Minooka Junior High girls celebrate volleyball state title

MINOOKA – The Minooka Junior High School eighth-grade volleyball team took center stage at an assembly last week to celebrate its season.

“This was amazing. And all of the support these girls received shows a lot about the community, parents, students and coaches. They do what’s best for the kids. This will be an accomplishment these girls will never forget.” Minooka Junior High athletic director Adrianne McKerrow said at the March 24 event.

Dubbed the “comeback queens” by coach Coral Berta, the eighth-grade volleyball team clinched the IESA Class 8-4A state championship title March 22 in Rochester.

“This feels amazing to be a part of a team like this; it’s the perfect way to end the eighth-grade season,” team captain Zoey Seput said.

The team went 23-2 this season, which Berta credited to the fact that most of the girls played last season together, giving them extra training and a strong unity on and off the court.

“These girls came into this year with a fire and a desire,” Berta said. “From the start, they knew my expectations of them and that on the court and in practice everyone needed to work.”

The team of 11 girls pushed through regional play in Coal City and the sectional, which was in Minooka. Berta said it was big for the team to have home-court advantage in a playoff game after a heavy travel schedule.

“This was a travel year for us,” Berta said. “We only had five home games, but the girls overcame that hurdle, and the fact that we could win on the road all the times we did was amazing.”

In the first round of state play, Minooka went up against Liberty Middle School out of Edwardsville. Minooka had a difficult match because of different playing styles, but scored a 25-18, 23-25, 25-22 victory.

“Liberty was a tough game,” Seput said. “I told our team that we had to leave it all on the line and that this was our moment. We were down five points in the last game and came back and won.”

The rallying spirit was what made Berta, assisted by Chris Lincoln on the sideline, coin the team the “comeback queens.”

“They were down so many times, but they never gave up. I told them to hold their heads high and not show emotion to the other team,” she said.

Minooka went in aggressive and confident into the next round against Parker Junior High out of Flossmoor and swept in two games, 25-10 and 25-18, to secure their spot in the state championship game.

On March 22, the team and more than 120 fans trekked to Rochester and the bleachers became a sea of white and blue. Summit Hill Junior High from Frankfort was the opponent.

“I told the girls to play Minooka ball, which means to play clean, take risks and run plays,” Berta said.

The girls did just that, beating Summit hill in two games, 25-18 and 25-17.

“This was a great experience because our team was a close group this year,” Seput said. “The fans were awesome and that last game felt so good. Once we won, we all jumped up and hugged each other.”