nervous, is doesn't matter who you are. I think that's why we do what we do with our schedule.

"During the season, we want to work on getting better, and the only way we're going to get better is to play against tougher competition," he added. "You have to use that experience to calm those nerves and not focus on the pressure. You want to come out here and have fun and just play."

Garcia said that the state tournament is a time when he can actually watch his team and enjoy the moment.

"I harp on the girls all season, I come down on them, I get frustrated," he said. "This is my time to relax. I don't want to get up and yell or do anything because this is what they've worked so hard for. This is what I've put them through, to get here. Now it's their time to shine."

***

Could Chicago Christian have played a more flawless semifinal against Breese Central, the team that it needed three games to overcome in last year's championship match?

'I don't think so," Garcia said. "I knew they were going to be a tough team. I didn't think that second game was going to go the way it did. The momentum was on our side and the girls tasted blood in the water. They executed very well...our blocking, our passing, we were able to execute on our sets and they started making too many mistakes."

Two of the players who shone brightest included one who did not even see the floor in 2010.

"We have a lot young girls on the team, and I thought (sophomore Workman) Emily our setter did a great job spreading out the offense," Garcia said. "But I was more surprised with Jess Krygsheld, our sophomore outside hitter, who at times has struggled throughout the season.

"This is a big stage for her and her first year being here and to play the way she did, I thought she did a great job," he added.

Krygsheld had five kills while hitting .417 against Breese Central, and Workman had 24 assists and three kills.

***

Graduation losses by the four semifinalists could change the landscape of the 2A tournament in 2012. The most likely pair to return downstate are Decatur St. Teresa and Chicago Christian, although Timothy Christian could stand in the way of a Knights' fourth straight downstate trip.

St. Teresa returns leading attacker Marie Less, a 5-9 sophomore, 5-9 junior Amber Grubbs and 5-7 junior do-it-all Courtney Huck. The Knights will welcome back setter Annika Evenhouse, 5-10 junior middle Emily Lindemulder, 5-9 sophomore outside Jessica Krygsheld and 5-8 sophomore Emily Workman.

***

Looking for a preseason top 10 for 2012?

It might look something like this: 1. Marist; 2. Joliet Catholic; 3. Sandburg; 4. Benet; 5. Barrington; 6. Glenbard West; 7. Mother McAuley; 8. St. Francis; 9. St. Ignatius; and 10. Naperville Central.

Wild cards could include DeLaSalle, Libertyville, Marian Catholic, Lyons and Stevenson.

Some of the top players will include West Aurora's Lauren Carlini, Hinsdale South's Jessica Brezwyn, Marist's Mallory Salis and Kelly Marcinek, Joliet Catholic's Morgan Reardon, McAuley's Gabrielle Ennis and Courtney Joyce; Sandburg's Dakota Hampton; and Barrington's Peyton Lang and Julia Thompson.

Also, St. Francis' McKenna Kelsay, Marian Central's Meredith Patterson and Tara Blake, Marian Catholic's Amber Clay, Benet's Maddie Haggerty and Brittany Pavich, St. Charles East's Erienne Barry and Glenbard West's Caleigh Ryan.

Never on Saturday. Benet capped a perfect season of Saturdays by defeating Cary-Grove in the Class 4A championship game.

The 2011 season came to an early end for York's Katie Gallagher (left) and Caroline Rose, but there is a lot of volleyball ahead for the two seniors.

Bowling?

Six-foot-2 senior outside hitter Maggie Kamp has developed into a six-rotation player for Chicago Christian, and her defense was almost as important for the Knights in their 21-25, 25-14, 25-21 win over Timothy Christian in the Class 2A supersectional Saturday at Lisle as her nine kills.

"Last year, I would sub her out in the back row," Chicago Christian coach James Garcia said. "And this is a girl who didn't play club in the offseason. She decided to bowl for the high school team.

"So there were a lot of question marks for her, especially with her passing and defense," he added. "Again, that's a senior and leader. She really stepped into that role this year and did a phenomenal job for us."

Another player who stepped up for the Knights is 5-8 sophomore setter Emily Workman, who had 20 assists and two big blocks in the victory.

"When she plays club, she is more of a rightside hitter and blocker," Garcia said. "She never really got to set a lot. She hasn't done a lot of hitting and blocking this year because she's been setting.

"But whenever I have a chance to run a 6-2, she gets that opportunity and I think it's that killer instinct in her," he added. "She wants to try to do good at whatever position she's playing."

***

Most Chicago Public Schools still have a way to go to become competitive with their suburban counterparts. But that is not true for the city's elite teams, as Whitney Young proved by extending Lyons to three sets in their sectional championship match.

A big reason for Young's success was 5-11 senior outside hitter Madison Lenzini, who was named the MVP of the city's top league.

"Lenzini has been incredible from start to finish and has carried that team consistently in all aspects," Payton coach Joel Anderson said. "She dismantled Downers Grove North with 16 kills and a ton of digs, and against Lyons she had more than 20 kills...and she does that when everyone knows who's getting the ball."

Another outstanding city product was Payton's 5-9 senior Michelle Schultz, who finished with just under 1,000 kills for her career and helped lead Payton to two state semifinal appearances, the first by any city team since CPS forfeited its automatic berth.

"Michelle did what she was expected this year and led us in just about every statistical category after returning to the outside hitter position," Anderson said.

Schultz finished had 353 kills this season while hitting .382. She also had 60 aces, 255 digs and 33 blocks in 80 sets. Her career marks include 998 kills and more than 860 assists and 880 digs.

***

York's Caroline Rose and Katie Gallagher expected to be heading south to Normal this weekend to try to improve upon last year's fourth-place finish. Instead, they will be watching the state tournament from the sidelines.

"It's very disappointing," Gallagher said. "We had a big goal for ourselves this season and it wasn't accomplished. I am so proud of how we played throughout this season, but when it came time to do what we needed to, we didn't execute and the other team did."

Gallagher will head to Iowa State next fall to play for the Cyclones, who were 17-4 and had the third-best RPI in the nation as of October 30.

"I'm really excited to be playing for them," Gallagher said. (Head coach) Christy (Johnson-Lynch) has a great background in setting. I think I can learn a lot from her. It's a five-and-a-half hour drive. I will be able to come home when I need to, but probably not very much."

Rose will take her all-around talents to Western Michigan, which is 23-5 overall and 12-2 in the MAC and has won 10 straight matches.

"We had a really good season," Rose said about her final high school campaign. "We had a lot of fun and were really successful. It was tough to lose at the end, but we have a good season.

"I have a lot of volleyball ahead of me still, so it's good," she added.

***

Neuqua Valley did not have the season it had hoped for, finishing 21-17 and losing 25-21, 25-20 to Plainfield Central in the regional final. But the Wildcats will send three players on to Division I schools in the fall.

Callie Huebener, Leighanne Novak and Kaitlynn Novak were all unanimous All-Upstate Eight Conference selections. Huebener is headed to DePaul, while the Novaks will take their talents to Western Illinois University in Macomb.

"These three young ladies are three of the top athletes I have coached in nearly 20 years as a varsity volleyball coach," Neuqua Valley's Kelly Simon said. "Their support casting was not as strong as in the past and we played a much tougher schedule this season than ever before."

***

Longtime Lockport volleyball coach Julia Hudson wrapped up her 32nd and final season as head coach in the sectional semifinals at Aurora West last week.

"It has been a great trip," Hudson said. "The relationships you get with coaches, with reporters, with everything that revolves around this. Sometimes the work with everything that comes around, I won't miss. But I'll miss the relationships."

Hudson, who is also retiring from teaching, is not sure whether she will relocate. But she is leaning toward moving closer to her family.

"I'm originally from Evansville, so I'm a Hoosier," she said. "I'll probably head back that way. But the best of both worlds would be six months here and six months there because my family is still there."

Hudson said she may not completely severe her ties to coaching.

"I always told my sister and anybody that wants to listen that I wish someone would just pay me to work out eight hours a day," she said. "That would be the perfect job for me. We'll see what things are open. Now that volleyball season is over, I'll investigate it a little more."

Hudson finished her career with more than 700 wins and a state title in 1993 when the Porters finished 40-3 behind Nicole and Jennifer Peterson.

"That is my fondest memory," she said. "The twins were very, very special. All the kids are very special. They really are, each in their own way. But any time you win a state championship, that's the ultimate."

***

No. 28 Marist is the top-rated Chicago-area team in the most recent Prepvolleyball.com Century Club national rankings, down from last week's 26th. Other nationally-ranked teams include No. 29 Benet, No. 32 York, No. 56 St. Charles East, No. 64 Joliet Catholic, No. 66 St. Francis and No. 72 Cary-Grove.

***

St. Charles East's Meghan Niski (left), pictured with Julia Conard of West Chicago, will lead her Saints into Friday's 7:30 p.m. IHSA Class 4A state semifinal against Benet at Redbird Arena in Normal. It will mark the teams' fourth meeting this season.

Erienne Barry (pictured at right) and her St. Charles East teammates will face crosstown rival St. Charles North in Tuesday's 7:00 p.m. sectional semifinal at St. Charles East.

After advancing to the state championship game in 2008 - only to lose to St. Charles East - Benet has fallen short each of the last two years, losing to Quincy in the supersectional in 2009 and falling in the sectional finals to Hinsdale South in 2010.

But Benet's 6-foot-3 middle hitter Meghan Haggerty said that this is a different Redwings' team.

"The chemistry is a lot different this year," Haggerty said. "Last year, we had five seniors. This year, we have 10, but we're not separating the seniors from the juniors. I think we're doing a pretty good job of that, just making everybody feel that they're the same and we're all on the same mission."

Another big advantage Benet has this year is size. In addition to Haggerty, Benet has 6-3 Gabby Pethokoukis and 6-1 sophomore Brittany Pavich roaming the middle. Pethokoukis is finally playing regularly after missing most of the season with an injury.

The Redwings exploited their height in their regional victory over West Aurora.

"It's all about matchups," Benet coach Brad Baker said. "Wherever we feel like we have the best advantage, that's where we want to get the ball to. If the other team has small middles and our middles are big, we want to continue to feed them whenever we can.

"Our middles hit a high percentage (against West Aurora) and we're just going to keep going to them until people prove they can stop them," the coach added.

***

A team to watch in the Andrew sectional is Lincoln-Way Central, which defeated Sandburg in both teams' regular-season finale and ousted East Suburban Catholic Conference co-champion Providence in the regional finals.

Lincoln-Way Central is powered by 5-10 senior outside hitter Danielle Dowd and 5-5 senior libero Val Crilly.

Dowd, who has committed to Ferris State next year, had a team-high 297 kills, 295 digs, 40 aces and 327 good serve receive passes during the regular season. She also had 35 solo blocks and 69 block assists and earned all-tournament honors at Rich East and the Lincoln-Way Central Autumn Knight invite.

Crilly, who is just in her second season playing libero, broke the single season dig record at Lincoln-Way Central for the second consecutive season. Crilly had 440 digs, 13 aces and 26 assists during the regular season, and serves at 91 percent.

***

No. 6-ranked St. Charles East best beware of crosstown rival St. Charles North in the sectional semifinals Tuesday. The North Stars upset No. 3 seed Glenbard West in the regional finals to advance to Tuesday's semifinal.

St. Charles North trailed Glenbard West 24-22 in Game 3 of their regional showdown before rallying to win 25-22, 24-26, 26-24. The North Stars were led by setter Emily Belz, who dealt 39 assists, and outside hitter Taylor Krage, who had 17 kills and two aces.

Seniors Lauren Madziarczyk, Kim Juriga and Jillian Stolzenburg also chipped in with 11, nine and seven kills, respectively.

***

Did any team have a bigger turnaround this season than Wheaton Warrenville South?

The Tigers started the season 3-11, but won 13 of their last 21 matches and pushed No. 1-ranked York to the brink in the regional finals.

WW South was led by senior outside hitter Kate Phalen, a four-year varsity and three-year starting performer who was named to the DuPage Valley all-conference team and the all-tournament team at Glenbard East's Autumnfest.

Phalen had 341 kills, 49 aces, 179 digs and 29 blocks for the Tigers.

WW South will look to get off to a better start in 2012 behind a pair of juniors - outside hitter Stephanie Budlong and setter Jessica Bossman. Budlong, an all-conference selection, had 214 kills, 31 aces and 29 blocks for the Tigers, while Bossman had 645 assists, 26 aces and 101 digs.

***

You would have a hard time convincing Immaculate Conception coach Jean Field that there weren't at least a half-dozen Chicago area regionals that the Knights could have dominated.

Instead, the Knights were sent to Westmont, where they lost 25-23, 25-23 in the regional finals to Timothy Christian.

"You look at some of the other regionals and it makes you sick," she said.

Not all is lost at Immaculate Conception, however. The Knights should return several key players from their 25-11 team in 2012 including sophomore outside hitter Delaney D-Amore, junior setter Liz Martino, junior outside hitter Emily Hartnett and sophomore setter Kim Martino.

***

Don't be surprised to see defending state champion Chicago Christian and streaking Timothy Christian in the Lisle supersectional on Saturday.

Chicago Christian, which takes a 19-18 record into sectional play, has played perhaps the toughest schedule of any team in Class 2A. They also have four veterans of last year's state title trek -- 6-2 senior Maggie Kamp, 6-1 senior Becky DeRuiter, 5-10 junior Emily Lindemulder and libero Celaine Haan.

Timothy Christian (32-3) will take a 30-match winning streak into sectional play at Winnebago. Leading the way for the Knights are senior middle hitter Makenzie Vos, junior outside Bridgitt Buikema, sophomore setter Jenna Lodewyk and freshman outside hitter Kacie Stoll.

***

No. 26 Marist is the top-rated Chicago-area teams in the most recent Prepvolleyball.com Century Club national rankings, up from last week's 28th. Other nationally-ranked teams include Benet, York, Edwardsville, Joliet Catholic, Mother McAuley, St. Charles East, St. Francis and Breese Mater Dei.