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46 | March 19, 2020 | the homer horizon sports homerhorizondaily.com Attack Volleyball Club is digging its new digs in Homer Glen Jeff Vorva, Sports Editor After 15 years based in Orland Park, the Attack Volleyball Club has found a home in Homer Glen. The club moved in to the 78,000-square-foot Homer Glen Megaplex Sports Center in the fall and since then, the program has grown from 16 teams to 24 with approximately 250 area athletes served plus more athletes who take part in camps, learning sessions and a beach program. In Orland Park, the club was scattered with practices held at the Franklin Loebe Recreation Center, Palos South school, the Sports Plex and the Orland Park Health and Fitness Center. Now that everything is under one roof, Homer Glen could be a hub for some big-time volleyball tournaments in the future as the facility can hold as many at 10 courts. “Our immediate goal is to start hosting some Windy City Power League games here,” Attack President/Club Director Pam Campbell said. “Maybe we can run some bigger tournaments. We can put about 10 courts in here. My goal would be to have a 10-court tournament next year.” The facility might be big enough to host a national qualifier in the future, but Campbell said she is not looking that far ahead, yet. The Attack hosted its first tournament on March 8, a two-division 16-team affair on four courts that featured a 10-year old girls division and an 11/12 division with seven girls teams and a boys squad. The Attack’s 11 Blue Members of the Attack 11 Blue and Orange teams congratulate each other after playing each other in pool play of the volleyball club’s first tournament March 8 at the Homer Glen Megaplex Sports Center. Jeff Vorva/22nd Century Media team placed second. Members of the team are Homer Glen’s Allie Hedrich, Mallory Reichardt and Akvile Leimonas, Lockports’s Nina Stroud and Hutsyn Timosciek, and Orland Park’s Isabella Van Alst, Ella O’Brochta and Christina Lavery. Shawn Wendling is the coach. The 10 Blue squad claimed third. Members of that squad are Homer Glens’ Brooklyn Chesna, Lockport’s Josephine Baranowski, Orland Park’s Peyton Pawlicki, Ellery Dyran, Aubrey Deverick and Valentina Walas, Tinley Park’s Marcie Campbell, and Manhattan’s Libby Condon. Christine Chesna is the coach. The players appreciated being a part of the historic inaugural Attack-sponsored tournament at the new place. “I like that they are able to host tournaments,” said Lavery, a Meadow Ridge student. “They have different things like a store [merchandise and clothing] and gym and concession stand.” “The gym is very big so there is a lot of open space for practice and game,” added O’Brochta, who attends St. Michael School. “They have a lot of good food at the concessions and I love the store. There is good stuff at the store. The mac and cheese from the concessions stand here is great. “I used to roller skate here, and they turned it into a volleyball complex, and it’s really fun. This is our first tournament at home; it’s special to us. It’s exciting to us.” Some of the older players have not yet enjoyed a home tournament, but they still enjoy practicing at one place. “It is different, it’s a great change,” said Lainey Green, an eighth-grader at Homer Jr. High who plans on attending Lockport next season. “It’s impressive that there are so many courts here. I’m used to places with two courts, and now we have a lot more.” “I think it’s really nice,” said Century Junior High eighth-grader Reilly Chausse, who plans to attend Sandburg. “I like the courts and the setup.” Campbell, an Orland Park resident, started the club in 1999 in Blue Island with five teams. It moved to Richards, and, thanks to vice president Judy Pavone’s help, got into the Orland Park market with teams practicing at Sandburg. It has been a good relationship between Orland and the Attack, but practicing under one roof was too good for Campbell to pass up. “We absolutely loved the folks in Orland,” Campbell said. “But we just grew out of it. Me being a director, it was hard for me to get to see all of my teams. I would have four teams at one place and eight teams at another. I can’t be everywhere. Being under one roof was my ultimate goal.” A Cork & Kerry restaurant is scheduled to open at the facility in the coming weeks, and an MPX Elite Fitness facility is on the second floor. “It’s been a lot of hard work, but it has paid off in so many ways,” Campbell said. “We’re closer to our coaches and our parents. We are able to walk upstairs and there is a full workout facility. It’s not just some weights. We have our own jump boxes. We built our own setting machines that are utilized every day. We are able to start our master’s program this year where every child is learning the same thing in every division. When you have two teams here and two teams there, you can’t do that. It’s been phenomenal, and there are still a ton of awesome things coming. “It’s a dream I’ve had for a long time. The sky is the limit now.”
homerhorizondaily.com sports the homer horizon | March 19, 2020 | 47 fastbreak 22nd Century Media File Photo 1st and 3 Returning seniors hope to get LTHS softball to state 1. A dozen returners A total of 12 seniors are back from an LTHS team that was very close to a sectional championship last season. 2. One more go-round For senior pitcher Gianna Bauer, this is likely her last chance at softball glory. Although she has left open the possibility of walking on at Western Michigan University, she does not plan to. She plans to focus on academics and is one of two seniors this year who do not plan to play in college. 3. Beating a rival Last year, the Porters did something they had not done in a long time: Beat Lincoln-Way East. Lockport had a 12-game losing streak to the Griffins before beating them three times last season. LISTEN UP Honoring a hero WWII veteran from Homer Glen recognized at Blackhawks game Sam Vinci, 95, a World War II veteran who lives in the independent living portion of Victorian Village in Homer Glen, was honored March 11 for his service during the national anthem at the Chicago Blackhawks game. Vinci was on the waitlist for more than two years to be honored. Photos submitted ABOVE: Sam Vinci (left) is shown on the jumbotron being honored at the professional hockey game. The Blackhawks honor three active military members or veterans each game. RIGHT: Some of the family joining Sam Vinci (bottom left) at the game where he was honored included (top from left) Karen Lynch, his daughter; her daughters and his granddaughters Briana and Kendyl; Kendyl’s boyfriend John Flaherty and Sam’s son and Karen’s brother Mark seated beside him. “We all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and that will help. We are focused on getting to state.” Gianna Bauer — LTHS senior softball pitcher, on the team’s ambitions this season Tune In Girls Lacrosse Porters look to keep building program with new coaches Sophomore Frieri a standout player on Lockport squad Randy Whalen Freelance Reporter Softball Triangular start — 10 a.m. Saturday, March 21, vs. Oswego and Montini • LTHS had looked to showcase its talent in this game that was to be played at DuPage Medical Group Field in Joliet and now awaits starting the year. When the Lockport girls lacrosse team takes the field this season, it will have a new look. That's because Grainne Kelly has taken over as head coach for the Porters. She replaces David Smietanski, who moved onto the boys side of the program. "I heard about the job and contacted [Lockport athletic director] Mike Dwyer about it," Kelly said of how she went about taking over the LTHS program. "I've been substitute teaching here, and I'm currently working on getting my master's degree. "I'm super excited to know the girls and the team and to build off that for the future." Kelly will also welcome three new assistant coaches to the program. They are Gary Cope, who is the head JV coach, along with Meera Gosein and Ryan Shereck. Index 41 - This Week In 41 - Athlete of the Week While this will be the third spring that lacrosse is an official sport at Lockport, it is only the second varsity season for the girls program. In their first official season last spring, the Porters were 7-12. Nine seniors graduated from that team. There are 21 total girls on this season's squad, with seven of them seniors. But the top Lockport player is undoubtedly a sophomore. That is Francesca Frieri, who scored an almost unreal 154 goals last season. "Francesca definitely has a lot of talent," Kelly said. "I can't wait to see her play in a game and see her help take the team to the next level." Frieri is overjoyed to have Kelly as a coach and sees the program taking off. "It's awesome, and we are really fortunate to have her here," Frieri said of Kelly. "Just in a couple of weeks of practice, we have developed. We had 60 total girls come out [for all three levels] this season. It was great, really awesome. We have a lot of talent and Please see LACROSSE, 44 FASTBREAK is compiled by Assistant Editor Benjamin Conboy, b.conboy@22ndcenturymedia.com.
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