JCA victory ranks as one for the ages

Few high school sporting events ever rise to the level of the volleyball matchup between No. 1-ranked Joliet Catholic Academy and No. 2-rated Wheaton St. Francis.

Even fewer play out with the kind of suspense and drama that accompanied JCA's pulsating 20-25, 26-24, 25-22 victory in the 3A sectional title match on Thursday night at St. Francis' Spyglass Athletic Center.

The Spartans came within one point of sweeping the Angels right off their home floor, in large part because they were able to ride an emotional tidal wave created by an overflow crowd and the thunderous hitting of 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter Kelsey Robinson and her able sidekick, 6-1 junior Meg Vonderhaar.

In the end, JCA staved off the surge because Seton Hall recruit Alyssa Warren threw her body around with reckless abandon, once almost tumbling into the bleacher seat occupied by Spider-Man in a bid to bring up a ball. She looked like a super hero, not the St. Francis student in the bleachers.

Her play epitomized what JCA is all about -- quick-hitting offense and never-say-die defense.

Warren kept one rally alive with her fist flailing in the air and her knees banging to the floor. And, given the opportunity, she later saved the Angels' season with an arching kill shot to the back corner that pulled the Angels into a 24-24 deadlock in Game 2.

On the stat sheet, Warren was credited with 18 digs and 7 kills. The numbers don't begin to tell the entire story of what she and her teammates accomplished, that of their willpower and courage, their ability to survive on a night when others would have folded.

JCA never led by more than one point until it rattled off a string of three straight to pull out that second game.

At the net, the Angels' Lainey Wyman loomed larger than the long reach of her of 6-2 arms. She racked up 7 kills and 6 blocks in the match of her life. Senior co-captain Annemarie Hickey battled to overcome her own nerves and some uncharacteristic errors. She finished with 17 kills and 14 digs, finished with a flurry that was more like what her teammates and coaches have come to expect from her in a three-year varsity run.

Jordan Huston, Stephanie Keca, Jenn Murphy, Claire Randich and Katie Schoenstedt also took turns in the spotlight, each one chipping in to help JCA move on, move one step closer toward its goal of winning back-to-back 3A state championships. The Angels next face Oak Forest at 4:30 p.m. today in the Oswego Supersectional.

Their challenge will be to live in the present, even if others are talking about the recent past. Where does the JCA victory over St. Francis rank on coach Christine Scheibe's list? She has led the Angels to victories in 314 matches in a 10-year stint that already includes two state titles.

"It's not at the top because I have to go back to 2003 and the supersectional at Andrew," Scheibe said. "I think that one will live forever in my mind.

"But, you know, I think we'll look back on this a long time in the future and say we were at match point. We fought through it. And we came out with the victory. Yeah. It's not No. 1 on my list. But it will be up there."

Scheibe's fond memory of JCA's comeback to beat Andrew in 2003 no doubt is enhanced because of the circumstances. JCA dropped the first game and trailed 24-19 in the second before mounting a rally that gained steam after then-sophomore Samantha Quigley returned from a brief stint on the bench. Scheibe, out of timeouts, pulled Quigley in what she described as a gasping-at-straws type move to break the Thunderbolts' momentum.

The Angels won the match 17-25, 26-24, 25-18 and a few days later won their first state championship.

Personally, I put the JCA volleyball victory over St. Francis on a short list of my high school playoff highlights. I rank the Angels' come-from-behind win with Lockport over Hinsdale Central in an 8A football semifinal in 2002 and Sandburg over Providence in a Class AA wrestling sectional final in 2005.

In all three cases, the road team overcame long odds, say nothing of deafening noise, to prevail.

Lockport went 96 yards in the final 1 minute 40 seconds to beat Hinsdale Central 41-38. Steve Walker threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Jensen on a fourth-down play to cap the winning drive.

Sandburg snapped Providence's streak of 35 straight sectional victories thanks to the heroics of Eric Pretto and Brett Ambrosino. The Eagles won two of the last three bouts to claim a 23-22 victory in front of a packed house at Sacred Heart Gym in New Lenox, the crowd spilling onto the gym floor and circling the mat.

Pretto upset Marty Engwall 4-2 in overtime at 145. Engwall was coming off a third-place finish at the individual state tournament. Ambrosino beat Gannon Novak 5-3 at 171 to overturn the Eagles' 22-20 deficit in the final match.

Lockport and Sandburg went on to capture state titles. My guess is JCA will do the same.

What I will remember about these events -- what separates them from the rest -- is the championship atmosphere that served to define each one. I will remember how teenagers brushed aside their nerves to play these games and matches at levels beyond their years. I will remember the big plays and close calls. What was up with that five-second infraction on St. Francis server Daiva Wise? Did I miss the first whistle?

From this latest clash of volleyball titans, I will remember the words of my friend and colleague, Dave Parker, who attended the match. He is recovering from bypass surgery. "If my heart can stand this, it can stand anything," he said.

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