ESPNHS Volleyball

By Walter Villa


Pennsylvania is home to the nation’s top women’s college volleyball program. Yet when it comes to girls’ high school volleyball, the state has no teams in the POWERADE FAB 50 and none among the 19 listed as “on the bubble” in last week’s rankings.

Parkland (Allentown, Pa.), Hempfield (Landisville, Pa.), State College (State College, Pa.) and Seneca Valley (Harmony, Pa.) are the top four teams in Pennsylvania’s Class AAA, the largest-enrollment grouping.

Karen Martini, who coaches Seneca Valley, said those four schools all have talent, but since few teams venture away from home to play out-of-state tournaments, there is little notoriety on a national basis.

Martini started to remedy that problem late last month, when she took her team to Chicago for the Asics Challenge. The Raiders finished 15th out of 24 teams, a respectable showing considering there were nine FAB 50 schools in the field.

“I was surprised we did that well on our first time there,” Martini said. “When I started researching all the teams and the national rankings, I was like, ‘Whew, did I get myself in over my head?’ ”

The Raiders did just fine, beating Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) in three sets and also defeating Martin County (Stuart, Fla.), which entered the tournament ranked 31st in the FAB 50.

Martini said she hopes Penn State’s four straight national titles will encourage more Pennsylvania girls to play volleyball. But, as it stands, of the 17 players on PSU’s roster, only one, redshirt freshman Maggie Harding, is from Pennsylvania. Harding, who is from State College, is a reserve defensive specialist.

Seneca Valley has a player likely headed to Penn State for 2012 – but not for volleyball. Meghan Drambel, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter with a 4.0 grade-point average, is interested in PSU for academics only.

Drambel is one of three Raiders players to make All-State last season. The others are Cate Seman, a 6-0 outside hitter who has committed to Rhode Island; and Alex Karika, a 5-11 setter who has interest from Navy, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Seniors Emma Carter (6-1 middle blocker) and Laura Thomas (5-9 right-side hitter/setter) will likely be Division II recruits, Martini said.

The Raiders’ other two regulars are both sophomores: 6-0 Abbie Trzeciak and 5-9 Angela Seman, who is Cate’s sister.

But the nucleus of the team – Cate Seman, Karika and Drambel – have all played together since seventh grade.

As sophomores, they led Seneca Valley to fifth place at state. Last season, they finished third, which is the best showing in school history.

“This year, we want to make history,” said Martini, who is in her fifth year as the program’s coach.

“If ever I had a group that had the motivation and drive to win state, it’s this one. They aren’t overconfident, but they have been working toward this for a long time.”

Playing for a good cause

Southwest (Miami, Fla.) dedicated last Tuesday’s home match against Lourdes Academy (Miami, Fla.) to Pini Perez, 52, the mother of their starting setter, Casey Perez.

Pini is battling breast cancer. The disease, which causes more than 450,000 deaths per year worldwide, is in remission after surgeons removed her right breast and began chemotherapy treatments.

On the upswing

Pat McDougall, coach of La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.), said his Mavericks (11-4) are getting better after a slow start. The Mavs have excellent height with seven players 6-0 or taller, including three at 6-2.

Three Mavs seniors have committed to colleges: 6-1 middle hitter Lisa Kramer to San Diego; 5-9 outside hitter Brooke Shupryt-Knoop to Colgate; and 6-2 middle blocker Natalie Bausback to Virginia.

But McDougall said his most effective hitter so far has been 6-2 sophomore Brittany Abercrombie, a lefty with the highest kill percentage on the team.

McDougall also praised Bausback as his best all-around player because of her versatility and said Kramer is her “bookend” in the middle.

By Kirstin Olsen


A power struggle took place between Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) and Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) in the final of the Asics Challenge. Check out some of the big points and bigger hits, plus an interview with Assumption libero Chelsea Bowles.

By Walter Villa

Over the past 20 years, coach Ted Schulte has built a volleyball powerhouse in Wisconsin.

Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.) has won five state titles during that span, including the two most recent championships.

His teams have also played in Chicago’s prestigious Asics Challenge every year since 1993, finishing a program-best sixth last season and a respectable 10^th this past weekend.

Now that they are back home, it’s just about time for the Crusaders (30-5) to make their stretch run. The state playoffs begin Oct. 18.

“I think we are a lot better team now than we were going in to Chicago,” Schulte said.

The Crusaders’ only losses at Asics were to a pair of teams that are in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings – No. 37 Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.) and No. 41 Huntley (Huntley, Ill.).

But while Schulte was proud of his team’s performance in Chicago, he is at times frustrated by his players.

“We’re a psychotic team,” Schulte joked before the Asics Challenge. “We’re good, but we’re wildly inconsistent. At times, we just don’t seem to have the inner drive. We don’t have the intense practices we should be having. Sometimes there are petty jealousies. … But hope springs eternal.”

Perhaps Schulte is spoiled by last season’s team, which went 46-4 and set a high standard for the current group to follow.

Four starters graduated from last season’s team, leaving a bit of a leadership void. Two weeks ago, in the middle of a poor practice, the Crusaders called a players-only meeting to see if they could sort out their inconsistent play.

The new leaders of the team are senior co-captains Sara Connell and Greta Davis. Connell, a 5-7setter, has committed to Seton Hall. Davis, a 5-11middle hitter and an aspiring doctor, has chosen to focus on academics in college and won’t play volleyball. She has applied to Harvard.

Other Crusaders standouts include Amanda Hansen, a 6-3 senior middle hitter who has committed to Seton Hall; Kaitlyn Hastings, a 5-7 senior outside hitter who has committed to South Dakota; Lindsey Casper, a 5-4 junior who is a skilled libero; and Aly Dawson, a 5-11 junior outside hitter who has committed to Marquette.

Given that there are at least four future college players on the court for the Crusaders, there is no doubt the team has the talent to win state again.

Hooray for Houston

The Houston area is blessed with loads of volleyball talent. College Park, for example, has four players who have already committed to colleges, and Cypress Woods has three.

The College Park recruits are Katie Mitchell (Ohio State); Alex Thorson (Tulane); Michelle Griffith (Sam Houston); and Taylor Erwin (Emory).

Cypress Woods’ recruits include Chloe Collins (Texas); Victoria Arenas (Texas A&M); and Sarah Nielsen (Mississippi State).

Cypress Falls has a pair of college commitments in Chanell Clark-Bibbs (Georgia Tech) and Alexis Austin (Colorado).

Clear Lake can match Cypress Falls’ output with Kiara Wright (Southern Cal) and Haley Satterwhite (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi).

Some of the other big commitments include Magnolia’s Kylie Randall (Ohio State); Tomball’s Roxanne McVey (Mississippi State); Foster’s Tiana Dockery (Kansas); and Friendswood’s Jill Bergeson (Pepperdine).

By Kirstin Olsen

No. 38 Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calf.) had a good run this weekend at the Asics Challenge, taking third place with a 21-25, 25-17, 25-21 win over host Mother McAuley (Chicago), ranked 35th. The Sailors won their pool after a hard-fought battle against Cary-Grove (Cary, Ill.), the defending Asics champs. The Sailors probably had a different lineup every game. Their star setter, USC commit Cinnamon Sary, would also pass and hit for them a few rotations while junior Torey Thompson delivered the ball. When the Sailors were able to pass well enough to get senior middle blocker Alex Holbrook involved, they definitely got on a roll.

Unranked Carl Sandburg (Orland Park, Ill.) caught fire late in the Asics Challenge and posted a big 13-25, 27-25, 25-23 win over No. 39 Marist (Chicago, Ill.) to win the gold bracket consolation. After graduating nine players from last year's team, the Eagles are rebuilding this year. They got Marist into trouble with their defense and tough serving. Dakota Hampton, daughter of Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Dan Hampton, practically jumped out of her shoes at the end of the match, celebrating the win with her teammates.

No. 33 Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) continues to dominate the Pacific Northwest with a 16-0 record and not dropping a set all year. The Rams are backed by middle/outside hitter Oregon commit Martenne Bettendorf and top basketball recruit Kailee Johnson. The Rams are especially gifted in the height category this season with five players 6-feet or taller and are hoping to capture their third consecutive 6A state title this year.

No. 20 Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.) has had a good season so far at 16-1, only dropping a match to rival Gilbert (Gilbert, Ariz.), ranked 47th. The Huskies have eight players on their team who are 6-feet or taller, and their roster includes seven sophomores. They have five outstanding young middles and run a 6-2 offense to utilize their big hitters in the front row. They took down St. Xavier (Phoenix, Ariz.) on Sept. 13 and are scheduled for a rematch Oct. 6. The Huskies are looking to win their third 5A state championship this year.

If you have notable results from the weekend email us at Kolsen@studentsports.com.

2011 Asics Challenge Photo Gallery

By Kirstin Olsen

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Day 2 of the Asics Challenge highlighted some of the nation's top players. Only pool winners had a chance for the title, but the silver division was packed with talent.

Here are the top 10 players of the tournament.

Jordan Burgess, Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.): The 6-foot senior outside hitter was once again the most talented player in the gym. She skies, she digs she scores. She absolutely crushes the seam and can hit over the block. If you are late on your block, she will make you pay. She is a joy to watch and the nucleus of her team.

Megan Lipski, Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.): The 5-10 senior outside hitter was a force on the left. She did a great job hitting the seam and the tandem in the middle.

Daiva Wise, St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.):The 6-2 senior middle blocker was explosive in the middle. Her heavy, quick arm helped the Spartans rally and defeat defending Asics Champs Cary-Grove (Cary, Ill.) in a tough three-game match.

Melanie Jereb, Cary-Grove (Cary, Ill.): The 6-foot senior outside hitter was effective in the back row as well as the front. She was light on her feet and picked up a ton of balls on defense, allowing her team another opportunity to score. Her jump serve was effective as well.

Nicole Walch, Martin County (Stuart, Fla.):The 6-2 senior outside hitter is the go-to on her team. The Florida State commit moves well and is an offensive threat in the front and back row with her lively arm. The Tigers suffered a tough loss to host McAuley in pool play and again to Sacred Heart Saturday morning, but Walch and her team went down swinging.

Bridget Powell, Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.): The 5-6 senior libero is having quite a week. After recently committing to Purdue and helping her team beat No. 3 Berkeley Prep Thursday night, she covered the floor defensively for the Mighty Macs, helping them to a semifinal appearance against Berkeley Prep. Unfortunately, her match was cut short by a knee injury.

Alyssa Dawson, Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.):The 6-foot junior outside hitter put a ton of balls away for the Crusaders. She hammered line and angle and mixed in a few tips and cut shots to keep opposing teams' defense on their toes.

Sidney Brown, Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.): The 5-11 sophomore outside hitter was a good balance with Burgess. She terminated on some nice angles and challenged the block. Just a sophomore, she is a good athlete and still has room for improvement.

Chelsea Bowles, Assumption (Louisville, Ky.): The 5-4 senior libero is a defensive diva. She digs so many balls with ease, giving her team a multitude of opportunities for transitioning plays. She is the core of their defense and will be an excellent addition to Tennessee-Martin next year.

Alex Holbrook, Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.): The 5-11 senior middle blocker is just coming back from ACL surgery and is a true quick hitter. She gets up early and does a nice job hitting the 31 and the slide. She is uncommitted and would be a steal for any program.

By Walter Villa
2011 Asics Challenge Photo Gallery

CHICAGO, Ill. – Asics Challenge host Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.) will never know what may have happened this weekend had they stayed healthy.

Standout libero Bridget Powell suffered an injury to her right knee during McAuley’s 25-21, 25-16 semifinal loss to Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.).

McAuley, 35th in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings, had beaten No. 3 Berkeley on Thursday in a pre-tournament surprise.

McAuley had also battled Berkeley to an 18-18 tie in the first set of the rematch when Powell slipped on the court.

“Her leg went one way, and she heard a pop,” McAuley coach Jen DeJarld said. “It’s not good, but we really don’t know yet.

“She’s going to get an MRI. We’re expecting the worst but hoping for the best.”

Jordan Burgess, Berkeley’s star player, paid tribute to Powell.

“She’s amazing,” Burgess said. “That girl is really good. I think her injury was a really big deal in the match.”

Powell said she has never had a knee problem before and has never had an injury more serious than a twisted ankle.

“It hurts, but it’s not that bad right now,” said Powell, who was on crutches after her match. “I’m a little bit nervous.”

Powell, a senior who has committed to play her college ball at Purdue, shouldn’t fear for her scholarship, DeJarld said, even if the injury is serious.

“She has a bright future and will not be affected,” DeJarld said. “But it will affect us. She has been a starter since her sophomore year. No one else has played that position on our team except her.”

After Powell was hurt, McAuley lost the Berkeley match and a three-set battle for third place against Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.).

To replace Powell at libero, DeJarld used senior Marykate Mixan, a quick player with experience playing in the back row, especially in club ball.

“We can’t mourn a loss,” DeJarld said. “We have to move on. I have high hopes for this team. I think we have the best team in the state, which is saying something in Illinois.

“Beating Berkeley on Thursday night was one of the highlights of my seven years as a coach. We played a beautiful match, and our semifinal started the same way.

“Who knows how it would have turned out had Bridget not gotten hurt.”

Aquinas accepts challenge

Lisa Zielinski, coach of St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), was just looking to play in the 2012 Asics Challenge.

She got her wish a year early.

Aquinas is not the type of school to turn away from a challenge – in any sport. Evidence of that includes the Aquinas football team, which is second in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings and regularly beats out-of-state powers.

So when Venice (Venice, Fla.) backed out of this year’s Asics just two weeks before the start of the tournament, Zielinski took advantage and brought her team to Chicago.

Zielinski, who got great support from school administrators and players’ parents to make the trip on just 10 days’ notice, made the decision to come even though the Raiders may not be quite ready to beat top-level competition.

“We’re young -- we start all underclassmen,” Zielinski said. “But our girls have great potential.”

Aquinas’ key players are 5-foot-9 junior outside hitter Allison Belanger; 5-5 junior setter Ana Pedraza; 6-0 freshman opposite hitter Nikki Lyons; 5-7 sophomore setter Mackenzie Zielinski; and 6-3 junior middle hitter Brooke Lyons.

Aquinas started the week 6-0 but suffered three straight losses to top-notch competition. Before heading home, they lost to No. 18 Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). On Friday at Asics, Aquinas lost to St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.) and No. 5 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), both in straight sets.

Still, Zielinski said it was a great experience, especially after winning two out of three matches on Saturday and finishing in 18th place out of 24 teams.

“The girls wanted to do this,” she said. “They wanted to face this type of competition. We hadn’t really had a challenge until the Gibbons game.

“When we looked at the pools, we knew what we were up against. I’m not saying we didn’t fight and give it our best, but we knew. We’re just hoping this will help us in the postseason.”

Odds and ends

-- Of the top nine finishers at the Asics Challenge, only one was unranked – Sandburg (Orland Park, Ill.), which came in fifth after a three-set win over No. 39 Marist (Chicago, Ill.).

-- The lowest finish by a ranked team was turned in by No. 31 Martin County (Stuart, Fla.), which came in 15th.

-- In its first ever appearance at Asics, No. 41 Huntley (Huntley, Ill.) finished eighth.

By Walter Villa

2011 Asics Challenge Photo Gallery

CHICAGO, Ill. – Liberated from the pressure of an undefeated season, Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) has been delivering punishment to every opponent it has faced the past month.

On Saturday, it was the No. 3 team in the nation that got in their way.

No. 5 Assumption smashed Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) 25-17, 25-21 to win the 24-team Asics Challenge, which featured nine teams ranked in the POWERADE FAB 50.

It is the 11^th time in the past 16 years that the Rockets have won the Asics Challenge.

It is also the second straight elite tournament the No. 5 Rockets (32-1) have swept this season; the first was the 48-team Durango Fall Classic Sept. 16-17 in Las Vegas, Nev.

All of this has happened after the Rockets lost to No. 46 Chattahoochee (Johns Creek, Ga.), in three sets on Sept. 10.

“We’ve been playing great since then,” said Assumption senior Taylor Long, a 5-10 outside hitter. “We’ve been playing free.”

It wasn’t quite free for No. 3 Berkeley (16-2) this week. The Bucs’ two losses – they also fell to No. 35 Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.) on Thursday – will likely cost them in the rankings.

Berkeley coach Randy Dagostino said his team’s 14 service errors – about a dozen more than usual – were the biggest factor in the loss to McAuley.

“I’m going to take the blame for that,” Dagostino said. “I had been telling our girls to serve aggressively.

“But look, finishing undefeated has never been a goal of mine. I’ve never gone undefeated in 28 years of coaching. If undefeated was my goal, I’d never leave Florida.”

Since the loss to McAuley, Berkeley made sure to get its serves in, allowing setter Mackenzie Dagostino, a Maryland recruit, to distribute to Stanford commit Jordan Burgess and rising 5-11 sophomore star Sidney Brown.

That strategy worked well until they faced Assumption, which played stellar defense to win back the title it lost in 2010.

“We’re not very large on the outside, but I was very impressed with our defense,” Assumption coach Ron Kordes said. “We touched a lot of balls on (Burgess). We slowed her balls down. If you don’t, you are only going to dig her so much.”

Kordes said 6-3 junior Taylor Paulson was an active blocker, and the coach also praised his team’s depth. He used 11 players on Saturday, which is about his norm with this team.

Not lost in all the glory was the back-row specialists, 5-4 senior Chelsea Bowles and 5-8 juniors London Ackerman and Kaelin Grimes.

No MVP was picked for the tournament, but more than a couple people came away mighty impressed with Bowles.

“Chelsea was on it,” Long said. “She was here, she was there, she was everywhere.

“We don’t come across big hitters like (Burgess) very often. But when we do, Chelsea, London and Kaelin always step up.”

Senior setter Katie George, the only Assumption standout who made the six-player all-tournament team, said the Rockets’ back row frustrated Burgess, who had no kills in the first set before nailing nine in the second.

“As a hitter, you become impatient when you don’t get kills right off the bat,” said George, who has recovered from the blood clots she suffered this past summer and played for the first time this weekend without her protective helmet. “Our defense was outstanding.”

Paulson also spoke in glowing terms of the Rockets’ defense and seemed to be somewhat amazed by how her team thwarted some high-caliber players.

“We shut down their outside hitters, and they are not used to that,” Paulson said. “I mean, look at them – Stanford (Burgess) … come on!”

Coming on is exactly what the Rockets have been doing since losing to Chattahoochee. No coach ever wants to lose a match, but Kordes said he is happy his girls no longer have that stress.

“It’s real difficult to stay undefeated,” he said. “We’ve done it a couple times, but the pressure on the girls is terrible, monumental. Now we can just play.”

By Kirstin Olsen

CHICAGO, Ill. – With some of the best players in the nation representing 24 teams from Florida to California, the Asics Challenge opened Friday night.

Several players rose to the occasion for the elite tournament on Day 1.

Here are 10 players we found flying under the radar:

Claire Till, Wahlert (Dubuque, Iowa): The 6-foot senior middle blocker was the spark plug her team needed in the middle. In one of the first rallies of the game, she came in and yahtzeed a quick set, firing her team up for a tough three-game match against Pius XI (Milwaukee, Wis.)

Dakota Hampton, Sandburg (Orland Park, Ill.): The 6-1 junior outside hitter brings the heat and passes nails as well. The outside hitter is uncommitted, and is the daughter of Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Hampton who played for the Bears from 1979-90.

Samantha Brown, Nazareth (LaGrange Park, Ill.): The 6-foot sophomore outside hitter hit the line and did a great job of taking advantage of the short blocker in the front row. She showed the stature and steadiness of a seasoned player.

Ashley Holder, Marist (Chicago, Ill.): The 5-8 senior setter did a great job utilizing her hitters. When she was in the front row, she ran the slide effectively and found holes in opposing teams' defense with her dump.

Allison Belanger, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.): The 5-9 junior outside hitter was scrappy on defense and moved the ball around well against the big Assumption block.

Morgan Reardon, Joliet Catholic (Joliet, Ill.): The 5-11 junior outside hitter was a high-flyer for the Angels. She was crushing the ball on the outside, giving her team the added fire they needed to win their pool.

Meghan Drambel, Seneca Valley (Harmony, Penn.): The 5-11 outside hitter was a force for her team. In a tough match against Lone Peak (Highland, Utah), her stellar court vision allowed her to see holes in the defense.

Cinnamon Sary, Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.): The 5-11 setter who is headed to USC normally wouldn't be considered for an "under the radar" list. But she is passing and hitting for her team right now, and those skills are way underrated. She helped the Sailors knock out defending Asics champs Cary-Grove (Cary, Ill.).

Miranda Elpers, Assumption (Louisville, Ky.): The 5-8 freshman outside hitter rose to the occasion against St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.). She was dynamic, not intimidated by the block and didn't play like a freshman when it came down to crunch time.

Kizzy Willey, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah): The 6-1 junior outside hitter showed her heavy arm, and made a great play covering her own hit off the Joliet Catholic block.

By Walter Villa

CHICAGO, Ill. – The 25^thannual Asics Challenge started Friday night, but the biggest story involving the 24 teams happened before the tournament’s first serve floated into play.

Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.), ranked third in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings, lost 25-22, 25-21Thursday night to No. 35 Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.), the hosts of the Asics Challenge.

What Berkeley (12-1) had hoped would be a tune-up for Asics instead becomes the Bucs’ first loss -- and it may have ruined their shot at a national title.

But just as surprising as the loss was the fact that it came in straight sets.

“Thursday was a perfect match on our end,” Mother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld said. “I’m proud that we beat them, and we beat them in two (sets).

“My girls were able to follow the game plan from Point 1 to 25. It was a battle – never more than a two- or three-point lead by either team.”

With the win, Mother McAuley (18-2) continued what DeJarld said has been a two-week run of success. If anything, she said, her team’s two wins Friday at Asics snapped the streak of excellent play.

Mother McAuley dropped the first set against Nazareth (LaGrange Park, Ill.,) before rallying to win 23-25, 25-16, 25-14. After that, Mother McAuley impressed again, defeating No. 31 Martin County (Stuart, Fla.) 25-21, 25-19.

Berkeley Prep, the top seed, continued to struggle early Friday, dropping the first set against Wahlert (Dubuque, Iowa) before rallying to win 24-26, 25-21, 25-16. Berkeley then beat Pius XI (Milwaukee, Wis.) 25-18, 25-15.

Berkeley can still make a big impression if the Bucs win out on Saturday and prevail in a tournament with eight other FAB 50 teams.

And, DeJarld expects Berkeley to play with a chip on its shoulder on Saturday.

“Anger,” DeJarld said when asked how Berkeley handled the loss on Thursday. “They didn’t know what hit ’em a little bit. We’re flying under the radar.”

Something to watch for: Berkeley and Mother McAuley could meet in the semifinals Saturday if both teams continue to win.

New champ guaranteed

Cary-Grove (Cary, Ill.), the defending Asics Challenge champs, was knocked out of contention with a 25-8, 22-25, 25-23 loss to No. 37 Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.).

The day’s big biggest upset came Friday night, when No. 37 Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.) fell to Sandburg (Orland Park, Ill.) 21-25, 26-24, 25-20.

Also winning their pools on Friday were No. 5 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.); No. 26 Joliet Catholic (Joliet, Ill.); No. 38 Marist (Chicago, Ill.) and Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.).

By Walter Villa

CHICAGO, Ill. - When you are cut from a team, the coach doesn’t use a knife.

It just feels that way.

What had been your identity – “I’m a volleyball player” – has been shaken.

Your friends on the team haven’t disappeared, but what bonded you has vanished, and you can’t help but feel like an outsider.

All the work you put into the sport suddenly feels like a waste, and your dream of earning a college volleyball scholarship seems like a cruel joke.

Gianna Lincoln of Joilet Catholic Academy (Joilet, Ill.) felt all those things.

The 5-foot-11 senior is now a starting middle blocker for a team ranked 26^thin the POWERADE FAB 50. She helped Joliet (15-0) go 2-0 Friday on the first day of the Asics Challenge, which concludes on Saturday.

But as a junior, Lincoln was told, in essence, she wasn’t good enough to make her high school team. She had tried out as an outside hitter, but Joliet had Loyola-Chicago commits Kelly Feigh and Morgan Reardon ahead of her at the position.

“I was very surprised and really upset,” said Lincoln, who cried immediately after seeing the 2010 roster posted on the wall. “I didn’t know what to do with myself.”

After getting the news, Lincoln didn’t call anyone, at least not immediately. She drove home alone, accompanied only by what seemed like a million thoughts running through her head.

“How am I going to make it in college if I’m not on the team my junior year of high school?” Lincoln asked herself. “I didn’t know how I was going to explain that to a college. I didn’t know if they would understand.”

Over the next few days, Lincoln’s teammates called and texted, offering support and urging her not to quit.

Still, Lincoln said that when she hung out with her friends on the team, the encounters were “awkward.” The conversations naturally turned to things that happened at practice -- things Lincoln was no longer a part of.

After a couple of weeks, though, Lincoln came to the realization she was not ready to give up the sport she had played since fifth grade. Instead, she went to talk to Joliet coach Christine Scheibe, who suggested Lincoln try out next year as a middle hitter, where there would be less of a logjam.

She also told Lincoln to improve her defense, her serve receive and her on-court communication.

“I hate cut day,” Scheibe said. “It’s not easy to tell a girl who has been playing for years and years that you don’t have room for her on the roster.

“But Gianna handled it so well, wanting to know how she can improve, that it left me with an open mind that, ‘OK, maybe she has potential.’ ”

Lincoln used the year off from high school volleyball in a productive manner. Three days a week, she practiced with and against the boys at her club team, Sports Performance.

Lincoln found that her defense improved against the boys’ hard-hitting attacks. With the net a foot higher, she noticed her leaping ability got better, too.

Still, when it came time to try out for Joliet’s 2011 team, Lincoln was nervous. Her coach noticed and told her not to play it safe.

“She was worried about getting cut again,” Scheibe said. “Once she let go of that, her game came around.”

Lincoln no longer feels awkward around Feigh, Reardon and the rest of the girls. The other standouts are Lauren Robertson, a 5-9 senior setter who committed to Evansville; senior libero Jill Hickey, 6-0 senior middle hitter Hailey Pennington and 5-10 senior setter Emily Schoenstedt, an aspiring doctor.

That core group will be bidding this season for its third state title in the past four years.

Last year, Lincoln was in the stands when Joliet had match point in the state final, only to lose to Mater Dei (Breese, Ill.) 15-25, 25-18, 26-24.

It was yet another painful moment for Lincoln.

“I couldn’t believe we lost,” Lincoln said. “I had the same emotion as the girls on the court. I felt I could have been out there to help.”

She’s out there now, making a difference on her team.

“Gianna came back with fire and desire, and it’s really inspiring,” Scheibe said. “It shows that if there is something you really want, you should go after it and do everything in your power to make it happen.”

Lincoln, who plans to study psychology or criminal justice as well as play volleyball in college, said she would be pleased if her story inspires others.

“Just because you get cut doesn’t mean you are not a good volleyball player,” she said. “And it doesn’t mean you can’t come back the next year and make the team.”

By Walter Villa

Eli Manning is, in effect, the quarterback of the volleyball team at Huntley (Huntley, Ill.).

Manning’s name is pronounced exactly the same as the New York Giants quarterback – but they’re not related. And while the Giants’ Manning is famous for engineering a huge Super Bowl upset over the New England Patriots, his volleyball-playing namesake and her teammates scored a major surprise last week when they beat Cary-Grove (Cary, Ill.), snapping its 61-match regular-season win streak.

Huntley lost the first set and trailed 15-7 in the second before rallying for a 21-25, 25-23, 25-22 victory.

“That’s one of the best high school matches I’ve ever coached,” said Michelle Jakubowski, who is in her sixth year running the Huntley program.

Manning, a 5-foot-8 setter, is one of five key seniors on the team, all of whom are at least second-year starters. The others are 5-8 libero Amy Dion, who committed to Maryland; 5-11 outside hitter Sam Boesch, who is a Wake Forest recruit; 5-9 outside hitter Ashley Smith; and 6-1 middle blocker Jaina Jackson.

The victory over Cary-Grove got national attention and vaulted Huntley to No. 41 in the most recent POWERADE FAB 50 poll.

On Friday, the Huntley Red Raiders (14-0) will make their first-ever appearance at the Asics Challenge at Mother McAuley in Chicago. They will need to slay more giants if they expect to emerge on top of a 24-team field that includes eight other members of the FAB 50.

Here is a quick look at the top teams that will be competing with Huntley in Chicago this weekend:
(Note: Updated on Sept. 29 to reflect Week 4 rankings):

No. 3 Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.): The Bucs won the 2010 Florida state title in five sets over Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.), and they won their own Premier tournament this past weekend, beating – who else? – No. 28 Bishop Moore in five sets in the final. Berkeley Prep is off to an 11-0 start.

No. 5 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.): The Rockets (27-1) have won 10 of the past 15 Asics Challenges, never failing to earn the title more than one year in a row. And since Cary-Grove won Asics last year, Assumption may be due for another top prize. Already this year they captured the Durango Fall Classic title in Las Vegas, Nev.

No. 26 Joliet Catholic Academy (Joliet, Ill.): The Hilltoppers went 34-8 last season and finished second at state. They had some injuries earlier this season but are still 13-0. They’re finally healthy and could be a threat.

No. 31 Martin County (Stuart, Fla.): The Tigers (11-1) finished second this past weekend in their own tournament, the East Coast Challenge. They lost 25-22, 25-18 in the final to No. 18 Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).

No. 35 Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.): The tournament hosts won't just lay out the welcome mat. With an 11-2 record, they go from unranked to No. 35 this week.

No. 37 Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.): The Valkyries (21-6) have lost their two matchups against Assumption so far this season but had a good showing in Las Vegas, Nev., where they finished ninth in the 48-team Durango Fall Classic.

No. 38 Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.): The Sailors (15-3) boast top setter Cinnamon Sary. The 5-10 senior committed to Southern Cal, where she will join former Newport teammate Kelly Burnham. In 2009, the duo led Newport to a state title. Last year, the Sailors made it to the state quarterfinals.

No. 39 Marist (Chicago, Ill.): The Red Hawks (16-2) showed their heart in a win over Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.) earlier this month. The Hawks trailed 24-21 in the first set but rallied to win 26-24, 25-18.

National powers set to play

Two volleyball programs that have been outstanding since the moment the schools opened their doors will face off on Oct. 5 in a matchup that will help shape this year’s national championship.

No. 1 Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Neb.), which finished 41-0 and No. 1 in last season’s FAB 50, will visit No. 4 St. James (Lenexa, Kansas).

Both schools are relatively new. Papillion-La Vista South opened in 2003 and finished second at state in 2008 and 2009 before breaking through with its first title last year.

St. James opened in 2005 with all freshmen. They played a junior varsity schedule that first year but showed immediate potential, posting a 35-0 record.

In their first two years playing varsity, St. James went 30-10 and 45-1, reaching the state finals in 2007. The Thunder’s first of three straight state titles came in 2008, and their record since ’07 is an impressive 190-7.

St. James’ top player is 5-7 senior setter Paige Brown, the school’s career leader in assists and an Appalachian State recruit. But the Thunder has no players over 6-1.

Papillion has three players committed to the University of Nebraska: setter Kelly Hunter and the 6-3 Rolfzen twins, Amber and Kadie, who were named ESPNHS Sophomores of the Year last season.