Friday, November 6, 2009 11:06 PM CST
Cumberland volleyball team refocuses on rising Bunker Hill
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
At least for a while, Monica McNeil was a kid again.
Thursday night’s second straight revenge win for a sectional volleyball championship did that for the Cumberland coach. After all, this is newer to her than her players who also won a sectional on the way to a third-place state finish last year under Drew Robertson.
“I was just as excited as they were,” McNeil said Friday. “I couldn’t get to sleep last night. I knew we could we beat Edwards County but I didn’t know if we would. But this morning the first thing on my mind was we have to refocus.”
The coach’s objective was to get her Lady Pirates, 28-2, ready for today’s 6:30 p.m. match against Bunker Hill, 31-6, in the IHSA Class 1A Edwards County Super-Sectional in Albion before thinking about packing bags for a return trip to Normal and a possible state semifinal match on Friday.
“I think we thought after we got past Edwards County it would be downhill but it’s not,” McNeil said. “This is another solid team.”
Bunker Hill may be bringing the same first super-sectional enthusiasm Cumberland had a year ago.
The Minutemaids won their first regional title since 1999 and first sectional title in their program’s history when beating Patoka 25-18, 25-13 Thursday night at Lebanon.
“It’s been fun - police escorts, bonfires, the whole nine yards,” said Marissa Law, a former Bunker Hill player now in her first year coaching her former school. “This is bringing the town together. The town was down for a long time. We had to shut down our junior high and combine with the elementary school because of costs. This has really been good for the town.
“This season has been absolutely amazing. The girls are so much fun. It helps that they are best friends. You don’t have to worry about them fighting with each other.”
Most notable among those Bunker Hill friends is 6-foot-1 Brooklyn Hlafka, who is being recruited by nearby Southern Illinois Edwardsville and Lewis & Clark although also has college potential in basketball.
“She is flawless,” Law said. “She is just so consistent with it. She is not our only hitter. It’s just one of those things where if it’s not broke don’t fix it so we go to her.”
Others have played key roles as well in the winningest season in school history.
“Our setter Amy Golike, it doesn’t matter what kind of ups you give her,” Law said. “I’ve never seen anyone as fast as her. And Dolly Lovejoy can hit the ball harder than Brooklyn; she’s just not as tall.”
McNeil on Friday was trying to get her Lady Pirates ready for Hlafka and the rest of the Minutemaids.
“I know from what I’ve read that they have one big girl,” the Cumberland coach said. “Well, we’ve played LSA and they had a girl who can really hit the ball. We did OK against her and she did outstanding. We managed to play them well. As long as we come in and focus on us we should be OK.”
This is McNeil’s second super-sectional appearance. As Monica Brown was the senior leader of a Casey-Westfield team that lost to Kansas in a 1992 super-sectional, not that tonight is being considered her redemption.
“No, I don’t think of that,” said the former Eastern Illinois blocking record holder. “I’m old. My playing days are behind me. No, this is all about them. I enjoy being with them. We’ve been here before as a team. I know they lost four great seniors but I also think this team is able to handle some pressure.
“I think this Bunker Hill team is going to be a good team. I’m anxious to see them and how far our girls are going to take it. They said in May when we had a meeting just to see who was coming out their goal was to get back to state.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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