It was over. And then it wasn’t.
It was over again. And then it wasn’t.
Having two apparent match points against Lincoln-Way East taken away Monday night was a bit overwhelming for Sandburg junior Elise Sterling.
“I was confused,” Sterling said. “I was like, ‘Wait. What happened?'”
But she was also convinced.
“Even though we didn’t get those calls, we knew we could still win,” Sterling said. “I mean, the circumstances were crazy, but we knew we could still pull it off.”
The 6-foot-1 middle hitter played a key role for the Eagles as they defeated the top-seeded Griffins 14-25, 25-20, 25-19 in a Class 4A Lockport Sectional semifinal match.
Sterling finished with five kills and two blocks for Sandburg (23-15). Claire Hildebrand added nine kills and five digs, while Gabby Gasior had seven kills. Keira Fitzgerald contributed 20 assists and Reilly Chausse made 13 digs.
Ava Nepkin led Lincoln-Way East (31-7) with 13 kills and 16 digs. Jada James added eight kills, while Grace Poynton had 13 assists and Lexi Byas made 17 digs.
Fifth-seeded Sandburg will play sixth-seeded Joliet West (29-10) at 6 p.m. Wednesday for the sectional title. The Tigers upset second-seeded Bolingbrook 25-22, 25-21.
The Eagles led 24-17 in the third game Monday when Hildebrand went to the service line and the match turned “crazy.”
A return by Lincoln-Way East flew beyond the end line. Sandburg’s players began to celebrate and gather together for handshakes when they were called back because of a net violation.
On the next rally, another hit by the Griffins appeared to go out of bounds. After a short delay, it was ruled to be a touch by the Eagles.
Talk about frustration.
“When I was serving on that one point and I thought we had it, I started to get tears in my eyes,” Hildebrand said. “I was so happy because I knew how hard we worked for this. I was hugging everybody.
“When they told everybody to go back to the bench, we had to just go to the next point and smile.”
A unforced error by Lincoln-Way East ended the match.
Sterling was clutch for the Eagles with a late block in the second game. She had a huge tip for kill to get Sandburg to 20 points in the third.
Beyond the two big moments, she was menace in the middle, causing disruption if not directly touching the ball.
She’s paying big dividends in her second season on the varsity.
“Last season, we kind of threw her to the wolves,” Sandburg coach David Vales said. “There was no out, no backup. It was just, ‘You have to perform.’
“By the end of last season, her long arms and her timing were there. When she had seven blocks against East in a regional championship, it was kind of a foreshadowing of what we would see.”
Sandburg assistant coach Julia Cotiguala — a middle hitter in high school and college — was a valuable asset during that learning curve.
“We just spent a lot of time with footwork and with reaching over and pressing,” Cotiguala said. “Since then, I think she has become way more confident in herself.”
Sterling has been a leader for the Eagles throughout this season. She has 150 kills and 70 blocks — and a real appreciation for Cotiguala’s guidance.
“Being a middle in college, she knows how to specifically help with my position,” Sterling said. “Almost every practice we did blocking drills, hitting drills. She was always helping me get better.
“That match last season against East was really exciting for me. I haven’t focused on volleyball that much in my life. I play softball, but I’m kind of switching more toward volleyball.”
