This girls volleyball regional semifinal features two DVC teams going at it for a third time this season. Naperville North is hoping to start the second season on a high note after losing its last five out of six contests. Metea Valley is hoping this is third times the charm after losing to the Huskies twice in the regular season and get back to their fifth straight regional final. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Both teams are deadlocked at six in set one when Ashley Ward sets up Annie Burk and she gets a point for the Mustangs.
The Huskies react quickly and get back in front. Grace Anderson displays a dig to Emma Chang and the send back falls in her favor for an 11-8 North lead.
Cate Provenzano takes over set one for the Huskies
20-9 in favor of the blue and orange. Cate Provenzano jumps out of the blue and tallies a kill.
Set point for the Huskies, up 24-16. The Mustangs keep it alive but once North gets it back, Anderson assists Provenzano, and she ends the first set with a kill.
Momentum stays with the blue and orange early in set two. Provenzano steps up once again and fires the kill down the middle.
A fast start in set two gives Metea momentum
However, the Mustangs are hoping to keep their season alive. Raina Parekh steps up in the middle for the kill to open a 7-4 lead for Metea.
That lead continues to grow in favor of Metea. The reset sees Alyse King on the far side pulling the kill shot and it’s 15-8 Mustangs.
After a couple of possessions, North smoothly keeps this possession alive until Olivia Stewart for Metea changes that with an aggressive kill to fire up her squad.
The Huskies may be down but won’t give up. Anderson looks for Sydney Hirsch, who just sneaks it past the defense for the kill.
Annie Burk caps off set two with a serve that falls in her advantage, so we need a third set after the 25-18 second set win for Metea.
Metea keeps the swing going with Ashley Ward displaying the ace to tie the third set at 5-5.
Nobody wants their season to end, and neither does Alana Schille as her send back bounces off a couple Huskies, and it’s a point for Metea, who lead 10-7.
Then there’s North, who also wants to keep its season alive. The Huskies get some help from Mina Cairns who floats it over and goes off the defender. The Huskies take the lead back 14-13.
Naperville North girls volleyball lives to play another day
It stays that way from there. Chang helps grow the lead with her twelfth kill of the match and the Huskies lead 20-17.
Match point time for the Huskies. Thanks to a failed send back by Metea, Naperville North is awarded the point and the victory. The Huskies take the three-set thriller and move on to the regional championship, where they’ll face St. Francis.
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