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Sports

Hilltoppers Conclude Memorable Year with 4th Place at State

The boys volleyball team, in only its sixth varsity season, wins a state quarterfinal game over the weekend and advances to the third-place contest.

Glenbard West’s boys volleyball team capped a memorable 2011 campaign with a fourth-place finish at the state tournament this past weekend.

Even though the Hilltoppers dropped the third-place match on Saturday to Vernon Hills and a semifinal match to eventual state champion Sandburg earlier that day, their victory over St. Rita (Chicago) during Friday’s quarterfinals assured them a berth in the final four.

The Hilltoppers’ victory on Friday is a testament not only to their talents, but their ability to focus on the task at hand.

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How’s this for a schedule? The senior members of the squad had graduation ceremonies that evening while the juniors took final exams in the morning.

Coach Christine Giunta-Mayer’s squad grabbed an early lead in the first set of Friday’s quarterfinal game and never looked back en route to a 25-21 victory. The Hilltoppers rattled off eight unanswered points, capped by junior outside hitter Ian Lawson’s kill—he had a match-high 23—for an 8-2 advantage.

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The closest St. Rita got to the Hilltoppers during that set was 13-10, but consecutive St. Rita errors put Glenbard West back in front 15-10. Senior Adam Lepold’s service ace later made it 23-16 Glenbard West, and a St. Rita attack error provided the Hilltopppers with their biggest lead of the set, 24-16.

After St. Rita won the second set 25-17, Glenbard West marched out to an early lead in the third set. St. Rita, however, stormed back to take a 10-9 advantage, but the Hilltoppers scored the next four points for a 13-10 lead.

The teams played to three ties (14-14, 15-15 and 20-20) before a Lawson kill and four St. Rita errors closed out the set and the match for Glenbard West, 25-20.

Alex Emanuel, a junior, piled up 21 assists while senior Kevin McGinnis had 10 digs.

Semifinals

In Saturday’s semifinal, the Hilltoppers fell to Sandburg in straight sets, 25-19, 25-23.

The Hilltoppers led early 7-6 (on a Lepold kill) and 9-8 (on a Sandburg attack error). But after a kill by Lawson forced an 11-11 tie, Sandburg slowly pulled away from the Hilltoppers to win the set.

The second set was a battle royale that featured 12 ties. The Hilltoppers appeared well on their way to winning the set when Lawson’s kill from McGinnis put them up 19-14. Yet Sandburg scored the next five points to tie it, 19-19.

Junior outside hitter Joe Zaccarria’s kill late in the set pulled Glenbard West to within a point of Sandburg (24-23), but a kill by Jason Fox clinched the victory for the Eagles.

Lawson finished with a match-high 13 kills. Emanuel contributed 12 assists and McGinnis notched seven digs.

Third place

The Hilltoppers went three sets with Vernon Hills—which lost to Naperville North in its semifinal match—but ended up bowing to the Cougars 25-21, 18-25, 25-20.

Glenbard West started out strong and led 13-11, but Vernon Hills scored five unanswered points to take a 16-13 lead. The Hilltoppers pulled to within 18-17, but the Eagles closed out the set by scoring four of the last five points.

In the second set, the Hilltoppers capitalized on four early Vernon Hills attack errors for a 6-0 lead, and the Eagles never got closer than four points the rest of the way.

The Hilltoppers were in control of the third and deciding set 15-11 following a Zaccaria kill off an assist from Emanuel. The Eagles, however, tallied six of the next seven points and took a 17-16 lead. Unfortunately, Vernon Hills held off Glenbard West the rest of the way for the win.

Playing in the final match of his career, Lepold paced the Hilltoppers with 13 kills. McGinnis registered 10 digs, while Emanuel and Chris Glotzbach, a senior, had 17 and 11 assists, respectively.

The Hilltoppers’ boys volleyball program, only in its sixth varsity season, ended the year with a sparkling 29-8 record.

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