Maloney, Providence spike North’s punch
against Providence Catholic during the championship
match of the Oak Lawn Spartan Girls Volley Ball Classic in
Oak Lawn Saturday September, 17, 2011.| Ray Luna ~ For Sun-Times Media
Updated: September 17, 2011 7:36PM
When Providence junior Alyssa Maloney leaped high at the net, took a quick-set from Krista Brakauskas, and smoked it straight to the floor at one point in Game 1 of Saturday’s title match against Lincoln-Way North at the Oak Lawn Volleyball Classic, it was a pretty impressive sight.
Even she had to agree.
“Yeah, that was pretty awesome,” Maloney said, bursting into laughter when reminded after the Celtic’s 25-21, 25-19 victory.
“Getting some aggression can really help when you need some points,” she said. “And when you’re getting upset and you know that you can do something and then you get the opportunity to, you have to take advantage.”
Junior setter Krista Brakauskas earned tournament MVP honors with 20 assists and eight digs, while Alyssa Podwell (eight kills), Katie Urchell (six kills, 10 digs), Maloney (three kills, three blocks) and Nora Mitros (three kills) also helped the Celtics improve to 13-2.
Lincoln-Way North (9-6) was paced by Stephanie Pearson (eight kills), Kayla Manthei (10 service points) and Jackie Billie (17 assists).
Maloney’s majestic leap and powerful spike produced, certainly, the kill of the match, It was also one of the most important.
Lincoln-Way North was on quite a roll, having run off 10 straight points to turn a 10-6 deficit into a 16-10 lead. Pearson, a 5-8 senior outside hitter, was seemingly unstoppable at the net, with four kills and a block.
“We just got in a little rut,” Brakauskas said. “But when we get in those ruts, we know what to do. It took a little longer in that game, but we just knew what to do and we finally decided to start putting the ball down.”
Maloney’s blast was followed shortly thereafter by two in a row by Podwell. The Celtics had scrapped back within 20-18 when Lacey Hill went the service hill and produced a string of five points, bookended with kills by Mitros. At 23-21 Providence, Maloney and Mitros went back-to-back with spikes to close out Game 1.
Game 2 saw Providence race ahead 6-1, and continue to build a led that peaked at 22-11.
The win was the Celtics’ second of the season over Lincoln-Way North, and capped a weekend that also saw them defeat Rich South and Reavis on Friday, and Lincoln-Way West and T.F. South on Saturday.
“Today was definitely more challenging than Friday,” Brakauskas said. “I give credit to both Lincoln-Ways because they were both great teams.”
In the third-place match, Shepard (8-5) rode 32 assists from Stephanie Korbakes, 12 digs from Stephanie Williamson, four kills and two blocks from Natalie Carberry and five kills and three aces from Sam Ziola-Vega to a 25-22, 25-22 victory over T.F. South (12-5-1).
Richards (13-3), behind Taylor Adleman (5 kills, five blocks), Megan Albon (five kills), Allison Stazak (11 assists, four aces) and Kara Rockey (21 digs, four aces), captured the Silver division title via a 25-13, 21-25, 25-20 win over Lincoln-Way West (13-3).
Brement beat Evergreen Park 25-23, 25-16 to claim the Bronze division, while Thornwood topped Argo 24-26, 25-21, 25-13 for the Copper crown.
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