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Elmwood Park digging deep for victories
Elmwood Park senior Amanda Tillich spikes the ball during a match against Glenbard South at Glenbard South High School in Glen Ellyn on Monday, Sept. 17, 2012. Behind her is teammate senior Monika Pszczola. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media
Updated: October 21, 2012 2:04PM
ELMWOOD PARK — While the results haven’t shown up yet in the win column, the improvement in Elmwood Park’s volleyball team is evident.
Head coach Katie Prechel is doing her best to convince the girls that their hard work is producing positive results.
“Sometimes they need a gentle reminder that they are as good as they are,” Prechel said. “It’s hard for them to believe when we get down, but we have fighters on this team, and we’ll get there as soon as they realize how good they are.”
Through seven matches the Tigers had yet to notch a win, but their spirit showed in their Metro Suburban contest at home against archrival Ridgewood on Sept. 11. They stayed with the visiting Rebels point-for-point in the first set before dropping it 25-23.
Ridgewood stormed to a 24-12 lead in the second set before the Tigers rattled off nine straight points thanks seniors Lynette Betancourt and Indigo Bruno and junior Shannon Hodges. Ridgewood though, went on to close it out at 25-21.
“At one point it looked like it had slipped away, but we battled back nicely at the end,” said Betancourt, an outside hitter. “When Shannon started serving and it kept going in, we got our hopes up. Everyone got their hits in and everyone got energetic, and we started to get back into it.”
Betancourt and Bruno each had a pair of kills in the second set rally against Ridgewood.
They dropped a match against Willowbrook the next day 25-14, 25-11, but they still believe that some victories are not too far off.
“We’re trying to improve with teamwork and help motivating and supporting each other,” said Bruno, a setter. “I’ve been improving on picking out our hitters. I know if someone is having a stellar day to set to them.”~.
