Prairie Ridge’s Maizy Agnello breaks mothers’ single-season kills record in IHSA sectional win

CRYSTAL LAKE – For a moment Tuesday night, time felt like it stopped for Prairie Ridge coach Hilary Agnello and her daughter Maizy Agnello.

As Wolves players celebrated their win over Woodstock North in the Class 3A Crystal Lake South Sectional semifinal and South players took down the net around them, the Agnellos stood in the middle of it all hugging. Hilary Agnello kissed her daughter and told her how proud she was of her.

[ Photos: Prairie Ridge vs. Woodstock North, Class 3A Crystal Lake South Sectional volleyball ]

Maizy Agnello had just broken the Wolves’ single-season kills record in the 25-14, 25-12 win. She had just broken her mother’s record.

“I’m just really lucky,” Maizy Agnello, a sophomore, said. “I have really good setters who can get me the ball and really good passers who can get them the ball. So I’m just really lucky to have the team I have. I feel like if I didn’t have that team, I wouldn’t have been able to break this.”

Hilary Agnello still tried to process the moment after Tuesday’s win. She knew Maizy had a good chance to beat her 411 mark when she entered Tuesday’s match with 410, but it still felt like a surreal moment during her first year as the Wolves’ coach.

“I couldn’t be prouder,” Hilary said. “I really couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Kill No. 412 came in a dominant first set for the Wolves (25-13). PR ran out to a 9-2 lead and cruised the rest of the way with timely hitting, led by Maizy, and unforced errors by the Thunder.

The two teams exchanged the lead for much of the first 10 points of the second set, but the Wolves’ offensive depth got involved besides Maizy. With senior Tegan Vrbancic serving, the Wolves grew a 12-7 lead to 19-7 before the Thunder finally scored a point. PR held on to pick up the second set and the match.

Maizy led the Wolves with 10 kills, while junior Abigail Smith had four. Senior Grace Jansen earned 10 assists, and junior Addison Smith had six.

While breaking history was nice, Hilary Agnello was happy to see her team spread the attack once Maizy Agnello broke the record. Abigail Smith and Vrbancic showed of their skill and PR knows that’ll be important for a deep playoff run.

“We have a lot of different offensive options, which opens up a lot for our setters, who can reverse it, and they can switch up the offense,” Maizy Agnello said. “And that is so important as we go on, because the teams we are going to face are going to have good middles who can read it, and us being able to move our sets around is gonna be golden.”

Thunder senior Devynn Schulze led North (22-15) with seven kills, while senior Clara Klasek earned three. Junior Gabby Schefke finished the night with 11 assists.

North coach Eric Schulze knew his team was in for a challenge Tuesday night because of the Wolves’ height advantage. Although the season ended the way it did, Schulze was proud of his group battling adversity to win a regional title in his final season as head coach.

“I feel like I’m leaving this thing in really good hands with a good group of kids that really want to be great,” Eric Schulze said. “They’re pushing every day to get there.”

The Wolves will play Crystal Lake South on Thursday for the sectional title, which left Hilary Agnello with more conflicted emotions. Although she’s the Wolves’ coach, she’s also a dean at South and knows the Gators well.

Regardless of what happens, she’s excited for Thursday night.

“It’s just a testament to the district,” Hilary Agnello said. “We’re a very competitive district. … Either way, it’s a win for the district.”

Crystal Lake South 2, Lakes 0

South coach Annie Moore wanted her team to come out energized for its sectional semifinal against Lakes on Tuesday. Although the Gators had beaten the Eagles twice during the regular season, Moore didn’t want the Gators to come into the match thinking they’d pick up an easy.

The Gators made sure to do just that.

[ Photos: Crystal Lake South vs. Lakes, Class 3A Crystal Lake South Sectional volleyball ]

South ran out to a quick lead in the first set and never looked back, winning 25-13, 25-17.

“[It’s] really exciting for us,” South senior Morgan Johnson said. “I just feel like we’re all really hyped up and excited for Thursday, because we know we’re gonna be back at home again.”

Johnson was a major reason for South’s (14-23) fast start to the match. She attacked from different parts of the court and helped the Gators run out to a 16-5 lead. South took advantage of unforced errors by Lakes to finish with a 25-13 opening set win.

South grabbed an early lead in the second set, but Lakes forced its way back to force ties at 9, 10 and 12. But sophomore Layla Addison had three straight aces to give her team a 19-14 lead and the match’s momentum. The Gators finished the set on a 13-5 run.

Johnson led the team with seven kills, while sophomore Bobbi Wire had six.

Moore was impressed with Johnson stepping up to lead the Gators in a pivotal match.

“It’s nice to have like the messenger onto the court, and she always knows exactly what they are gonna run, exactly what they’re gonna do, who they’re gonna set,” Moore said. “So that’s a huge help for our team.”

Lakes (21-15) sophomore Addison Sundquist led the team with five kills, while senior Riley Bell Nance had four. Senior setter Allison Varga finished with eight assists.

Eagles coach Sarah Yeager was proud of her team battling back in the second set. A slow first set became too much to overcome.

“They didn’t make a lot of errors, and they capitalized on the ones we made,” Yeager said. “Super proud of the girls for coming as far as they did. It just wasn’t our match. Sometimes you don’t have a great day, and today was not a great day.”

Johnson was looking forward to Thursday’s test against the Wolves. South lost to PR twice during the regular season, but with the program’s first sectional title since 2014 on the line, Johnson knows there won’t be a lack of motivation.

“It’s gonna be such a confidence game, and we’re gonna all do our best,” Johnson said. “Because we’re not gonna want to lose to them like we have in the past.”