Depth, defense power Tri-Valley volleyball to 2A state title game with win over Richmond-Burton
NORMAL — Two major strengths of Tri-Valley volleyball this season has been its top-to-bottom depth as a team and its defense.
Those helped the Vikings reach their first state berth in program history and have the opportunity to win a Class 2A state title after a 25-17, 20-25, 25-19 win over Richmond-Burton in front of a throng of blue at CEFCU Arena in Normal on Friday.
“It just feels amazing,” Tri-Valley head coach Tara Lowell said. “We have such a great group of girls here, young women and athletes, and they've worked very hard to get here. It's just a very proud moment. They deserve to be here.”
The Vikings moved to 31-3 with the win and will play in the Class 2A state championship game against Breese Central on Saturday at 1:55 p.m.
“It's really fun, I mean, it's a great opportunity to play from a big crowd and people who you know care for you,” Tri-Valley senior setter Blythe Burk said. “But we know we have a job to do and we're here to win.”
The Vikings had work to do after winning the first set, but falling behind by as many as 10 points in the second. In response, they went on a 5-0 run that featured two kills from senior outside hitter Presley Shanahan and a combo block by junior middle Bella Medeiros and sophomore outside Chloe Bruce to close the gap to 21-17.
Two more blocks involving Medeiros made it 23-20 Richmond-Burton before the Rockets closed out the set. But the Vikings went into a third feeling like they had momentum on their side.
“Bella was the woman with some really big blocks,” Burk said. “We were gaining points. We weren't feeling like we were down. We started to build back at the start so coming in, we had it. We were ready to go, and we just kept pushing forward with what we had built up at the end of the second set.”
“Once we shut them down a few times, it looked like they were a little off balance and once you get them off balance, we were able to run the ball,” Lowell said. “Block coverage was huge for us.”
Richmond-Burton jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the third set before the Vikings came storming back with a 7-0 run.
Following two Rockets errors and a kill from senior outside hitter Kinley Morris, fellow senior outside Presley Shanahan served up an ace to give Tri-Valley an 8-7 lead. It ballooned to 11-7 following two more Rockets errors with a block by Medeiros and Bruce sandwiched in the middle.
The Vikings called a timeout after Richmond-Burton scored three straight to make it 20-17 Tri-Valley, but two kills from Bruce and a kill from Shanahan put Morris in position to put the finishing touches on the win with consecutive kills.
“Get the ball over the net,” Morris said of her mindset in the final points. “I know I have my team behind me so I can hit the ball whenever I need to.”
Tri-Valley’s defense had to work hard to limit Richmond-Burton outside hitter and Coastal Carolina commit Dani Hopp, who had four kills in the Rockets’ first five points of the match.
But senior libero Elle Filarski absorbed many of her lasering attacks and finished with a team-high 16 digs. Lauren Louck (14 assists, 10 digs, two aces) and Shanahan (10 kills, 11 digs, two aces) helped limit the Rockets while putting up double-doubles.
Morris finished with 10 kills and two blocks while senior middle Annabelle Bischoff (six kills) matched her in blocks. Bruce and Medeiros’s four blocks apiece were one of Tri-Valley’s biggest difference-makers.
With seemingly every player on the court making at least one big play or another, Tri-Valley went on a 15-7 run to close the first set after being tied 10-10.
“Going into it, we knew [Hopp] was a big hitter, but we've done a lot of practice to prepare for it,” Filarski said. “In the end, it all just comes down to the moment and being ready and doing your best you can.”
“We have great defense, especially Elle over here, our libero, and really just had to stay calm and just trust like our senses,” Black said. “We know what we can do.”
Tri-Valley’s postseason run has been especially meaningful for Lowell. She grew up in the school district and was a star on the volleyball court for the Vikings before going on to play at Western Michigan in college.
“It's very surreal, but it also means so much to come back to my hometown and coach at the school that I grew up at,” Lowell said. “It just means, I feel like, a little bit more that I'm coaching at the school that built me as a player.
The proximity from Normal to Downs isn’t lost on the Vikings either.
The Vikings had a pronounced home court advantage on Friday with hundreds of fans and students filling the stands, just over 10 miles away from their high school. The fan support adds another layer to what’s already been a historic weekend for the team, regardless of the championship game outcome.
“We have a great support system behind us, and I think that helps bring a little extra support for the girls and a little extra comfort,” Lowell said.
Some teams may spend the less-than-24 hour period between the state semifinal and championship game obsessing over film or stressing out about playing on the big stage.
But not Tri-Valley, even with just 50 points standing between them and the ultimate prize.
“We're successful when we play loose and we're goofy and we have fun, so we take pressure as a privilege,” Lowell said.
“But we're going to go out and play loose like it's just every other day.”
Comments