Volleyball: McHenry comes back to beat Prairie Ridge in 3 sets

McHENRY – McHenry never led in the first set against Prairie Ridge on Thursday, and that didn’t sit well with the Warriors.

“We really wanted the win,” senior outside hitter Mollie Hobson said. “We weren’t going to take that, and we wanted to answer back.”

Led by a team-high seven kills from Hobson, McHenry came back to beat Prairie Ridge 16-25, 26-24, 25-22 in their final Fox Valley Conference match before the start of the postseason.

McHenry (20-15, 7-11 FVC) was celebrating its eight seniors Thursday night and took it as a challenge after dropping the first set to the Wolves (18-17, 11-7).

Senior outside hitter Ella Boland, who will play next year at NCAA Division III Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, put away the final kill after the Warriors and Wolves were tied at 21 and 22. Boland finished with five kills and two aces.

“I was so excited. I was just waiting for the ball to come down,” Boland said. “I just wanted to make sure we won on our senior night. I wanted that last ball so bad.”

Hobson knew Boland was going to put the match away.

“I knew when she got the ball, the game was over,” Hobson said. “We’ve played together since we were 12 years old. We’ve grown a lot together with our volleyball game, and it’s not over yet. We’ve still got more.”

McHenry also defeated Prairie Ridge when the teams met Sept. 19 in straight sets, 25-23, 26-24.

McHenry coach Kyle Hobson said Thursday’s match had a playoff-like feel. The Warriors’ last regional title was in 1997.

“I think that our seniors were just really determined tonight,” Kyle Hobson said. “Tonight was a night where I felt like they really came together and were supporting each other every single point.

“I think that’s one of the things that really made a difference. We’ve been talking a lot about the state tournament and regionals and the opportunities that are ahead of us. One of the ways we want to be successful is by supporting one another, and that’s what is going to make us successful going into the state tournament.”

Senior outside hitter Erin Nothdorf had three kills for McHenry, and junior setter Ella Jenkins added 12 assists. Senior Alissa Ricci led the Warriors defensively with 15 digs.

For Prairie Ridge, freshman Maizy Agnello had a match-high 17 kills and 12 digs, senior middle blocker Mackenzie Schmidt had 12 kills, and junior setter Grace Jansen had 34 assists. Alli Rogers had three aces, Addison Gertz had five kills, and Julia Reina had three aces and 15 digs.

Prairie Ridge coach Stefanie Otto said the Wolves were inconsistent point to point Thursday, something that has been hurting the team all season.

“I wasn’t thinking that the game was in the bag by any shape, way or form,” Otto said. “They’re a really good team. The whole match was inconsistency. We get a little run, and then we fall apart; we get a little run, and then we fall apart. That’s how it felt the whole time.”

McHenry will face Grant in a Class 4A Grant Regional semifinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Prairie Ridge plays Antioch at 7 p.m Tuesday in a Class 3A Grayslake North Regional semifinal.

“I think we can go a lot further than we have in the past,” Mollie Hobson said. “We have the talent, we have the mindset, and I think it’s on us. We talk a lot about discipline. As long as we stayed disciplined, I think we can go really far.”