The Oak Park and River Forest High School girls volleyball team won the IHSA Class 4A OPRF Regional championship, Oct. 29, with a 25-13, 25-16 victory over Payton Prep. Emmi Bozarth had eight kills, two aces, two blocks, and five digs for the Huskies (24-8). Bella Gray had six kills and seven digs; Jaida Garland three kills and three blocks; Devyn Kleidon three aces and six digs; Edie Carroll nine assists and six digs; and Lura Weiner eight assists and five digs.
OPRF, the top seed, advanced to the Jones Prep Sectional. The Huskies faced fourth seed Lane Tech in the semifinals on Tuesday, after press time. A victory would put OPRF in the final, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m., against the winner of the other semifinal, second seed St. Ignatius or third seed DePaul Prep.
Fenwick, Trinity eliminated in Class 3A
In a Class 3A regional final at Trinity, Oct. 29, Fenwick lost to Montini Catholic, 21-25, 19-25.
“That’s a really good team,” said Fenwick coach Tee Pimsarn of the Broncos. “I’m proud of the way our kids played tonight. That was probably the best match we played all year.”
Fenwick (12-21) trailed 15-3 in the first set. But the Friars, thanks to some strong efforts from Maggie Hiller and Jordan Rossi, fought back to pull within 24-21, forcing a Montini timeout. But Fenwick’s serve following the timeout went into the net, giving the set to the Broncos.
Fenwick led 5-4 early in the second set, but Montini went ahead for good by scoring 15 of the next 22 points. While disappointed with the outcome, Pimsarn liked the fight his team showed against one of the state’s top teams.
“Our senior, Jordan Rossi, stepped up. Our outsides, Emily (Drumm) and Maggie did a phenomenal job hitting and defending,” he said. “Sophia (Grossman) did an amazing job of attacking and blocking.”
Hiller finished with eight kills and seven digs, and Rossi had four kills and six blocks. Drumm had four kills; Grossman three kills and three blocks; Phoebe Baker 10 assists; Hailey Bernahl nine assists; and Caroline Herrera seven digs.
“We’re losing a lot of leadership this year, but our future is bright,” Pimsarn said. “I’m proud of these guys, and I can’t wait to begin next fall. (Seniors Bernahl, Grossman, Herrera, and Rossi) set a high bar. They walk out of here knowing they won sectionals last year, and the expectation bar is now higher. We have a lot of kids coming back and we’re looking for a lot of growth from them this offseason.”
Fenwick reached the regional final with a 25-23, 25-22 victory over Trinity in the semifinals. Hiller had seven kills and six digs; Drumm five kills and three blocks; Taylor Durham and Grossman four kills each; Rossi five blocks; Baker 11 assists; and Bernahl eight assists.
“It was a tough match,” Rossi said after the Trinity match. “We’ve got a lot of young girls, and it was fun to see us come together. We played together and trusted the person next to us, and it came out on our side tonight.”
Trinity (12-22) was led by freshman Zoe Winters, who had 11 kills. Senior Taylor Long added five kills and senior Maddie Trendel 12 assists for the Blazers.
“I knew it’d be a competitive match, and we’d pretty much go toe-to-toe with them. We just came up a little short,” said Trinity coach Molly Puttin.
But Puttin is optimistic about Trinity’s future, and she’s especially proud of how Winters performed on the big stage that the playoffs are.
“She’s a freshman so there were a lot of nerves,” Puttin said. “She’s really come a long way this season and we expect great things from her next season. Overall, I’m proud of the girls.”
Fenwick boys fall short in soccer sectional
Last year, Fenwick’s boys soccer team defeated Fenton in the sectional semifinal. In the rematch at this year’s Class 2A Ridgewood Sectional final, Oct. 30, the Bison had atonement on their minds and got it with a 2-0 victory over the Friars.
“It was a good match,” said Fenwick coach Shannon Seymour. “We knew (Fenton) was a team coming in with something to prove. There was a big target on our backs and Fenton did a great job of executing their game plan with high intensity. Their midfield was very strong and made it difficult to play through.”
The match was scoreless in the first half. But Fenton’s Jorge Perez scored midway through the second half to break the deadlock, then Denzel Palacios scored on a highlight-reel goal – a blast from the left corner – with about a minute left to seal the match for the Bison.
“Once they scored, they made it difficult on us,” Seymour said. “And kudos to (Palacios) for that last shot. It was a screamer, and a dagger. That took the air out of our team.”
Overall, Seymour believes Fenwick (9-10-2) had a solid season.
“We always say postseason is completely different from the regular season,” he said. “I’m proud of my boys and the fight they had in the postseason. Back-to-back regional titles after the season they had in 2024 speaks to the culture that this team has. There’s a new standard that’s being set.”
