Sports
Immaculate Conception Girls Volleyball Team Nearly Pulls Upset in Regional Final
Class 2A Immaculate Conception's attempt for a sixth consecutive regional title was thwarted by top-seeded Timothy Christian in two close sets.
Another great season for the Immaculate Conception girls volleyball team ended too soon Thursday.
The Knights nearly beat another higher-seed foe for the second time in as many nights at the Class 2A Westmont Regional, but lost a tight battle with No. 1-seed Timothy Christian 25-23, 25-23 in the regional final.
IC (26-11), the No. 3 seed, was seeking its sixth straight regional title, but talented Timothy (33-3-1) extended its unbeaten streak to 30 in a row.
“I was telling the kids it was a great spectator match,” IC coach Jean Field said. “It’s disappointing that it ended this way because this is probably one of the more talented teams we’ve had, and then we’re having to be in the regional that we were in.”
Top performers for the Knights included seniors Kellyanne Remy (3 kills, 3 blocks) and Jen Clementi (2 kills), juniors Kathleen Ryan (11 digs), junior Liz Martino (8 assists) and Emily Hartnett (3 kills) and sophomores Kimmie Martino (5 kills, 2 blocks, 6 digs, 4 assists), Rory Manion (9 digs) and Delaney D’Amore (3 kills).
It was the third regional match in as many nights for IC, which rallied to beat No. 2 Lisle 24-26, 25-22, 25-21 in the regional semifinals. The Trojans, who received a first-round bye, also played their semifinal the previous night.
Timothy advances to Tuesday’s Winnebago Sectional semifinals against Guerin Prep while St. Edward and Lena-Winslow meet in the other match. Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division champion IC beat the sectional’s other three teams during the regular season, including conference foes Guerin and St. Edward.
Guerin and Lena-Winslow were No. 1 seeds in their respective regionals. The Green Wave advanced as a No. 5 seed, beating top-seeded Winnebago in their regional semifinals.
“It’s frustrating,” Field said. “You get the kids to work hard and tell them it’s all going to pay off. But what are you going to do?”
The Knights continued their success after graduating just two seniors, Colleen Manion and Judy Morris, who were part of the starting rotation for the 2010 super-sectional qualifiers.
With just four seniors on this year’s team, IC already has a strong nucleus for next season. Remy has been a varsity member since being brought up to the varsity as a freshman for the 2008 postseason, when the Knights also reached the super-sectional.
“I think this is disappointing for her. We’ve won three regionals, (went) to super-sectionals twice (during her four seasons). She worked hard and I thought she was a good role model,” Field said.
“Jen’s just a really good person to have. Katelyn Conenna is just a great athlete and going to Indiana (on a softball scholarship) so we’re wishing her the best, and Juliette Ambrogi really came on this year. She has had a lot of talent and it came out this year.”
2011 still proved to be a banner year for the program. On Sept. 2, Field earned her 800th varsity career coaching victory with the school.
Even with the sophomores on the varsity, IC’s sophomore and freshman teams also won SCC titles to mark the first time all three levels have won conference titles in one season. The varsity and sophomore championships were outright.
The reward? A promotion to the SCC Blue Division, which includes perennial power St. Francis, Rosary and Marian Central all from their days in the former Suburban Catholic Conference.
“The good news is, we won conference. The bad news is we’re moving up (to the SCC Blue),” Field said with a laugh.
