Nazareth scores 10 of final 11 points to beat Lemont, advance to state

Nazareth scored 10 of the final 11 points of the Class 3A Hinsdale South Supersectional match to defeat Lemont 25-22, 12-25, 25-16. The victory secures the Roadrunners' return to the state tournament at Normal, where they will compete for their second program title.

The decisive run began in the third set. The teams reached ten ties, with the final dead point occurring at 15-15 on a block by Lemont's Maddie Maloney. Sadie Quinlan followed with a kill to restore serve for Nazareth. Senior captain Lexi Van Eekeren then controlled the remaining points.

Van Eekeren smashed a Lemont overpass and blocked a shot from the right pin to extend the Nazareth lead. She added a fourth kill of the set to push the score to 19-15. The senior finished the set by serving an ace, setting Ellie Warren for a kill, and delivering another ace to place the Roadrunners two points away from match point.

Van Eekeren recorded four kills in the first set and four in the third. She did not lead Nazareth in any single statistical category, but coach Esai Velez noted that she fills the stat sheet with contributions across the board. Velez described her as the team leader who knew she needed to do everything for the team to advance.

Lemont (27-12) won the second set 25-12. The Wildcats jumped to a 6-1 lead early in that frame and maintained the advantage. Marta Pranskunas, a six-foot senior middle blocker, led Lemont's offense with nine kills in the second set. She also recorded a block and a tip kill to help Lemont build a 5-2 lead early in the third set.

Lemont coach Peggy Clemens said her team's game plan emphasized using their middles more. Clemens stated that Pranskunas took that instruction and executed it effectively. Pranskunas attributed her performance to the intensity of the crowd and the desire to cherish her final moments as a senior.

Nazareth (27-13) did not allow the loss of the second set to affect their third-set play. After Van Eekeren pushed a two-handed kill down the line to tie the score 14-14, the Roadrunners never trailed again. Van Eekeren described the team's mindset as having a goldfish memory, resetting the score mentally to zero after each point.

Talia Surendran recorded a team-high nine kills for Nazareth. Madeline Briscoe contributed 13 assists, and Tess Tortorello made seven digs. Velez credited Lemont with playing a spectacular match, acknowledging the difficulty of the opponent.

For Clemens, the result capped her first season as head coach. She stated that the team made history for their school by winning the sectional title. The win also brought the community together, as evidenced by the packed stands.

Nazareth will face Geneva in a state semifinal at 4 p.m. Friday. This marks the fifth time since 2019 that the program has advanced to the state tournament. Van Eekeren said the team enters the event with higher expectations than last year but maintains a focus on playing one match at a time.