HO_111419

36 | November 14, 2019 | the homer horizon sports
homerhorizondaily.com
Girls Volleyball
6
Loss to JCA ends Providence’s best run since 2005
Steve Millar, Sports Editor
Providence was playing
its best volleyball of
the year at the right time,
storming through its first
three playoff matches with
ease.
The Celtics won all three
in straight sets, and never
let an opponent reach 20
points.
That included a 25-19,
25-18 stomping of Marian
Catholic in the Class 3A
Joliet Catholic Sectional
semifinal Nov. 4, an especially
impressive result
considering Marian’s history
of success the last decade,
including a 3A state
championship in 2016.
The Spartans also beat
Providence earlier in the
season.
“We’ve been really on
lately, and I think it’s because
we know we’ve put
in all this work,” junior
Gillian Peterson said after
the Marian win. “We know
we can come out here and
beat any of these teams if
we play our ‘A’ game.”
Providence earned its
way into a sectional final
for the first time since 2005.
But the Celtics ran into Joliet
Catholic in its own gym
in the championship match,
and the Angels’ postseason
experience and homecourt
advantage proved too much
to overcome.
Joliet Catholic won its
11th sectional title in the
last 17 years with a 25-21,
25-20 victory over the Celtics
on Nov. 6.
Providence has still not
won a sectional championship
since 2001.
“I think the crowd really
made a difference,” Providence
senior Izabela Gorys
said. “It was just a lot of
mental things for us. We
played our hearts out, and
I’m really proud of every
single one of our girls.”
Peterson had seven kills
to lead the Celtics (23-17).
Juliana Warfield added six
and Gorys had five.
After dropping the opening
set, Providence stormed
out to a 12-4 lead in the second,
behind three kills from
Warfield and strong serving
from Abby Lab, Gorys and
Kailey Labuda.
Joliet Catholic (24-14),
though, countered with an
11-2 run to take a 15-14
lead. After the stunning
Providence’s Izabela Gorys goes up for a spike during the Celtics’ loss to the host
Angels on Nov. 6 in the Class 3A Joliet Catholic Sectional final. Steve Millar/22nd
Century Media
swing, Providence never
led again.
The Angels were without
their top player in outside
hitter Emily Wilson — who
was injured in the sectional
semifinal win over Lemont
— but got a big game from
Jillian Gray, who had seven
kills.
Despite the result, Gorys
was still proud. Providence
had lost in the sectional
semifinal round each of the
last four seasons and had
lost five straight times at
that stage, overall, including
a defeat in 2010.
“We trained hard this
year,” she said. “We really
wanted to get past the
sectional [semifinal] round
that we always get stuck at.
I’m proud of us for making
it this far. We really
fought.”
In the win over Marian,
Gorys and Warfield led
with eight kills each, Peterson
had six kills, Labuda
and Vittoria Conte added
11 digs each, and Lab had
10 assists.
“The girls came in ready
to roll and played great the
whole game,” Providence
coach Jean Phelps said of
the sectional semifinal win.
“I’m really proud of them.”
Gorys, who has committed
to play beach volleyball
at Eckerd College in Florida,
will be a big loss. But
Providence had just four
seniors on the roster, also
including Labuda, Sarah
Kerfin and Tori Quinlan.
With the bulk of the team
expected back in 2020,
Gorys plans to hear about
some major accomplishments
when she follows
the Celtics’ progress from
Florida.
“I expect big things from
every single one of them,”
she said. “I know they’re
all talented, and they’re going
to have great seasons
upcoming in the future.”
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