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Lady Cougars make a change
By Anna Niemczewska
Since 1999, when Vernon Hills High School (VHHS) first opened, none of the girls volleyball team has ever beat the Libertyville Wildcats, but on October 18th Cougars defeated their biggest rival in a non-conference match.
“I was very excited to play them. They are our “sister” school and we want to beat them every time we step on the same field or court,” said senior defensive specialist Katie Guglialmi.
The VHHS coach himself felt the pressure, knowing that no team has ever beaten Libertyville.
“I was a little nervous, but then again I get nervous before most games. I was nervous because Libertyville is a traditionally strong team,” said coach Connelly.
The Cougars started the first game with high intensity that Wildcats did not expect.
“We just practiced hard like we always do and went into the game focused and ready,” said Guglialmi. Cougars pushed through finishing the first game with a score of 25-21.
Libertyville put their faith in a senior outside hitter Amanda Lugge.
“We knew that Libertyville had one of the better outside hitters in the area,” said Connelly. “We decided to focus our efforts on containing her and forcing someone else on their team to beat us.” In the second game Lugge scored most of the Wildcats points, leading the team to a 25-22 win.
The key moment for the Cougars occurred in the third game, when with a score 9-7 for the Cougars, freshman middle hitter Rachael Ramsey went back to serve. She started a run of 5 points, making the score 14-7.
With numerous kills from senior Erin Gallagher and junior Kasey Kiepura, lady Cougars kept the lead throughout the third game finishing 25-21. Gallagher and Kiepura piled up a double digits in kills. Gallagher also reached her season high in digs, 22.
As the last whistle ended the three game match, the Cougars celebrated their win.
“This win meant a lot to me,” said coach Connelly. “It showed that when we wanted to, we could play with and beat very strong teams. This was also the first match of the season where the girls played as a team for a complete match.”