Sky High team wins national title
After coming in as the third seed, Crystal Lake-based Sky High 16 Black team won the 16U Open Division at the Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday.
Scott Harris, 16 Black’s coach, said the Amateur Athletic Union competition was one of the strongest national championships of the year.
Leading the Sky High team was Cary-Grove’s Colleen Smith who was named the tournament MVP and to the All-America team. Also earning All-American status were Cary-Grove’s Kelly Lamberti and Glenbrook South’s Ellen Chapman.
Sky High won the championship match, 25-14, 25-23, against Front Range from Denver. It was a sort of payback for the 16 Black team, whose only loss in the tournament came against Front Range in pool play.
“They got the chance to come back and redeem themselves,” Harris said.
Sky High’s toughest match came in the quarterfinals against Sports Performance from Aurora. They dropped the first game, 12-25, then came back to win the next two, 25-20 and 15-9.
Harris said he thought that the tight match was as much a result of the location as the opponent. Last year, the same team in the 15U division was upset on the same court.
“I think it got in their heads a little bit. They were a little shook and a little nervous going in,” Harris said. “[But] we fought back and won game two and cruised in game three.”
In the semifinals, 16 Black won in consecutive games, 25-17, 25-16, against Northern Lights from Minneapolis, Minn. Harris said the win was typical of how his team played in the four-day tournament.
“That’s how they’ve been normally playing all weekend,” Harris said. “They’ve been rolling through the tournament.”
The 16 Black team will not get to enjoy the championship for long, as they travel to Louisville, Ky., on Friday to compete in another national championship. In Kentucky, they will play in the Junior Volleyball Directors Association tournament.
Also in Orlando, the Sky High 15 Black team finished third and narrowly missed a chance to play in the finals. In the semifinals 15 Black had four match points but couldn’t put the match away, Harris said.
Members of the 16 Black team are: Hannah Burkle (CL South), Taylor Humm (Prairie Ridge), Kelsey Nobilio (Johnsburg), Dena Ott (Marian Central), Carly Schmidt (Johnsburg), Lamberti, Colleen Smith, Cami Beghou, Ellen Chapman and Sarah Hunt.
Members of the 15 Black team are: Samantha Boesch (Huntley), Victoria Day (Prairie Ridge), Abby Gilleland (Marian Central), Katie Hamilton (Prairie Ridge), Ashley Rosch (Cary-Grove, Ashley Smith (Huntley), Sarah Stevens (Prairie Ridge), Anderson, Dion and Samantha Bohne. Coach: Chas Kennedy.
Relay for Life: The Relay For Life of North McHenry County Walk and Celebration will be Saturday at the McHenry Township Park in Johnsburg. The event raises funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society.
The family event is free and will be at 3 p.m. and run non-stop until 5 a.m. Sunday. Activities include performers, bands, music, children’s games and refreshments.
For information or to register a team, visit www.relayforlifenorthmchenry.com or call committee members Michael and Diane Etten at 815-385-9212.
• Rob Smith is a sports writer for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at rsmith@nwherald.com.