Huskies Stun Tigers to Earn State Volleyball Berth

When the long match had finally ended Tuesday night, players and fans had plenty of reasons to get rowdy.

The sixth-seeded Huskies had stunned No. 1 Wheaton Warrenville South 25-21, 22-25, 25-23 in a hot, steamy gymnasium to claim the Illinois Math and Science Academy sectional championship and advance to state quarterfinal action this weekend at Hoffman Estates High School.

The Huskies (28-11) had lost to the multiple-state champion Tigers (36-3) three times this spring but claimed the biggest match between the two rivals by playing a near-perfect first game 1 and then making just enough big plays to hold off a Wheaton Warrenville South squad that won three straight state titles from 2007 to 2009 before “settling” for second place last year.

"We weren’t going to let these guys, who have beaten us six times in the past two years, affect us not going downstate,” Huskies libero Danny Boryca said. “We’ve been on a real hot streak lately and we’ve been just kind of going with it.”

Boryca’s defense played a key role in the match as the defensive specialist dived all over the floor to keep plays alive and finished the night with 17 digs. Wheaton Warrenville also played superb defense as Jared Chandler paced the DuPage Valley Conference champs with 14 digs.

The blocking and digs had to be at its best as both teams attacked the ball viciously all night but time and time again rallies were extended by spectacular saves on both sides of the net.

The first game was a classic battle as the teams exchanged points and had 16 ties at the point the game was tied 16-16. From there, however, the Huskies won two straight points as Ball State-bound Shane Witmer (team-highs of 11 kills and four blocks) recorded a block kill and then an ace.

Naperville North, which will take on Oak Park-River Forest in the state quarterfinals Friday at 1 p.m., then pulled out the opening game, 25-21 with Tigers star Eric Luhrsen missing a serve at game point.

The Tigers, led by 15 kills from Luhrsen and 11 from Thomas Jaeshke, took an 18-13 lead in the second game following a kill from Luhrsen. The Huskies did close to within 21-20 but Wheaton Warrenville pulled out the game 25-22 to even the match at one game apiece.

The underdogs did not get rattled, building leads of 10-6 and 15-10 in the decisive third game before having to survive a pair of late charges by a Tigers team that took a 17-16 lead following a pair of aces from Jaeschke.

But the attacking of Witmer and Henry Cheatham (seven kills), along with the inspired defense, enabled Naperville North to finally get past the Tigers.

“We knew it would take the perfect match to beat them,” Witmer said. “I think Wheaton South is the best in the state. But [now] I think we can [win it all]. I think we’re on our way to making quite a statement.”

When WW South mishandled a nasty serve from Witmer to end the match, Huskies fans cheered and stormed the court with flags waving high.

“When the last play came we just got rowdy,” Boryca said. “We were so excited. There’s no better feeling.”