NT uses balanced attack to win regional title

SCOREBOARD WATCHING: VOLLEYBALL

Haley Holz certainly can grab you attention.

Especially when she’s serving. Palatine High School’s 6-foot-2 junior outside hitter can be a little menacing, when she unleashes her high-arcing — and high risk — topspin jump serve.

At one stretch in the second set of the Class 4A regional title match at Prospect High School on Oct. 26, Holz reeled off four straight aces against New Trier.

Sheer power on display.

But Holz’s efforts weren’t enough against the top-seeded and well-balanced Trevians, who walked away with 25-14, 25-19 victory over the ninth-seeded Pirates.

“I actually thought that we did a pretty good job of containing her,” said NT coach Hannah Hsieh.

The Trevians, meanwhile, pushed their record to 31-5 by receiving consistent performances up and down their lineup.

“The strength of our team is our composed play in big matches,” said Hsieh, who will now prepare her squad for a sectional semifinal match-up against Niles West on Oct. 30 (5:30 p.m.) at New Trier.

This NT team might be young, but it’s not inexperienced. Five of its juniors — Payton Hielscher, Maddie McGregor, Grace Bozzo, Gillian Klise and Taite Ryan — were varsity players during the 2016 campaign.

In the win over Palatine (25-11), McGregor led the attack with five kills. Sophomore Maggie Bodman helped out with four kills and two blocks, while Klise added three blocks.

Hielscher was the quarterback. She had 11 assists to go along with six digs and two aces.

Senior Julia Maisel was the digs leader with seven, while Bozzo led the team in aces (3).

Ryan also was a key contributor with two kills and one ace. She served up the final six points of the second set.

Meanwhile, New Trier needed three sets to down Glenbrook South in a semifinal match at the Class 4A Prospect Regional on Oct. 24.

With the 25-19, 19-25, 25-14 victory, NT came up with its 30th win of the season. The Trevians (30-5) will play Palatine in the title game on Oct. 26 at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, in other regional semifinal action on Oct. 24, Loyola Academy (23-13) fell short against Wheeling 25-17, 14-25, 25-22 at the Niles North Regional, while host Highland Park was ousted from postseason play by Barrington 25-21, 21-25, 25-18.

HP finished the season 18-14. The Giants have won 18 matches in three of the last four seasons.

“This is a great group of players who really came together,” said HP head coach Beth Peterson. “We had great team chemistry.

“It would’ve been nice to squeeze out a win tonight,” the coach added.

The Giants, seeded No. 10, had upset on their minds. After a doing stellar work in the second set, they were tied 16-16 late in the third set.

But the seventh-seeded Fillies went on a key 5-0 run late in the final set to close out the victory.

“We got the block up in the second set, but we didn’t do that in the third set,” said Peterson. “That was the difference. We were a little too timid.”

The Giants will return five key players next season in juniors Ireland Hieb, Ella Weil, Allyson Gordon, Olivia Carter and sophomore Georgia Sullivan. The team will need to find solid replacements for seniors Ellie Sullivan and Miranda Mottlowitz.

“You can’t help but look ahead a little,” said Peterson.

Two area teams — Lake Forest and Glenbrook North — were eliminated from the playoffs on Oct. 23 in regional quarterfinal action.

LF, seeded 19th, fell to Crystal Lake South 25-21, 25-12 at the Class 4A Prairie Ridge Regional. Alyssa Thrash and Ellie Pearson led the offense with four kills each. Cassidy Shaul had three kills and eight digs. The other stat leaders were Heather Conover (3 aces, 7 digs) and Maria Gabrielsen (10 assists).

GBN, seeded No. 17,  saw its season end against Rolling Meadows 26-24, 30-28 at the HP Regional.

Lyons Tournament

— New Trier capped off its regular season by going 3-2 in the Lyons Tournament on Oct. 20-21.

After losing their first two matches to Lyons 2-0 and Geneva 2-0, the Trevians (29-5, 9-1) roared back to beat Glenbrook North 2-0, Lake Zurich 2-0 and York 2-0.

Maddie McGregor finished the tourney with 33 kills, six blocks and four aces.

Gillian Klise came up with 17 kills, six blocks and four aces.

Maggie Bodman was credited with 13 kills and nine blocks.

And Payton Hielscher ended up with eight kills, three blocks, three aces and 75 assists.

Meanwhile, GBN went 1-3 at the invite. The Spartans (12-21, 3-7) got into the win column by downing Libertyville 21-25, 25-18, 25-21.

Loyola Academy 21-25, 25-22, 25-14

— Count it as another successful season for Loyola Academy.

By downing visiting Providence 2-1 on Oct. 17, the Ramblers head into the postseason with a 23-12 record. They went 3-3 in league play.

Anne Martinson (5 kills, 8 assists, 9 digs), Sammy Downey (5 blocks, 1 kill), Avery Bodkin (3 kills, 3 blocks), Julia Martinez (4 kills, 1 block, 10 digs), Angela Pieroni (11 digs, 1 ace) and Mary Leinenweber (10 digs, 8 assists) led the way in the win over Providence.

Maine West d. Highland Park 25-21, 25-16

— Despite coming up short against host Maine West 2-0 on Oct. 19, Highland Park came out a winner.

The Giants will share the CSL North Division title with Maine West and Maine East. All three teams ended up with 8-2 league records.

It’s quite the accomplishment for HP. The Giants haven’t won a volleyball conference title since 1975.

In the match against Maine West, the stat leaders for HP (18-13) were Miranda Mottlowitz (7 kills), Ireland Hieb (7 kills), Ella Wiel (9 digs) and Allyson Gordon (9 digs, 13 assists).

Glenbrook North d. Vernon Hills 25-22, 25-18

— Glenbrook North put one in the win column on Oct. 18 with a 2-0 triumph over visiting Vernon Hills.

The Spartans (11-18, 3-7) were led by Lauren Mendelson (7 kills), Madilyn Schooley (6 kills), Grace Heywood (5 kills, 8 digs), Tess Benson (2 aces, 11 assists), Emma Bubelis (11 digs) and Riley McCarthy (9 digs, 12 assists).

Evanston d. Glenbrook South 25-21, 19-25, 25-15

— Glenbrook South (13-19, 2-8) wound up losing a competitive battle to visiting Evanston 2-0 on Oct. 18.

Niles West d. New Trier 21-25, 25-19, 25-22

— New Trier sustained its first — only — loss in CSL South play on Oct. 18, when the Trevians dropped a 2-1 decision to host Niles West.

The Trevians ended up with the league title with a 9-1 record. Niles West was the runner-up with an 8-2 mark.

NT was led by Maddie McGregor (10 kills), Grace Kapsimalis (4 kills), Grace Bozzo (3 kills), Payton Hielscher (3 kills, 25 assists), Grace Magner (3 kills), Gillian Klise (3 aces) and Julia Maisel (15 digs).

Highland Park d. Deerfield 28-26, 25-18

— Highland Park claimed a 2-0 win over rival Deerfield on Oct. 17.

The host Giants (18-12, 8-1) received strong showings from Ireland Hieb (11 kills), Olivia Carter (6 kills, 4 aces), Ellie Sullivan (5 kills), Miranda Mottlowitz (5 kills, 2 aces), Allyson Gordon (11 digs, 23 assists) and Ella Weil (7 digs).

Maine West d. Glenbrook North 27-25, 25-19

— Grace Heywood had nine kills for Glenbrook North in its 2-0 loss to visiting Maine West on Oct. 16.

GBN’s other stat leaders were Riley McCarthy (11 assists), Tess Benson (10 assists, 3 aces) and Madilyn Schooley (7 digs).

Maine South d. Glenbrook South 25-23, 25-21

— In a 2-0 setback to host Maine South on Oct. 16, Glenbrook South received solid work from Christina Kladis (7 kills, 2 blocks), Kate Gregoy (6 kills, 2 blocks), Enola Varga (13 digs) and Kiley Hanson (11 assists).

Lake Forest d. Waukegan 25-18, 24-26, 25-22

Autumnfest Tournament

— Loyola went over the 20-win mark with its 11^th-place finish at the prestigious Autumnfest Tournament at Glenbard East on Oct. 13-14.

Seeded 14^th, the Ramblers (22-12) went 1-1 in pool play — defeating Crystal Lake South 25-23, 26-24 and losing to Mother McAuley 25-22, 25-16 — before going 2-1 in the Silver Bracket.

For LA, the win of the tournament was getting past Glenbard West 25-23, 17-25, 25-23. The Ramblers also topped Lemont 18-25, 25-23, 25-18, while they fell short against Prairie Ridge 25-16, 28-26.

Maine West Invite

— Highland Park finished 3-2 in the Maine West Invite on Oct. 13-14.

The Giants topped Hersey 2-1, Riverside-Brookfield 2-1 and Homewood-Flossmoor 2-1. They fell short against Lockport 2-0 and Belleville West 2-0.

Lake Forest d. Mundelein 25-15, 25-20

— Senior Night turned out to be a good night for Lake Forest.

The Scouts took care of visiting Mundelein 2-0 on Oct. 11. The win was spurred by the play of seniors Katie Constantine (3 blocks, 3 kills) and Maria Gabrielsen (14 assists).

Junior Ellie Pearson had six kills for LF.

Plainfield Fall Harvest Invite

— Glenbrook South went 3-3 in the Fall Harvest Invite at Plainfield Central High School on Oct. 13-14.

York d. Glenbrook South 23-25, 25-18, 25-14

— Glenbrook South traveled to Elmhurst on Oct. 12 and dropped a 2-1 decision to the York Dukes.

Kate Gregory amassed nine kills and two blocks for the Titans (10-14, 2-6). The team’s other stat leaders were Megan Quill (5 kills, 5 digs, 16 assists), Cat Berg (4 kills, 6 digs), Ellie Eisenberg (3 aces, 7 digs), Kiley Hanson (3 blocks, 11 assists) and Enola Varga (11 digs).

Maine East d. Glenbrook North 27-25, 25-16

— Glenbrook North put up a good fight in set one before falling 2-0 to host Maine East in CSL North action on Oct. 12.

The Spartans (10-17, 2-6) received solid efforts from Lauren Mendelson (10 kills), Grace Heywood (8 kills, 14 digs), Maggie Myers (18 digs), Tess Benson (10 assists) and Riley McCarthy (14 assists).

Highland Park d. Vernon Hills 25-15, 25-10

— Led by Ireland Hieb (8 kills), Olivia Carter (5 kills, 3 aces), Ellie Sullivan (3 blocks) and Allyson Gordon (8 digs, 15 assists), Highland Park took care of visiting Vernon Hills 2-0 on Oct. 12.

New Trier d. Maine South 2-1

— New Trier improved 26-2 overall and 8-0 in the CSL North with a 2-1 victory over visiting Maine South on Oct. 11.

Maddie McGregor (7 kills), Gillian Klise (6 kills), Grace Kapsimalis (4 kills) and Grace Bozzo (3 aces) were the stat leaders.

Glenbrook South d. Niles North 25-14, 25-19

— Glenbrook South got back on the winning track by posting a 2-0 victory over visiting Niles North on Oct. 11.

Kiley Hanson led the way with 11 kills, seven assists and four digs. Claudia Brown and Cat Berg had five kills apiece, while Ellie Eisenberg came up with five aces and 12 digs. Megan Quill also helped the Titans’ cause with 13 assists, three aces and seven digs.

GBS is now 10-13 overall and 2-6 in CSL South.

Glenbrook North d. Deerfield 25-15, 22-25, 25-14

— Glenbrook North raised its record to 10-16 overall and 2-5 in the CSL North with a 2-1 victory over host Deerfield on Oct. 10.

Grace Heywood came up with 12 kills for the Spartans.

The other stat leaders were Riley McCarthy (17 assists, 4 aces), Erin Rosedahl (6 kills, 3 blocks), Tess Benson (4 aces) and Lindy Vargas (5 kills).

Loyola Academy d. Lake Forest 25-19, 25-17

— Loyola Academy claimed a 2-0 road win at Lake Forest on Oct. 10.

LA (19-9, 2-2) was led by Elizabeth Ford (4 kills, 7 blocks), Lizzie Walker (6 kills, 13 digs), Mary Kate Lopez (3 kills, 4 blocks, 4 digs, 7 assists), Annie Magner (3 aces, 8 digs) and Mary Leinenweber (13 assists, 3 digs).

LF’s stat leaders were Cassidy Shaul (5 kills, 8 digs), Heather Conover (8 digs) and Ellie Pearson (3 blocks).

Discovery Invite

— New Trier took first in the Discovery Invite at Glenbrook North on Oct. 6-7.

The Trevians claimed wins over Stevenson 2-0, Prospect 2-0, Maine West 2-1, York 2-1 and Nazareth Academy 2-1.

The team’s tourney stat leaders were Maddie McGregor (39 kills, 4 blocks, 4 aces), Gillian Klise (36 kills, 4 blocks, 2 aces), Taite Ryan (34 kills, 5 blocks, 2 aces), Maggie Bodman (17 kills, 11 blocks), Payton Hielscher (10 kills, 5 blocks, 4 aces, 104 assists), Grace Bozzo (10 kills, 6 aces) and Julia Maisel (74 digs).

Loyola Academy placed fifth overall with a 4-1 record. The Ramblers were first in the Silver Bracket.

LA’s wins came over Maine South 2-0, Wauconda 2-0, Evanston 2-0 and Niles North 2-0.

Glenbrook North finished 2-3 in the tourney. The Spartans picked up Ws against Niles North 2-1 and Prospect 2-1. They sustained losses against Nazareth 2-0, Grayslake Central 2-0 and Maine South 2-0.

Loyola Academy d. De La Salle 25-14, 25-21

— Loyola Academy cruised to a 2-0 victory over host De La Salle on Oct. 5.

The team was solid contributions from Mary Kate Lopez (7 kills, 5 blocks), Anne Martinson (3 kills, 2 blocks, 7 assists, 6 digs), Samantha Downey (2 kills, 3 blocks) and Annie Magner (3 aces).

Maine East d. Highland Park 26-24, 25-22

— Highland Park (13-10, 6-1) had its four-match win streak snapped on Oct. 4, losing a tight 2-0 battle to host Maine East (15-8, 5-2).

HP’s stat leaders were Ellie Sullivan (8 kills), Ireland Hieb (6 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks, 6 digs), Miranda Mottlowitz (5 kill, 7 digs), Ella Weil (9 digs) and Allyson Gordon (4 digs, 23 assists).

Zion-Benton d. Lake Forest 25-17, 24-26, 25-10

— Senior Cassidy Shaul (8 kills, 15 digs) and sophomore Alyssa Thrash (7 kills, 2 aces) turned strong outings in Lake Forest’s 2-1 setback at Zion-Benton on Oct. 4.

New Trier d. Glenbrook South 25-21, 20-25, 25-11

— New Trier upped its record to 19-2 overall (7-0 in league play) with a 2-1 victory at Glenbrook South on Oct. 4.

GBS was led by Christina Kladus (7 kills) and Kate Gregory (7 kills), while Logan Steenbergen had three aces. Other key contributors were Enola Varga (13 digs) and Megan Quill (11 digs, 14 assists).

Highland Park d. Glenbrook North 25-23, 25-23

— Highland Park scored a 2-0 victory over host Glenbrook North in CSL North action on Oct. 3.

The Giants were paced by Olivia Carter (9 kills, 8 digs), Ireland Hieb (7 kills, 8 digs), Ella Weil (2 aces, 15 digs), Georgia Sullivan (3 blocks) and Allyson Gordon (18 assists).

GBN was led by Madilyn Schooley (8 kills, 3 aces, 9 digs), Erin Rosedahl (2 blocks), Emma Bubelis (10 digs), Maggie Myers (11 digs), Riley McCarthy (7 digs, 13 assists) and Tess Benson (8 assists).

Niles West d. Glenbrook South 25-18, 25-20

— Niles West topped visiting Glenbrook South 2-0 in CSL South action on Oct. 2.

GBS’s stat leaders were Kate Gregory (6 kills), Lindsay Lathrop (6 kills), Kiley Hanson (8 assists) and Megan Quill (5 kills, 13 assists).

Loyola Academy d. St. Francis 25-17, 25-21

— Anne Martinson (3 aces, 3 kills, 12 assists, 7 digs), Julia Martinez (4 kills, 8 digs), Angela Pieroni (5 digs, 3 aces) and Mary Kate Lopez (3 kills, 2 blocks) paced Loyola Academy in its 2-0 triumph over visiting St. Francis on Oct. 3.

New Trier d. Niles North 24-26, 25-18, 25-17

— New Trier improved to 6-0 in the CSL South and 18-2 overall with its 2-1 victory over host Niles North on Oct. 2.

Lake Forest Invite

— Alyssa Thrash and Cassidy Shaul made impressions.

The two Lake Forest players earned all-tourney honors at the Lake Forest Invite on Sept. 30.

The Scouts went 2-3 in the tourney. They claimed wins over Hoffman Estates and Chicago Goode, while they fell to Homewood-Flossmoor, Carmel and Lakes.

Carmel won the title with a 5-0 record.

Thrash, a sophomore, led the Scouts in the five-match set, finishing with 25 kills, seven digs and five aces.

Shaul, a senior, wound up with 17 digs, six assists and four aces.

The Scouts also received solid work from Ellie Pearson (5 aces, 8 kills).

Evanston d. Glenbrook South 25-12, 25-18

— Glenbrook South fell short in a road match at Evanston on Sept. 28.

Kate Gregory had six kills and two aces in the loss. Megan Quill contributed two aces, six digs and 10 assists. Enola Vargas finished with eight digs.

Young d. Loyola Academy 25-18, 25-20

— Loyola Academy dropped a 2-0 match to visiting Young on Sept. 28.

LA received solid play from Mary Kay Lopez (10 kills, 2 blocks), Elizabeth Ford (3 aces), Julia Martinez (6 digs), Lizzie Walker (5 digs), Angela Pieroni (4 digs) and Mary Leinenweber (11 assists).

New Trier d. Niles West 25-19, 25-21

— Host New Trier raised its record to 17-2 with a 2-0 win over Niles West on Sept. 28. The Trevians are 5-0 in the CSL South.

Vernon Hills d. Glenbrook North 25-15, 25-20

— Vernon Hills topped visiting Glenbrook North 2-0 on Sept. 27.

Riley McCarthy had eight assists in the loss.

Highland Park d. Maine West 23-25, 25-18, 25-20

— On Sept. 27, Highland Park rallied to beat visiting Maine West 2-1.

The team was led by Ellie Sullivan (8 kills, 5 blocks), Ireland Hieb (8 kills, 3 aces, 11 digs), Olivia Carter (8 kills, 4 aces, 2 blocks), Miranda Mottlowitz (6 kills, 5 blocks, 9 digs), Georgia Sullivan (4 blocks), Allyson Gordon (14 digs, 26 assists) and Ella Weil (23 digs).

Lake Zurich d. Lake Forest 27-25, 25-17

— In a 2-0 loss to visiting Lake Zurich on Sept. 27, Lake Forest received solid performances from Alyssa Thrash (6 kills), Reilly Heindel (6 kills) and Cassidy Shaul (8 digs).

Maine South d. Glenbrook South 37-35, 25-19

— Talk about a battle.

Glenbrook South scored 35 points in the first set before succumbing 37-35 to visiting Maine South. The Titans then fell 25-19 in the second set.

Megan Quill led the Titans with 14 kills, 15 assists and six digs. Enola Vargas ended up with 17 digs, while Kiley Hanson had 17 assists.

New Trier d. Evanston 26-24, 25-15

— New Trier earned a 2-0 victory over host Evanston on Sept. 26. With the win, NT improved to 16-2 overall and 4-0 in the CSL South.

Resurrection d. Loyola Academy 21-25, 25-22, 25-19

— Loyola Academy came up short in a road match at Resurrection 2-1 on Sept. 26.

LA’s stat leaders were Julia Martinez (9 kills, 12 digs), Lizzie Walker (8 kills, 2 aces, 8 digs), Mary Kate Lopez (7 kills, 3 blocks), Elizabeth Ford (6 kills, 8 blocks), Angela Pieroni (2 aces, 6 digs), Anne Martinson (12 assists) and Mary Leinenweber (11 assists).

Maine West d. Glenbrook North 25-17, 25-10

— Glenbrook North dropped a 2-0 decision to host Maine West on Sept. 25.

Madilyn Schooley had five kills and nine digs for the Spartans.

Highland Park d. Deerfield 25-13, 25-15

— Sparked by Ireland Hieb (5 kills), Miranda Mottlowitz (5 kills), Olivia Carter (4 kills, 2 aces), Georgia Sullivan (3 blocks), Ella Weil (9 digs)  and Allyson Gordon (3 kills, 2 aces, 5 digs, 11 assists), the Giants topped host Deerfield 2-0 on Sept. 25.

Grayslake Central d. Lake Forest 25-10, 25-18

— Allie Wickman and Alysssa Thrash had three kills each for the Lake Forest on Sept. 25. Cassidy Shaul had 6 digs.

Rich East Invite

— Loyola Academy ended up with a 3-2 mark in the Rich East Tournament on Sept. 22-23.

The Ramblers (12-6, 0-2) came away with wins against Lockport 2-1, Rich East 2-0 and Lincoln-Way West 2-0. They suffered setbacks to Mother McAuley 2-0 and Providence 2-0.

Northside College Prep Invite

— Highland Park ended up 2-3 at the Northside College Prep Invite on Sept. 23.

The Giants earned wins over Lincoln Park 2-0 and Northside Prep 2-1. They sustained losses against Payton College Prep 2-0, Niles West 2-0 and Lane Tech 2-1.

Evanston d. Lake Forest 25-11, 25-21

— Lake Forest fell to host Evanston 2-0 on Sept. 22.

Glenbrook South d. Niles North 15-19, 25-22

— Glenbrook South picked up its first win of the season in CSL South play by downing host Niles North 2-0 on Sept. 19.

The Titans are 10-9 overall and 1-2 in league action.

Libertyville d. Lake Forest 25-11, 25-15

— Sophomore Alyssa Thrash came up with five kills and four digs in Lake Forest’s 2-0 setback at Libertyville on Sept. 19.

Junior setter Claire Mahoney had four assists for the Scouts (3-13, 0-3).

St. Ignatius d. Loyola Academy 25-20, 20-25, 25-18

— Loyola Academy dropped a 2-1 home match to St. Ignatius on Sept. 19.

The Ramblers were led by Anne Martinson (6 kills, 4 blocks, 7 digs, 13 assists), Lizzie Walker (6 kills, 11 digs), Elizabeth Ford (5 kills, 2 aces), Samantha Downey (5 kills, 4 blocks), Angela Pieroni (2 aces, 9 digs) and Mary Leinenweber (7 digs, 12 assists).

New Trier d. Maine South 25-12, 25-18

— New Trier topped host Maine South on Sept. 19 to run its record to 15-2.

Maine East d. Glenbrook North 25-19, 25-15

— Glenbrook North dropped a 2-0 decision to visiting Maine East on Sept. 18.

The Spartans (7-10, 1-2) were led by Lauren Mendelson (7 kills, 4 assists), Erin Rosdahl (2 aces), Maggie Myers (14 digs) and Riley McCarthy (11 assists).

Highland Park d. Vernon Hills 25-9, 25-16

— Highland Park improved to 3-0 in the CSL North by soundly defeating host VernonHills on Sept. 18.

The Giants (8-6 overall) were paced by Olivia Carter (8 kills, 3 blocks), Ellie Sullivan (6 kills), Ella Weil (3 aces), Allyson Gordon (3 aces, 10 digs, 21 aces), Georgia Sullivan (2 blocks) and Miranda Mottlowitz (6 digs).

Loyola Academy d. Glenbrook South 25-23, 25-15

— Loyola Academy took care of business in a home match against Glenbrook South on Sept. 18.

Led by Mary Kate Lopez (7 kills, 1 block, 2 assist), Sammy Downey (5 blocks), Anne Martinson (3 kills, 3 blocks, 10 assists, 12 digs), Lizzie Walker (4 kills, 12 digs) and Mary Leinenweber (10 assists, 7 digs), LA won the match 2-0.

LA improved to 9-3 overall. GBS slipped to 9-9 overall.

Mother McAuley Tournament

— New Trier took first in the Silver Division of the Mother McAuley Tournament on Sept. 15-16.

The Trevians (14-2) went 3-2 in the five-match set. They earned wins over Oak Park-River Forest 25-22, 25-18; York 25-19, 12-25, 25-21; and Montini 25-15, 19-25, 25-17. Their losses came against Marian Central 25-19, 16-25, 25-17 and Minooka 25-10, 25-18.

NT’s stat leaders were Maddie McGregor (38 kills, 2 blocks), Taite Ryan (22 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces), Gillian Klise (20 kills, 9 blocks, 5 aces), Maggie Bodman (13 kills, 3 blocks), Julia Maisel (64 digs, 6 aces), Grace Bozzo (6 kills, 9 aces, 26 digs) and Payton Hielscher (4 kills, 4 blocks, 6 aces, 90 assists).

Maine East Invite

— Lake Forest notched a couple wins at the Maine East Invite on Sept. 15-16.

The Scouts (3-12) downed Leyden and Maine South, while they fell to Hersey, Maine East and Riverside-Brookfield.

Highland Park d. Maine East 25-22, 19-25, 25-21

— This was a battle.

Highland Park went three sets to down visiting Maine East 2-1 on Sept. 13.

The Giants, who improved to 6-6 overall and 2-0 in the CSL North, were sparked by Miranda Mottlowitz (12 kills, 12 digs), Olivia Carter (8 kills, 2 aces, 11 digs), Allyson Gordon (16 digs, 28 assists), Ireland Hieb (7 kills, 4 aces, 4 digs), Ellie Sullivan (6 kills, 4 blocsk) and Ella Weil (12 digs, 4 assists).

Glenbrook North d. Deerfield 25-17, 25-23

— Glenbrook North got back on the winning track with a 2-0 victory over visiting Deerfield on Sept. 13.

The Spartans (7-9, 1-1) received solid work from Grace Heywood (8 kills), Erin Rosdahl (5 kills), Madilyn Schooley (4 kills, 9 digs), Emma Bubelis (7 digs), Lauren Mendelson, (3 aces, 8 digs, 15 assists), Maggie Myers (10 digs) and Riley McCarthy (7 assists).

Highland Park d. Mundelein 17-25, 25-16, 25-22

— Highland Park overcame a tough start and came back to beat host Mundelein 2-1 on Sept. 14.

The Giants (7-6, 2-0) have now won four of their last five matches.

New Trier d. Glenbrook South 25-18, 25-19

— New Trier improved its record to 11-0 with a 2-0 victory over visiting Glenbrook South on Sept. 14.

GBS fell to 8-7.

The Trevians were led by Maddie McGregor (10 kills, 1 block, 1 ace), Taite Ryan (8 kills, 4 aces), Payton Hielscher (23 assists, 3 aces) and Julia Maisel (14 digs).

Warren d. Lake Forest 26-24, 25-21

— Lake Forest turned in a competitive effort but fell short against visiting Warren 2-0 on Sept. 13.

Katie Constantine led the Scouts (1-9) with four kills and three blocks.

LF’s other stat leaders included Sydney Martens (4 kills), Allie Wickman (3 aces) and Cassidy Shaul (4 digs).

Montini d. Loyola Academy 18-25, 25-23, 25-17

— Host Loyola Academy got off to a good start but wound up falling to Montini 2-1 on Sept. 12.

The Ramblers (8-3, 0-1) had solid play turned in by Angela Pieroni (20 digs, 1 ace), Mary Kate Lopez (4 kills, 3 blocks), Mary Leinenweber (17 assists) and Anne Martinson (4 aces, 9 assists).

New Trier d. Niles North 25-21, 25-20

— Claire Sullivan (12 assists), Juliana Bozzo (7 kills), Grace Bozzo (3 aces, 2 kills) and Olivia Burnside (3 kills, 1 block) led the way as New Trier opened play in the CSL South with a 2-0 victory over visiting Niles North on Sept. 12.

It was the 10th win over the season for the Trevians (10-0, 1-0).

Highland Park d. Glenbrook North 25-19, 22-25, 25-16

— Host Highland Park open play in the CSL North with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Glenbrook North on Sept. 11.

The Giants (5-6, 1-0) were led by Ireland Hieb (11 kills, 2 blocks), Olivia Carter (10 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks, 10 digs), Miranda Mottlowitz (8 kills), Ellie Sullivan (5 kills, 3 blocks), Georgia Sullivan (3 blocks),  Allyson Gordon (5 kills, 2 aces, 5 digs, 33 assists) and Ella Weil (3 aces, 19 digs).

The stat leaders for GBN (6-9, 1-0) included Lauren Mendelson (5 goals, 2 aces, 2 blocks, 12 digs, 8 assists), Grace Heywood (5 goals), Madilyn Schooley 5 kills), Erin Rosdahl (5 kills, 5 blocks), Lexi Elies (5 kills), Riley McCarthy (3 aces, 10 digs, 13 assists) and Tess Benson (8 assists).

Stevenson d. Lake Forest 25-10, 25-20

— A tough Stevenson squad topped host Lake Forest 2-0 on Sept. 11.

The Scouts (1-8) were led by Katie Constantine (5 kills), Ellie Pearson (3 kills), Cassidy Shaul (9 digs) and Katie Abdallah (2 blocks).

New Trier d. Lake Forest 25-15, 25-11

— The wins continue to pile up for New Trier.

The Trevians improved to 9-0 with a decisive 2-0 victory over visiting Lake Forest on Sept. 8.

NT’s Gillian Klise tallied seven kills.

Stevenson d. Glenbrook South 25-14, 25-13

— Glenbrook South saw its record dip to 8-6 with a 2-0 setback to host Stevenson on Sept. 8.

Warren d. Highland Park 25-19, 26-24

— Highland Park just missed forcing a third set in its 2-0 loss to visiting Warren on Sept. 8.

HP’s stat leaders included Allyson Gordon (11 assists, 9 digs, 6 blocks), Ireland Hieb (6 kills, 3 blocks), Olivia Carter (5 kills), Ellie Sullivan (4 kills, 3 blocks), Georgia Sullivan (4 blocks, 1 ace) and Ella Weil (5 digs).

Loyola d. Evanston 23-25, 25-19, 25-13

— Visiting Loyola Academy (8-2) rebounded from a tough first set to claim a 2-1 win over Evanston on Sept. 7.

The Ramblers received strong play from a number of sources: Elizabeth Ford (6 blocks, 1 kill), Mary Kate Lopez (6 kills, 4 blocks), Lizzie Walker (4 kills, 2 aces), Sammy Downey (5 kills, 2 blocks) and Julia Martinez (6 kills).

New Trier d. Loyola Academy 25-16, 25-10

— For the second time this season, New Trier got the best of rival Loyola Academy.

The Trevians improved to 8-0 with a 2-0 victory on Sept. 6. They had nine aces in the match.

NT’s Maddie McGregor finished with nine kills, one block and two aces.

Glenbrook South d. Glenbrook North 25-19, 25-19

— The battle of the Glenbrooks went South’s way on Sept. 6.

Host GBS improved to 8-5 with the 2-0 victory. The Titans’ stat leaders were Kate Gregory (7 kills, 2 blocks), Christina Kladis (6 kills, 2 blocks), Megan Quill (4 kills, 10 digs, 9 assists), Cat Berg (4 kills), Lindsay Lathrop (4 kills), Enola Varga (2 aces, 19 digs, 4 assists), Kacey Leone (5 digs) and Kiley Hason (13 assists).

GBN, which slipped to 6-8 overall, was led by Madilyn Schooley (7 kills, 7 digs), Erin Rosdahl (4 aces, 4 digs), Lindy Vargas (2 blocks), Lauren Mendelson (2 blocks), Maggie Myers (14 digs), Tess Benson (9 assists) and Riley McCarthy (4 digs, 5 assists).

Loyola d. Maine South 25-12, 18-25, 25-7

— Solid play by Elizabeth Ford (5 blocks, 2 kills), Mary Kate Lopez (5 kills, 1 block), Mary Leinenweber (5 aces, 7 digs, 10 assists) and Anne Martinson (1 kill, 1 block, 3 aces, 16 assists) led Loyola Academy to a 2-1 victory over host Maine South on Sept. 5. The Ramblers upped their record to 7-1.

New Trier Summer’s End Tournament

— The Summer’s End Tournament looks like just the beginning for New Trier.

The Trevians defeated Loyola Academy 25-21, 25-22 in the championship on Sept. 2. to run their season record to 7-0.

NT went 5-0 in the tourney. The team also earned 2-0 victories over Hersey, Vernon Hills, Oak Park-River Forest and Highland Park.

Maddie McGregor and Taite Ryan led the attack. McGregor had 28 kills, three aces and one block in the five matches. Ryan finished with 24 kills, seven blocks and two aces in the tourney.

The other stat leaders were Payton Hielscher (72 assists, 5 kills, 3 blocks, 4 aces), Gillian Klise (16 kills, 6 blocks, 2 aces), Katie Merk (12 kills, 3 aces) and Grace Bozzo (11 aces).

LA went 4-1 at the invite. The Ramblers, who are now 6-1 on the season, earned Ws against Warren 2-0, Zion-Benton 2-0, Wheeling 2-0 and Evanston 2-0.

In the four wins, Elizabeth Ford had 12 kills, 10 blocks and five aces. She had three kills, two blocks and 2 aces in the semifinal win over Warren.

In pool play, Mary Kate Lopez led the way against Zion-Benton with six kills and two blocks. Maggie McGill had five blocks in the contest.

Against Wheeling, Ford (5 kills), Lopez (4 kills, 2 aces), Angela Pieroni (12 digs, 3 aces) and Sammy Downey (4 blocks, 2 kills) were the standouts.

And, in the tourney opener against Evanston, Lizzie Walker had four kills and seven digs. Ford added three kills and four blocks, while Lopez chipped in two kills and three blocks.

Meanwhile, Highland Park (4-5), Glenbrook North (6-7) and Glenbrook South (7-5) all went 2-3 at the invite.

After going 0-3 in pool play — 2-1 losses to Argo, Niles West and Warren — Glenbrook South regrouped to beat Zion-Benton 2-0 and Vernon Hills 2-0 in the fourth-place bracket.

GBS’s stat leaders in the five matches include Megan Quill (21 kills, 8 aces, 31 digs, 53 assists),Kate Gregory (20 kills, 3 blocks), Enola Varga (49 assists) and Kiley Hanson (12 kills, 33 assists).

Glenbrook North (6-8 overall) went 1-1 in the third-place bracket. The Spartans downed HP 2-1 and then fell to Evanston 2-1.

The tourney stat leaders for GBN include Lauren Mendelson (28 kills, 27 digs, 5 aces), Madilyn Schooley (20 kills, 27 digs, 5 aces), Grace Heywood (24 kills), Maggie Myers (40 digs), Riley McCarthy (43 assists, 14 digs) and Tess Benson (41 assists).

HP’s two wins came against Vernon Hills and Argo. The team’s stat leaders at the invite were Ireland Hieb (36 kills, 7 aces), Miranda Mottlowitz (23 kills, 5 aces), Allyson Gordon (90 assists, 2 aces), Olivia Carter (25 kills, 6 aces) and Ellie Sullivan (15 kills).

Champaign Invite

— Lake Forest put one in the win column.

The Scouts earned their first win of the season, when they defeated Rockford East at the Champaign Invite.

Overall, the team went 1-3 in the two-day tourney (Sept. 1-2). LF is 1-6 on the season.

Highland Park d. Antioch 25-15, 17-25, 25-11

— Sparked by Ireland Hieb (11 kills, 2 aces, 7 digs), Olivia Carter (12 kills) and Allyson Gordon (33 assists, 4 digs), Highland Park evened its record to 2-2 by downing visiting Antioch 2-1 on Aug. 31.

The team’s other stat leaders included Miranda Mottlowitz (7 kills, 7 digs), Ella Weil (3 aces, 12 digs) and Tessa Bojan (2 aces).

Glenbrook South d. Grayslake Central 25-18, 26-24

— Glenbrook South improved to 5-2 on the season with a 2-0 victory over Grayslake Central on Aug. 31.

The Titans were led by Kate Gregory (6 kills, 3 aces), Megan Quill (6 kills, 10 digs, 8 assists), Kiley Hanson (3 aces, 11 assists), Claudia Brown (3 blocks) and Enola Varga (15 digs), Kacey Leone (9 digs) and Ellie Eisenberg (9 digs).

Loyola Academy d. Glenbrook North 25-11, 19-25, 25-14

— Elizabeth Ford (5 kills, 8 blocks, 1 ace), Mary Kate Lopez (7 kills, 3 blocks) and Julia Martinez (7 kills, 14 digs) led the way as Loyola Academy topped visiting Glenbrook North 2-0 on Aug. 30.

GBN’s stat leaders were Madilyn Schooley (10 kills), Lauren Mendelson (4 aces), Lindy Vargas (2 blocks), Maggie Myers (13 digs) and Tess Benson (10 assists).

Glenbrook South d. Lake Forest 25-18, 25-11

— Sparked  by Kate Gregory (12 kills, 2 blocks), Megan Quill (2 aces, 6 digs. 17 assists), Kiley Hanson (2 blocks) and Enola Varga (7 digs), Glenbrook South defeated host Lake Forest 2-0 on Aug. 29.

The stat leaders for the Scouts (0-3) were Alyssa Thrash (6 kills) and Cassidy Shaul (9 digs).

Highland Park d. Niles North 25-21, 23-25, 25-11

— In the win column.

Highland Park won the first time this fall, when it topped Niles North 2-1 on Aug. 29.

The Giants (1-2) received some strong play from a number of sources: Ireland Hieb (13 kills, 4 aces), Miranda Mottlowitz (8 kills, 5 aces), Olivia Carter (6 kills), Allyson Gordon (2 aces, 11 digs, 28 assists) and Ella Weil (7 digs).

New Trier d. Stevenson 25-14, 25-15

— New Trier improved to 2-0 with a 2-0 win against host Stevenson on Aug. 29.

Taite Ryan (10 kills), Maddie McGregor (7 kills, 8 aces) and Payton Hielscher (23 assists) stood out for the Trevians.

Carmel Catholic d. Glenbrook North 25-16, 25-13

— Glenbrook North lost 2-0 to host Carmel on Aug. 28.

Libertyville Invite

— Both Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South came up with 3-2 records in the Libertyville Invite on Aug. 25-26.

GBN defeated Wheeling 2-1, Libertyville 2-1 and Mundelein 2-0, while the Spartans sustained losses to Warren 2-1 and Stevenson 2-0.

In the first-round win over Wheeling, GBN was led by Madelyn Schooley (7 kills, 15 digs), Riley McCarthy (3 aces, 11 digs, 12 assists),Lauren Mendelson (2 blocks), Lindy Vargas (2 blocks) and Maggie Myers (14 digs).

Against Libertyville, GBN was paced by Schooley (11 digs), Myers (9 digs), McCarthy (7 digs, 14 assists), Mendelson (8 kills, 3 aces, 2 blocks), Vargas (3 aces) and Erin Rosdahl (6 kills, 3 blocks).

In the Mundelein match, GBN’s stat leaders were Mendelson (6 kills, 7 digs), Rosdahl (3 aces), McCarthy (10 digs, 16 assists), Myers (11 digs) and Grace Heywood (5 kills).

Versus Warren, the Spartans were led by Mendelson (5 kills, 2 blocks), Schooley (3 aces. 15 digs), McCarthy (11 digs, 10 assists) and Vargas (3 blocks).

And against Stevenson, Mendelson (5 kills), Rosdahl (3 aces), Heywood (2 blocks), Myers (11 digs) and McCarthy (9 assists) were the stat leaders.

Meanwhile, GBS earned wins over Round Lake 2-0, Wauconda 2-0 and Wheeling 2-0. The Titans were defeated by Grant 2-0 and Warren 2-0.

In the opener against Grant, the Titans were led by Christina Kladis (6 kills), Kate Gregory (3 blocks), Ellie Eisenberg (7 digs) and Megan Quill (10 assists).

Against Round Lake, GBS’s stat leaders were Gregory (8 kills, 2 blocks), Quill (7 assists), Kacey Leone (2 aces) and Kiley Hanson (2 aces).

The team was paced by Gregory (8 kills, 8 digs, 10 assists), Kladis (5 kills), Quill (2 blocks) and Eisenberg (11 digs) in its match against Warren.

In the win over Wauconda, GBS’s stat leaders were Kladis (6 kills, 3 blocks), Gregory (5 blocks), Quill (8 digs, 2 aces), Leone (2 aces, 5 digs), Hanson (7 digs, 10 assists) and Enola Varga (7 digs, 2 aces).

Kladis (7 kills), Quill (6 kills, 10 assists), Gregory (3 blocks), Varga (11 digs) and Claudia Brown (2 blocks) paced the GBN effort.

 

Loyola Academy d. Prospect 25-12, 25-13

— Loyola came up with a successful debut.

The Ramblers defeated visiting Prospect 2-0 on Aug. 24. Anne Martinson (7 kills, 3 blocks) and Mary Kate Lopez (5 kills, 2 blocks) led the way.

LA’s Angela Pieroni had 12 digs.

Lake Zurich d. Highland Park 29-27, 25-20

— Highland Park battled but lost to visiting Lake Zurich 2-0 on Aug. 24.

Ireland Hieb had a team-high nine kills in the two sets. She also had two aces.

The team also received solid play from Olivia Carter (7 kills, 1 block), Ella Weil (9 digs) and Allyson Gordon (5 digs, 19 assists).

Niles West d. Lake Forest 25-7, 25-21

— Lake Forest played well in the second set but it wasn’t enough.

On Aug. 24, the Scouts (0-2) fell to host Niles West 2-0. The team was led by Cassidy Shaul (10 digs), Jill Fontana (3 aces) and Alyssa Thrash (3 kills).

Glenbrook North d. Warren 25-17, 25-21

 — GBN opened the 2017 campaign by beating Warren 2-0 in its home opener on Aug. 23.

Lauren Mendelson (7 kills), Madilyn Schooley (5 kills, 16 digs), Maggie Myers (15 digs), Riley McCarthy (10 digs, 17 assists, 2 aces), Lindy Vargas (4 blocks), Maya Slowinski (3 blocks) and Grace Heywood (5 kills) led the way.

Niles West d. Highland Park 24-26, 25-8, 26-24

— This season opener proved to be very competitive.

Host Highland Park eventually fell to Niles West 2-1 on Aug. 22.

The Giants were led by Miranda Mottlowitz (5 kills, 3 aces), Ireland Hieb (3 kills, 4 aces), Georgia Sullivan (3 kills), Allyson Gordon (10 digs, 17 assists) and Ella Weil (7 digs).

New Trier d. Libertyville 25-17, 25-16

— The season got off to a good start for New Trier.

The Trevians beat visiting Libertyville 2-0 on Aug. 22. Gillian Klise and Taite Ryan had seven kills and two blocks apiece.

Other stat leaders included Katie Merk (6 kills), Payton Hielscher (17 assists) and Grace Bozzo (2 aces).

Wheeling d. Lake Forest 25-22, 25-17

— Cassidy Shaul tallied a team-high five kills in Lake Forest’s season-opening 2-0 loss to visiting Wheeling on Aug. 22.