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November 2, 2023

Huntley volleyball coach Karen Naymola talks to the team during a timeout against Warren. Warren defeated the Red Raiders, 2-1, in the Huntley Class 3A Sectional semifinal Oct. 30.
Steve Peterson
Huntley volleyball coach Karen Naymola talks to the team during a timeout against Warren. Warren defeated the Red Raiders, 2-1, in the Huntley Class 3A Sectional semifinal Oct. 30.

Sports • November 2, 2023

Warren halts Huntley volleyball at sectional

By

HUNTLEY — Huntley volleyball players gathered around head coach Karen Naymola for one final time this season.

The team’s bid for a fourth straight sectional championship, which ended at its home court Oct. 30, may not have come to pass, but the resiliency is something the Red Raiders will take from a 2-1 upset at the hands of Gurnee Warren. The sectional’s top seeded Red Raiders  fell in a tough 22-25, 25-15, 20-25 loss to the second seed Blue Devils.

The final chapter of the 31-7 Huntley season included recovery from a previous injury, but also new injuries. It marked the end of a stellar prep volleyball career for seniors Lizzy Williams, Laura Boberg, Morgan Jones and Avery Gonzalez, a group who experienced three super-sectional seasons.

On the injury front, Georgia Watson had just returned from a back injury at regional and put down 15 kills. Gonzalez had to leave the sectional semifinal match early on and setter Boberg suffered a hard collision.

“For the seniors, it was kind of deja vu after last year,” HHS coach Karen Naymola said. “It rattled them, but I thought Sienna Robertson came in and had some huge swings. Jones has so much confidence. I am proud of how the girls came together and Jones and Watson picked us up and took control.”

Jones, who is headed to the University of Missouri next fall, and Watson, who has already committed to the University of Kentucky and will be a senior leader in 2024-25, spoke after the hard-fought match.

“I will look back at how amazing the season was and all the hard work everyone put in,” Jones said. “After Avery got hurt and Laura was hit, we wanted to win it for them.”

Jones said she was more aggressive in her serving in the Red Raiders bounce back second set. Huntley zoomed to a 19-8 cushion en route to the 25-15 set win.

“We had more energy in the second set,” Watson said. “We gave it a hard fight, but it was just not our day. We will miss our seniors, but we will be back next season. We all put forth a tremendous effort.”

It all came down to the third set Monday. While Huntley had 6-3 and 11-8 leads early, Boberg hit the floor at that time on a collision but stayed in the match. Warren caught Huntley at 15-all, and the last tie was at 18-18 on a kill by Robertson. But it would be Warren’s night, with a 7-2 run to advance to the sectional final.

The Red Raiders, who won the Rockford East regional for their seventh straight regional title, had several strong statistics. Watson contributed 15 kills and 10 digs; Jones had eight digs, six kills and seven aces; Robertson, a junior, helped with six kills; junior Alex Goritz pitched in six digs and two aces. Boberg had 18 assists. Junior Mari Rodriquez contributed 14 digs.

For Warren, 25-10, it is a rare chance to reach the Sweet 16, where the Blue Devils have not advanced since 2005-06. They faced North Suburban rival Libertyville for the Huntley sectional title.