Girls Volleyball: Mother McAuley swings past Sandburg
By Tony Baranek email@example.com November 7, 2013 8:54PM
Mother McAuley's Ryann DeJarld, red jersey, watches her finesse shot fall just over the Sandburg defense. | Allen Cunningham/For Sun-Times Media
Updated: December 9, 2013 10:58AM
Mother McAuley had very little success with its serving in Thursday night’s Class 4A Sectional final against host Sandburg.
The Mighty Macs do so many things well, however, it really didn’t matter in a 25-20, 25-16 victory that vaults them into Saturday’s Lyons Supersectional.
Ryann DeJarld had 10 kills, seven digs and two blocks, Kayla Caffey six kills and two blocks, Kelsey Clark six kills and two blocks, Carla Cahill five digs and Courtney Joyce 26 assists, nine digs and five kills for McAuley (37-2).
Julia Borschel (10 kills), Kelly McGovern (12 digs), Sami Knight (19 assists) and Bridget Lebert (5 kills) led Sandburg (31-8).
The Macs not only hit, they hit smart.
They tipped with precision.
They dug enough to keep Sandburg from getting on any serious runs.
And the quick-set that Joyce runs so well with Clark? Clark had an equally quick partner.
Caffey was the real detonator for McAuley in this one, putting down four kills while adding a block as the Macs had to rally from as much as a 15-12 deficit in Set 1.
“I guess me and Courtney just connected on a really good level and we got it done,” Caffey said.
But that wasn’t all the Macs did to withstand a majestic Set 1 challenge from the Eagles.
After they drew even at 15 on an ace by Maggie Scanlon and a kill by Kennedy Arundel, the Macs went into strategic-hitting mode.
DeJarld, while in midair, seemed to interrupt a power-swing and instead put down a pair of soft shots.
“I’m glad I got my hitting together,” DeJarld said. “We’ll take any point we can. We’re not trying to be the hardest hitters ever. We’ll just play smart and get whatever we get.”
During the finishing kick, Joyce added a misdirection tip and Scanlon had two late key kills, the second putting the Macs ahead 24-20.
“It was a tight game, but we fought to put it away,” Scanlon said. “We had to do anything we could at that point. It was mostly just a team effort.”
The second set saw Sandburg, behind powerful and relentless hitting by Borschel and Lebert, keep it close until, leading just 13-11, McAuley went on an 8-1 run.
Joyce was key with back-to-back kills (one a misdirect). DeJarld hammered three kills during the stretch run, while Caffey put down the final point.
“They are a great team,” Knight said. “They are powerful hitters. That sophomore middle (Caffey), I’ll give it to her. She’s very good.
“Our seniors brought us together more than we were last year. We were just a great team together. We went in with a drive and just wanted to win so badly. Julie Borschel was fantastic, stepped up. Wow, she was really good.”