Bolingbrook wanting to build upon improvement

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Patience really does pays off.

It might have taken Bolingbrook girls volleyball coach Andrea Bercot three years, but finally the Raiders girls volleyball team had the breakout season it has been looking for and there was hope the team's recent success would carry over to the postseason.

That postseason began Thursday in their own regional.

Bolingbrook's 13-17-1 overall record and 5-3 Southwest Suburban Conference record is the best in Bercot's tenure and it is the best record for the school since 2005 when the Raiders went an even 15-15.

"This season we have doubled our wins from last year and the girls are really excited. Some of the younger girls are already excited for next year," Bercot said. "In the last two weeks we have had a bumpy road because all of the girls have been hit with the flu. We have had to pull some girls up but now we are back healthy and practicing well."

Unfortunately for the Raiders, the draw they got in order to get out of regionals was difficult as it requires two matches in one day to advance to the regional final.

The Raiders, seeded 16th in the Lockport Sectional, had to play 18th-seeded Plainfield South in order to play in the semifinals against top-seeded Benet.

The play-in match and semifinal match occur on the same day which was not considered a problem.

"A lot of these girls play club volleyball and they play like three or four matches in a day and they are fine. We have done that in tournaments," Bercot said. "Volleyball is not other sports, you can play multiple games and be fine."

Adversity does bring teams together quickly and the Raiders have had plenty of it this season. It started on day one of the season as there were many new players on the varsity roster. Right after that, Bolingbrook started its season late and ended up playing against teams that already had multiple-match experience. Recently, middle hitter Simone Silvera's injury hurt the team.

"This year showed the girls that they have to be ready because their number could be called at all times and they might have to go out and switch positions," Bercot said. "They could be played in any game and I think our girls have done well and I'm very proud of them."

With the girls slowly recovering from the flu, Bercot has made sure she took her time in deciding what lineup would give the Raiders the best chance on Thursday. One girl she has counted on this season is Robyn Killingsworth.

"We all have been working hard out there and it has really felt good to get some wins, especially against some teams in conference," said Killingsworth, an outside hitter. "This is my final season and I want to finish well in the playoffs."

In Bercot's three-year tenure as the program's coach, the team has not won a regional match. This season, she feels that this has a chance to change.

"The girls want to move on and they want to break through the barrier and excel against Plainfield South. You worry about the Benet match later on but first it will all be Plainfield South," Bercot said. "Our wins should give us confidence and momentum as we go into the regionals."

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