Must Watch Matches for Chicagoland High School Volleyball: Week 7

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tough schedules continue to get more competetive for high school volleyball in the Chicagoland area and the three matches to watch this week are exactly that. Whether its conference play or out-of-state matches, these high school teams are packing their schedule to prepare them for the post-season play. Here are the top three matches and players to watch for week 7 of high school volleyball in the Chicagoland area: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Match 1:</strong> <em>ICCP vs. Timothy Christian Tues. 10/4 at 6:30 pm</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ICCP and Timothy Christian will play each other for the second time this season. They first saw each other at the beginning of the season at the Westmont Tournament on and it was a great battle. All though the match ended in ICCP's favor, it was not a cakewalk for them with the second set being 31-29. Tonight they will compete without a doubt and we can expect some big players to put up some big numbers. [player_tooltip player_id='136631' first='Ava' last='Falduto'] is taking on a more significant offensive role in her high school season than she typically holds in club season. She is a 6-rotation outside hitter for ICCP, her natural athleticism allows her to take on this role in the front court and still produce for the team. The Penn State commit obviously gets the job done in the backcourt and on serve receive which is what makes her take on this role for ICCP without a problem. The offense is run by ICCP's record holder for assists per set, [player_tooltip player_id='136602' first='Lucy' last='Russ']. Averaging 10.1 assists per set, Russ she my favorite players to watch because of her genuine love for the game and the way she constantly is giving energy and confidence to her teammates. Her volleyball IQ and great decision-making have her currently 6th for overall career assists at ICCP with 1,168 as a junior and has led the team to their 17-1 record this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Match 2:</strong> <em>Oak Park River Forest vs. Glenbard West Tues. 10/4 at 5:30 pm</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The connection between junior outside hitter, [player_tooltip player_id='135950' first='Grace' last='Nelson'] and junior setter, [player_tooltip player_id='135953' first='Kinsey' last='Smith'] can quickly cause problems for any team they are up against. While Smith does a great job of finding the Kansas Commit [player_tooltip player_id='135950' first='Grace' last='Nelson'], she brings so much more to the table for her team. She is third on the team for digs with 137 on the season, which shows how much of an all-around setter she is. A setter who plays defense and isn't afraid to keep the ball alive. Not only is she top three on the team for digs, but she also leads the team in aces on the season with 26. Her fast-paced float serve gets on passers faster than they anticipated because of how low to the tape she can serve the ball. Her all-around play has taken a huge step forward this season at OPRF and I anticipate her calm demeanor on the court will play a huge role in the success of her team tonight and for the rest of the season. Keira Kleidon runs the defense and serve receive game for OPRF with her quick thinking and great defensive reads. As the libero, she leads the team in digs with 164 on the season so far. Kleidon will be the difference maker in taking away kills from Glenbard West, especially from one of their main producers, [player_tooltip player_id='135948' first='Marin' last='Johnson']. Kleidon's quick defensive movements and calm platform on serve receive is the difference maker in keeping OPRF's offense running. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> <strong>Match 3:</strong> <em>Marist vs. Skutt Catholic Fri. 10/7 at 5:00 pm</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marist has had a busy last couple of weeks of gameplay, which has been filled with nothing but exciting results. Just about two weeks ago, they swept Mother McAuley putting a halt on their undefeated season at that point. Fast forward to this past weekend, they defeated multiple top-ranked teams in Illinois who are at the Mother McAuley's Asics Challenge. Friday they'll travel to Omaha Nebraska to play Skutt Catholic and it'll be a great high-level match to watch. [player_tooltip player_id='138649' first='Kamryn' last='Chaney'], a Princeton University commit will be a huge piece to the puzzle this coming week, as she has not disappointed this season so far. Chaney has brought a lot of success to the team, in part due to how well the offense is run by Maddie Berry. As only a sophomore, Berry's IQ make her stand out, and seem to be an older and a more experienced setter than she is. Her understanding of the game and her quick thinking in rallies is what helps Marist win momentum points that can shift the entire dynamic of the match. Sophomore pin hitter, Bella Bullington has strengthened Marist's offense and will continue to as she grows with the program. She puts up great numbers against some big competition. Against Mother McAuley she was close to a double-double with kills and digs on the match, as well as averaged 2.0 blocks per set. The match-up against Skutt Catholic this Friday will be a great start to a competitive weekend of play for Marist. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->