York Volleyball Wins Fifth Straight Regional

Sure, the York girls volleyball team felt great about winning its fifth consecutive Class 4A regional title Thursday.

The Dukes feel even better about finally getting healthy.

With a full but fatigued lineup, York still had enough energy to outlast determined Wheaton Warrenville South 25-21, 25-10 in the Elk Grove Regional final and advance to the St. Charles East Sectional.

The Dukes (31-3), fourth in state last year and the sectional’s No. 1 seed, play No. 5 West Chicago (25-12) at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, with the winner meeting No. 2 St. Charles East (31-6) or No. 6 St. Charles North (24-11) for the sectional title at 7 p.m. Nov. 3.

“We haven’t had a full team practice in a week and a half,” York coach Patty Iverson said Friday.

“We have been very sick, but that’s not an excuse. (No. 8 Wheaton South) played very well. They attack the line, which is very unusual as a team, and we just had a hard time adjusting. And they did it very well. They played great, scrappy defense and they got a swing at almost everything, maybe five free balls the whole match. And they served us extremely tough.”

York has equaled the program’s longest streak of regional titles from 1989-93. Junior Melissa Deatsch had 11 kills and 11 digs, while other big totals came from seniors Caroline Rose (9 kills, 9 digs), Katie Gallagher (26 assists, 5 blocks), Morgan Semmelhack (4 kills, 10 digs) and Sam Schrenker (5 kills, 4 blocks, 3 aces) and sophomore Angela Scalzitti (7 digs).

The Dukes’ wave of illness included three girls throwing up, and ear and sinus infections and bronchitis for others. On Oct. 20, just two days after securing an outright West Suburban Conference Silver Division championship, Iverson gave her players the day off with hopes of recuperating.

Gallagher sat out the 25-17, 25-21 regional semifinal victory over Elk Grove Oct. 25. Sophomore Rachel Iverson, the coach’s daughter, took over as the primary setter. Gallagher returned for the regional final after missing school the previous day.

York players lifted weights Friday. They were back to a regular practice by Saturday.

“We’re looking forward to practicing. We’re very excited,” Iverson said. “Rachel setting (against Elk Grove) was great in that we could put in our backup setter and win at a relatively stressful time and still carry it out.”

The sectional champion plays for a berth to the four-team state finals in the York Super-Sectional at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, against the champion of the Glenbrook South Sectional.

All top-four seeds remain in that sectional: No. 1 New Trier, No. 2 Evanston, No. 3 Glenbrook South and No. 4 Loyola Academy. York recently defeated New Trier, last year’s super-sectional opponent, in three sets Oct. 22 in the semifinals of the Lyons Township Invitational and then topped Lake Zurich for the championship in two sets.  

At last year’s sectional, West Chicago was the No. 1 seed but lost in the semifinals to No. 4 St. Charles East, which No. 2 York then defeated in the final.

The Wheaton Warrenville South regional final match was a good reminder to take it one playoff match at a time. The Tigers led in both sets.

“(WWS) played very well. They blocked us well. They hit well against us, very scrappy defense,” Iverson said.

“We’re happy about it because having to play your matches to get to the state tournament is much better than being able to roll over somebody and not be challenged. Being challenged every step of the way is the best way to do it, I think. (But) maybe not so challenging as Wheaton South.”

Class 4A Elk Grove Regional

Regional finals
York d. Wheaton Warrenville South 25-21, 25-10
Kills: Melissa Deatsch 11, Caroline Rose 9, Sam Schrenker 5, Morgan Semmelhack 4
Assists: Katie Gallagher 26
Digs: Deatsch 11, Semmelhack 10, Rose 9, Angela Scalzitti 7, Gallagher 4
Aces: Schrenker 3, Semmelhack 2, Gallagher 1
Blocks: Gallagher 5, Schrenker 4, Molly Schlecht, Semmelhack and Deatsch 2, Rose 1
Regional semifinals
York d. Elk Grove 25-17, 25-21
Kills: Rose 12, Deatsch 9, Semmelhack 6, Schrenker 4
Assists: Rachel Iverson 22
Digs: Deatsch 14, Rose 8, Semmelhack 6, Scalzitti 5, Iverson 3
Aces: Deatsch 4
Blocks: Schrenker 2, Semmelhack, Deatsch and Rose 1

Lyons Township Invitational

Championship match
York d. Lake Zurich 25-11, 25-22
Kills: Deatsch 8, Semmelhack and Schrenker 5
Digs: Deatsch 6, Semmelhack 4
Aces: Deatsch 4, Schrenker 2
Blocks: Schrenker 8, Deatsch and Semmelhack 4
Semifinals
York d. New Trier 25-21, 21-25, 25-21
Kills: Rose 18, Deatsch 13, Schrenker 7, Semmelhack 4, Gallagher 2, Schlecht 1
Assists: Gallagher 38, Semmelhack 2
Digs: Scalzitti 13, Rose 10, Semmelhack 7, Gallagher and Deatsch 6, Schrenker 1
Aces: Schrenker 6, Deatsch 3, Gallagher and Rose 1
Blocks: Rose 3, Schlecht, Gallagher and Semmelhack 2, Deatsch 1
Quarterfinals
York d. Maine South 25-13, 25-17
Kills: Rose 7, Schrenker, Semmelhack and Deatsch 5, Gallagher and Schlecht 2
Assists: Gallagher 27
Digs: Deatsch 9, Semmelhack 8, Rose 7, Scalzitti 4, Schrenker 1
Aces: Deatsch and Semmelhack 2, Scalzitti and Schrenker 1
Blocks: Schrenker 3, Schlecht and Deatsch 2, Semmelhack 1
Pool play
York d. Shepard 25-17, 25-16
Kills: Rose 8, Schrenker 6, Deatsch 5, Gallagher 1
Assists: Gallagher 17
Digs: Rose 10, Deatsch 5, Gallagher 3
Aces: Gallagher 2, Schrenker and Rose 1
Blocks: Schrenker 5, Deatsch 4
York d. Palatine 25-15, 25-13
Kills: Semmelhack 10, Deatsch 6, Rose 4, Schrenker 3, Gallagher 2
Assists: Gallagher 22
Digs: Scalzitti 9, Rose 7, Deatsch and Semmelhack 5, Gallagher 4, Schrenker 1
Aces: Deatsch 4, Gallagher 3, Schrenker, Semmelhack and Rose 1
Blocks: Schrenker 6, Semmelhack and Deatsch 2, Rose 1

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