Girls Volleyball: Chicago Christian rallies to top Timothy Christian

Updated: November 5, 2011 9:36PM

Emily Workman was a freshman when Chicago Christian won its first state title last year. Thanks to the 5-foot-8 sophomore, the Knights will have an opportunity to defend that title.

Workman had 20 assists, five aces, two kills and two huge blocks as Chicago Christian (22-18) rallied to defeat Timothy Christian 21-25, 25-14, 25-21 in the Class 2A supersectional Saturday at Lisle.

The Knights will play Breese Central, the team it defeated in last year’s state championship match, in Friday’s 1:30 p.m. semifinal at Redbird Arena in Normal.

Chicago Christian faced an uphill battle after losing Game 1 Saturday. The Knights fell behind 10-3 early, and although they managed to take a brief 17-16 lead, consecutive kills by Timothy Christian’s Jenna Lodewyk and Kacie Stoll gave the Trojans the lead for good.

“There were definitely some nerves early in that first game,” Workman said. “We knew we had to come back a lot stronger if we wanted to go to state again. We knew what it felt like to be there. We wanted to have that feeling again.”

The Knights wasted little time asserting their dominance in Game 2, building an 11-6 lead to force a Timothy timeout. Two Workman aces extended the lead to 19-8, and both teams settled in for a decisive third game.

“I think our mistakes in Game 2 compounded themselves a little bit,” Timothy Christian coach Lindsay Van Schepen said. “One led to another. At least we came out refocused for Game 3 and made a great match of it.”

Timothy Christian (34-4) led 6-3 and 9-6 in Game 3, but a Workman block gave Chicago Christian an 11-10 lead. The Knights’ advantage grew to 15-11 and 19-14 before the Trojans made one final push to get within 23-21.

But a Workman block and a Timothy error closed out the match.

“Anytime against a team like Chicago Christian to put a two- or three-point run together is really tough,” Van Schepen said. “So we kind of dug ourselves into a little hole. They have tough hitters, tough blockers, some of the best blockers we’ve seen this year.”

Maggie Kamp had nine kills and Emily Lindemulder added eight kills and a block for Chicago Christian. Stoll, a 6-foot freshman, led Timothy Christian with nine kills, junior Bridgitt Buikema added six kills and the sophomore Lodewyk had 20 assists, two kills and three aces.

“I expect it’s going to be this tough downstate whoever’s down there,” Chicago Christian coach James Garcia said. “Breese Central, who we beat last year. Decatur St. Teresa. I expect them to be down there.

“It’s going to be tough,” he added. “Four of the best teams in Class 2A are going to be down there and we all want it, so we all have to play hard to get it.”

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