After a slow start to the season, the OPRF girls volleyball team has found its rhythm and rattled off victories in four consecutive matches, nine of its last 10. The latest victory for the Huskies, ranked seventh in the Illinois Prep Volleyball Class 4A poll, occurred at home on Sept. 24 as they rolled past Montini Catholic 25-20, 25-11.
“We played really good as a team,” said OPRF outside hitter Bella Gray, who had a team-leading eight kills, nine digs, and an ace. “We’ve been working on a lot of stuff in practice and I think we implemented that really well in our game tonight.”
OPRF head coach Symone Speech said the Huskies’ early tough schedule, in which they faced several nationally-ranked teams, was beneficial, even though losses came as a consequence.
“They knew going in we were playing some of the best volleyball (teams) we’ve seen,” Speech said, “so we came back and took it as a chance to get better and prepare for the rest of the season.”
OPRF (12-6) had several notable performances against Montini. Emmi Bozarth and Aniyah Scott each had seven kills. Edie Carroll had 13 assists and Greta Ostry had eight assists. Bozarth had 11 digs while Devyn Kleidon added nine. Scott and Eva Truss each had two blocks, and Bozarth and Carroll both had two aces.
OPRF Senior Edie Carroll dives for the ball during the volleyball game against Montini Catholic on Sept. 24, 2026. 
OPRF Senior Bella Gray spikes the ball during the volleyball game against Montini Catholic on Sept. 24, 2026. 
The OPRF Varsity volleyball team cheers after scoring a point against Montini Catholic on Sept. 24, 2026. 
OPRF senior Devyn Kleidon bumbs the ball during the volleyball game against Montini Catholic on Sept. 24, 2026. 
OPRF varsity volleyball head coach Symone Speech cheers on the team during the game against Montini Catholic on Sept. 24, 2026.
For Gray, who transferred to OPRF from Fenwick, the transition has gone smoothly. Yet she still thinks about and supports her former Friar teammates.
“It was really hard. A lot of the coaches and the girls there, I miss them so much,” Gray said. “It was a hard decision for me, but I’m really happy here. We really didn’t have as much team chemistry at the beginning, but I think it’s growing with practices and that’s helping us a lot.”
OPRF has a challenging slate of upcoming matches, beginning with a home contest versus St. Laurence, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. Following that for the Huskies will be away matches at Downers Grove North, Oct. 6, and the East Avenue Showdown at Fenwick, Oct. 8.
“Keep the practice intense, keep the conversation going, and just building up on their relationships,” Speech said of the season’s second-half keys.
OPRF football
The OPRF football team carried plenty of momentum into its West Suburban Conference Silver Division contest at Downers Grove North, Sept. 25. The Huskies had won their previous two games, including a 24-21 Homecoming upset over highly-regarded York.
OPRF (3-3, 2-2 WSC Silver) took the opening kickoff and marched into DGN territory. But the drive stalled and the Huskies had to punt. Then on the Trojans’ opening possession, Grant Georgas raced 64 yards for a touchdown. That was just the start of a sensational night for Georgas – and a tough one for OPRF – in the Huskies’ 41-0 defeat.
“We did some really good things on that first drive, and (DGN) took the momentum back,” said OPRF head coach John Hoerster. “They did a great job, tip of the cap. Their coaching staff does an excellent job and they get those guys ready. It comes down to what goes on upfront and they just had our number tonight.”
DGN (6-0, 4-0) tacked on two more scores in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by Kevin Jay and an 11-yard run by Georgas to take a 20-0 halftime lead. With 9:20 left in the third quarter, Georgas, who finished with 250 yards on 15 carries, applied the dagger with a 46-yard sprint to the house.
“(Georgas) is a really, really good player,” Hoerster said. “He’s fast, he’s patient, he reads his blocks well and is hard to bring down.
Later in the quarter, Joey Goodwin found Philip Moawad for a 17-yard touchdown pass that made it 34-0. The Trojans’ final score, a Zach Surowiec 30-yard run with 4:12 to play in the game, initiated a running clock the rest of the way.
Making matters worse for the Huskies, senior running back and linebacker Liam Smith missed the second half with an injury. But Hoerster is optimistic Smith will be able to return.
“He’s a tough kid,” he said. “It’s like losing two players, quite frankly like losing three, when a kid like that goes down. But he’ll take care of it. He’s tough, and he’ll be back to fight another day.”
So will OPRF. The Huskies’ difficult three-game road gauntlet continues at Lyons Township, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
“We’ve got a lot of football left ahead of us. If we can put this behind us and we can learn from it, we’re going to be back. We’ve just got to stay together,” Hoerster said.