Trojans drop first set, then rally to beat top-seeded Glenbard West

Downers Grove North volleyball defeated top-seeded Glenbard West in the Class 4A sectional final on Thursday.

The Trojans won the match 18-25, 25-15, and 25-18. This victory marks the program's first sectional championship since the 2018 state runner-up team.

Glenbard West used its size advantage to control the first set. The Hilltoppers recorded eight blocks, with Farryn Burridge contributing six and Victoria Andrianopoulos adding two. Downers Grove North coach Mark Wasik noted that the opponent played a specific strategic game to disrupt his team's rotations. The Trojans committed six errors in that opening frame.

Nicole Liu adjusted her approach in the second set to counter the blocking. She recorded three of her team's first six points, including a kill that gave Downers Grove North a 6-5 lead. Liu finished the match with 14 kills. The Trojans closed the second set with a 9-2 run, capped by back-to-back aces from Brynn Burkhardt. They made only two hitting errors in that set.

The third set remained close for the first 30 points. Ellery Cabaj broke the tie with a kill and an ace that anchored a 4-0 run. That sequence gave the Trojans a 20-14 lead. Cabaj also recorded seven kills, 11 assists, and nine digs. Sienna Shelton added seven kills, Madi Mastalarz provided 16 assists, and Angelika Krob had 17 digs. Samantha Hancock recorded the final kill on match point.

This was the third time Downers Grove North defeated Glenbard West this season. The win extends the Trojans' streak to six consecutive victories over their league rivals dating back to last year. Wasik described his team as composed and confident. He said he sometimes has to get out of the way because the players figure out how to win on their own.

Cabaj said the team focused on this matchup because they had lost sectional finals to teams they had beaten earlier in the season the previous two years. She noted that the plan to push sets out for better hitting options worked against the taller Hilltoppers. Liu, the team captain, said the team stayed strong and found a way to close out the game.

Cara Herbert finished her varsity career with the loss. The four-year setter commits to Loyola-Maryland and was a freshman on the 2023 sectional finalist team. She expressed pride in the team's effort throughout the season. Downers Grove North will face Mother McAuley in a supersectional match on Monday at Lyons.