Girls volleyball: Calli Kenny caps career by helping Willowbrook take third in Class 4A

NORMAL – Calli Kenny’s storied career was missing one vital piece.

The Willowbrook senior setter didn’t want to let Friday night’s disappointing three-set defeat to Benet be the lasting memory of her storied run.

The Warriors, in their first state appearance, had an opportunity to win the program’s first match at state on Saturday night.

Kenny, who signed with Marquette, has played in countless marquee matches on big stages in her club career, but Saturday’s Class 4A state third-place contest was different. It marked the final match of her high school career and, just as important, the final time wearing a Warriors’ uniform alongside her younger sister, junior Hannah Kelly.

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Willowbrook’s Eliza Ramey and Lily Javier react with teammates after defeating Barrington in the Class 4A girls volleyball state third-place match at Illinois State University in Normal on Saturday, October 11, 2023. (John Starks jstarks@dailyherald.)

The Kenny sisters have helped raise the bar for the Willowbrook program, joining forces with an outstanding cast of players who added one last memorable memory against Barrington. Calli Kenny put on a final dominating show with 17 kills, 15 assists, eight digs and three aces to power Willowbrook to a 25-20, 23-25, 25-17 win over Barrington in the third-place game.

In Calli Kenny’s three full seasons on the varsity, the Warriors posted records of 37-2, 36-3 and 40-2, but the final match was one of her fondest memories. She hopes the victory is the start of putting Willowbrook volleyball on the state map, especially with her sister among the key returnees. Hannah Kenny, a Louisville recruit, compiled 11 kills, 23 assists, eight digs and three aces.

“I think we just did it for each other, especially after yesterday’s loss,” Calli Kenny said. “Since I was a freshman, it was a lot of work in progress, so to finally be here is so special. We have such a great community. I’m so thankful to be a part of it.

“When I was a freshman, you can start from rock bottom but with hard work and passion and just a love for the game and your team, you can do great things.”

In the postgame, right before the question-and-answer session, Calli Kenny burst into tears when her coach, Irene Mason, glanced at the stat sheet and noticed her star senior passed the 1,000 career kill mark.

“This was a big milestone for her to get,” Mason said. “It feels great to end on a win. Third place for us, when we’ve never been here before and going against teams that just do this regularly, these girls believed and worked together, so this is a big moment.”

The Warriors nearly pulled off shocker by battling Benet to three sets in the state semifinal, but they didn’t let the defeat affect them against the Fillies. The Warriors came out aggressive, seizing a 15-10 lead following a block and kill by Calli Kenny. She sealed the first-set victory with a pounding kill, then immediately went to work in the second set.

Barrington, which finished in third place in each of the previous two seasons, notched the program’s second fourth-place trophy. The Fillies, who have five players slated to extend their careers in volleyball in college and Molly O’Riordan signed to play basketball for Dayton, fought back in the second set to take leads of 9-5, 15-11 and 23-20. Berkeley Ploder and Addie Brookbank forced a third set with consecutive kills.

The Warriors wasted little time seizing control of the decisive final game, building an 18-8 lead after an ace by Calli Kenny. Willowbrook sealed the victory when Calli Kenny scored two of the last three points via kills.

Barrington (35-7) picked up 13 kills and six digs from Jenna Meitzler and seven kills from Ploder, while Molly Kozak had 12 digs and Gwen Adler added 25 assists and three assists.

“I’m incredibly proud of these girls,” Barrington coach Michelle Jakubowski said. “They have worked really hard over the last four years…We played on the last day for three years in a row, but really for four years with COVID. This is the first time they’ve ever lost on the last day.”

Meitzler, an Iowa recruit, noted the heart the team showed in mounting a comeback to push the match to three games.

“I think our positivity really helped us because we’ve lost a ton of first sets, but we believe in each other and the game and just played,” Meitzler said.