Bolingbrook's Brooks Wins Sectional Volleyball Title

Submitted by Valley View School District:

 Thanks to strong net play, great serving and excellent all-around defense, Brooks Middle School blasted Homer Junior High 25-16 and 25-7 Monday night to advance to the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 4A 8th grade volleyball state quarterfinals.

The Bulldogs (12-9) will meet either Channahon or Martino (New Lenox) at 10 a.m. Saturday at Rochester Junior High School. The winner advances to a 1 p.m. semifinal contest. The third place and championship games are at 5:30 and 6:45 p.m. respectively March 25, also at Rochester.

Thanks to setter Gabby Gallucci (9 assists), outside hitter Julia Lentz (9 kills) and middle hitter April Lowery (7 kills including 4 blocks) Brooks kept the Mustangs’ defense on its heals all night, while Soha Khan (10 serving points including 4 aces), Alexis Johnson (nine serving points) and Hallie Hall (7 serving points) were dead-on from the service line.

After shaking off a case of some early nerves that gave Homer (11-4) an early 5-1 first set lead, two great passes by Lowery, sets by Galluci and kills by Hall got the Bulldogs going. They finally tied it at 9 when Brooke Patterson blocked a spike attempt and then got the follow-up kill on a set by Gallucci. Hall served for three straight, including a Lowery kill and Kahn nailed a down-line spike to put Brooks on top for good 15-13.

Lowery served four straight including a soft ace to the back line. Two Lentz kills, a Claire Jaskowiak kill to the back line and a Patterson block made it 23-16. Lentz ended it with a spectacular unassisted kill when Homer made a bad pass over the net.

The Bulldogs wasted no time in the second set grabbing an 8-3 lead behind Lowery (3 kills including two blocks) and Gallucci (2 blocks, a tip and two aces). Kahn followed it up by serving for 5 straight points, aided by 3 Lentz kills at the net, and a Lowery block and a kill off a great pass-set from Hall and Gallucci. It was 15-7 when Johnson served for 8 more points including two aces and a block and a solo kill by Lentz. Lentz’ tip won the game.

Other Brooks team members include Allie Hayes, Taryn Noble, Claire Jaskowiak, Liz Macias, Sierra Perez, Melody Raices, Natalie Mitchem and Asia Owens. Isaiah Gray, Xavier Diaz and Tyson Noble are the managers. Molly DeSerf is head coach and Peter Pietruszewski is assistant coach.