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46 | November 2, 2017 | The orland park prairie Sports opprairie.com Eagles cruise past Knights, clinch regional girls volleyball title Erin Redmond Freelance Reporter Sandburg’s Erica Staunton was well aware of what was at stake. With a regional title on the line and her team in the midst of a double-digit win streak, the junior outside hitter brought everything she had to the Class 4A Sandburg Regional Championship. And it paid off. Staunton led the Eagles with 10 kills, helping them down Lincoln-Way Central in straight sets 25-14, 25-19 Thursday, Oct. 26, to capture the regional crown and extend their streak to 14 games. “It’s good to keep the streak going,” she said. “[Lincoln- Way Central is] a really good team, so I think we really executed well to come out with the win.” After dropping a tough first set, the Knights seemed to find their rhythm in the second. They jumped out to a 10-6 lead, thanks to a pair of kills from both Kylie Kulinski and Cassidy Wyman, as well as an ace from Michelle Burk, before Sandburg called a timeout. The brief pause was just what the Eagles needed, as they went on a 9-2 run to take the lead at 16-12 — a lead they would not give back. “Honestly, I don’t know if it was jitters or what, but we couldn’t pass the ball,” Central coach Mary Brown said. “I changed the lineup slightly, switched my setters’ positions. That helped. Also, we started passing the ball. Once we pass the ball, we’re in it.” Abigail Stefanon powered the rally, finding the gaps in Central’s defense to knock down two kills and an ace. Staunton also added two kills in the run, including one that tied the game at 12-all. Players from Sandburg and Lincoln-Way Central get into pregame huddles. Stefanon, who tallied seven kills and an ace for Sandburg, slammed the ball to the opposite side of the court to score the match point for the win, sending the Eagles’ bench into a frenzy. “We were making sure we execute one point at a time, and that’s how you get those big leads,” Sandburg coach David Vales said. “The second set, we saw Lincoln- Way Central spread the ball out, start to pass better, and made us have to work a little bit harder. “[I told them go] back to the whole one-point-at-a-time [mentality]; don’t overdo it. We were making little errors, and I told them to ‘play your game, and if all six people do that, you’re going to win.’” With exception of the brief deficit in Set 2, Sandburg’s synchronized mentality was on display the whole game. The Eagles soared out to a seven-point lead in the first set, jumping ahead 11-4 early on, as they hammered the Knights at the net. Two aces from senior Maureen Imrie, paired with kills from Stefanon and Staunton, respectively, put their team ahead 5-1. The Eagles tacked on Libero Rachel Krasowski prepares to serve the ball Thursday, Oct. 26, during the Sandburg Regional finals against Lincoln-Way Central. Photos by Erin Redmond/22nd Century Media Sandburg’s Abigail Stefanon (far right) attempts to tip the ball over the net and past the reach of a pair of Lincoln-Way Central defenders. five more kills — two from Staunton, two from Madison Hart and another from Stefanon — before the Knights could score one of their own. Megan Barry knocked down a point, and Kulinski chipped in with another moments later to cut the lead in half at 12-6. Unfortunately for Central, its offense was not able to find a groove, scoring just two points — an ace from Kulinski and a kill from Wyman — for the remainder of the game, getting its other points off Sandburg errors. Wyman led the Knights with six kills, while Kulinski had five with an ace. “I’m just really proud of my girls,” Brown said. “It’s been a rough year. We haven’t had any big hitters, so we just had to learn to play defense and play scrappy. I feel like we did that all year. We play with heart. We never give, no matter who we’re playing. Sandburg had us beat at the net big time. Serving is what really killed us. We couldn’t pass.” The Eagles advanced to take on Marian Catholic at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30, in the Class 3A Tinley Park Sectional semifinals at Andrew, after press time. And keeping their season alive will take everything his team has, Vales said. “You’ve got to be playing your best,” he said. “You can’t allow for little lapses or go on a bad run; every point really does matter. Those teams [this] week are national-known teams. [We’ll play] Marian Catholic. Marist is in there. [Lincoln-Way] East we lost to, so we have to bring it.” For more on how the Sandburg girls volleyball team got to the finals of the Sandburg Regional, see Page 45.
opprairie.com Sports The orland park prairie | November 2, 2017 | 47 fastbreak Girls Swimming and Diving Eagles claim SWSC Blue Division crown 22nd Century Media File Photos 1st and 3 Stars of the Week 1. Erica Staunton The junior outside hitter led Sandburg with 10 kills Thursday, Oct. 26, in a regional final win over Lincoln-Way Central in Orland Park. 2. Dylan Jacobs The Sandburg boys cross country superstar won the Hinsdale Central Sectional Saturday, Oct. 28, with a time of 14 minutes and 39.17 seconds, beating out his top challenger, Danny Kilrea. He hopes to repeat that success this weekend at state. 3. Bella Wrobel The Sandburg swimmer claimed titles Saturday, Oct. 28, in both the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races at the South- West Suburban Conference Blue Division meet, held before a home crowd in Orland Park. Jason Maholy Freelance Reporter The Sandburg girls swimming team tuned up for the postseason by winning the SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue Division title in its home pool. The Eagles finished the meet — held Saturday, Oct. 28, at Sandburg High School — with 288 points, just beating runner-up Lincoln-Way East, which finished with 275 points. Lockport placed fourth out of five schools with 208 points. Individual champions for Sandburg were Bella Wrobel, 200-yard freestyle (1 minute and 58.66 seconds) and 500 free (5:20.15); Madison Stuursma, 50 free (24.85); and Erin Falsey, 100 backstroke (1:01.66). The Eagles’ 200 free relay team of Stuursma, Natalie Barkowski, Ashley Asiddao and Wrobel took first with a time of 1:39.98, as did the 400 free relay team of Falsey, Tara Maher, Stuursma and Wrobel (3:39.59). Other Sandburg individual medalists were Jenna Falsey, second in the 200 individual medley (2:12.82) and third in the 100 butterfly (1:01.98); Erin Falsey, third in the 200 IM (2:19.25); and Stuursma, third in the 100 free (55.37). The Eagles’ 200 medley relay team of Erin Falsey, Asiddao, Jenna Falsey and Barkowski placed third with a time of 1:54.60. The Eagles’ Jenna Falsey pushes in the 100-yard butterfly event, in which she took third. Sandburg coach Anna McBride was encouraged by her team’s performance, particularly the two relay teams that won titles while turning in season-best times. “It was a tough meet, and it was very competitive with Lincoln-Way East all the way up to the end,” Mc- Bride said. “I’m most proud of our relays. They stepped up to win those race, which helped a lot points-wise.” McBride said she thinks her squad, the seniors in particular, are in a good place as sectional competition approaches. The Eagles are to compete Saturday, Nov. 11, in the Lockport Township Sectional, which also is to feature the always competitive host school, as well as Stagg, which finished third at the SWSC Blue meet. “Mentally, they’re more ready than I’ve seen them,” McBride said. “This group Sandburg’s Erin Falsey competes in the 200 individual Medley, in which she took third. Sandburg’s Madison Stuursma competes Saturday, Oct. 28, in the 100-yard freestyle race during the SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue Division meet in Orland Park. Photos by Julie McMann/22nd Century Media of seniors has a lot of experience at sectionals, but this is the most prepared they’ve been in their four years. They’re excited about their times, and I think they’re ready to rest well and have fun at sectionals.” LISTEN UP “It would mean a lot. ... National races are awesome, but to be a state champion is something you dream of when you start running.” Dylan Jacobs — Sandburg boys cross country runner, on the possibility of winning a state title What 2 Watch Boys Cross Country — 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Detweiller Park • The Sandburg boys cross country team is consistently one of the best in the state. The Eagles are to compete for state glory in Peoria, led by Dylan Jacobs. INDEX 41 - Athlete of the Month 40 - Athlete of the Week Compiled by Editor Bill Jones, bill@opprairie.com.
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