On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, the Libertyville girls varsity volleyball team faced off against the Lakes Community Eagles in the west gym. Both teams were coming off of tough losses, Libertyville to the New Trier Trevians, Lakes to the Huntley Red Raiders. Both teams fought hard, resulting in a fierce competition that saw the Wildcats emerge victorious over the course of the two set match-up.
From the start, while the Eagles established themselves as a worthy opponent, the Wildcats played with heart and determination. With a team composed of several skilled seniors, as well as a home court advantage and a roaring student section decked out in white, the home team was not going to back down easily.
For the Eagles, senior and setter Katie Mercure (11) sent a powerful serve into the heart of Wildcat territory. For the Wildcats, senior and middle hitter Lily Evans (21) returned it to put the Wildcats on the board. It was the first of many highlights that would be seen over the course of the night. Senior and outside hitter Hannah Fleming (17) had multiple aces over the course of both sets.
“We serve a lot at practice, so I’ve had a lot of practice,” said Fleming, who has been playing volleyball for eight years, including three on Libertyville’s varsity team. Fleming said that one of Coach Loika’s goals for the team was “to cancel all of the missed serves for aces, making equal or above and I think we did that tonight. So that feels really good for not only me but the team.”
Other senior players with aces in the first set included setter and defensive specialist Mia Colton (10) and outside hitter Stella Meyer (8), whose ace secured the first set for the Wildcats, with a final score of 25-11.
Morale was running high both on and off the court, as the team was unwilling to accept another loss following the tough New Trier match-up that had started off their season.
“All facets of the game that we did well today we did not do well on Monday,” said Mr. Greg Loika, who has served in the position of head coach since 2009. “We passed very well. We served strong and aggressive. We blocked well and kept Lakes out of system and that really helped our offense flow.”
Fleming, also commenting on the team’s play, said, “After the loss on Monday, we had a little talk after, along with at practice on Tuesday. We worked on a few things, especially our passing. I feel like it really improved this game.”
The second set was at first much closer than its predecessor. The Eagles were the first on the board, kicking off a struggle by both teams to edge out the other. It wasn’t until the score was tied 12-12 that Libertyville finally began to pull away again, thanks in part to aggressive play from such players as senior and right side Kylie Hughes (9).
“I think I really brought the energy onto the court,” said Hughes. “My voice is pretty much gone and I think my blocking went really well. It definitely gave people an excuse to get hyped.”
With the team’s record now 1-1, the Wildcats will continue their season with their first tournament game on Friday, August 25, against Wheeling High School. Their first conference game will take place on Wednesday, September 6, an away game against the Warren Township Blue Devils.