Sports
Downers South Breaks Even at Wheaton South
The Mustangs' girls volleyball squad rebounds from straight-set loss to Lemont to take nightcap from Wheaton Warrenville South.
Danielle Conrad had a target in mind as she assumed her position behind the service line Thursday night at Wheaton Warrenville South.
The Downers Grove South sophomore was looking to extend the Mustangs' precarious one-point lead against the host Tigers in the second game of the teams' pool-play match.
Conrad fired off three consecutive aces, and Wheaton never recovered from the onslaught as the Mustangs hung on to capture the nightcap 25-23 and 25-22.
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Downers South (3-4) opened the three-day tournament with a 15-25, 17-25 loss against Lemont.
"I was trying to serve between zone 5 and zone 6," Conrad said. "When they subbed the new girl in there, I tried to serve right at her."
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Wheaton Warrenville South (7-5) appeared in command in the first game, taking a 20-16 lead off an errant Downers South kill attempt.
But Jenna Morgan, Olivia Zarek and Cassidy Herrmann triggered a 5-1 run that knotted up the match at 21-21.
The Tigers' Kate Phalen had two critical kills, but Wheaton Warrenville South unraveled with back-breaking net violations that Morgan climaxed with a deft kill for the first-game triumph.
Downers South continued its inexorable push in the second game, taking early leads and forcing the action behind the all-around solid play of Morgan and fellow senior Christyl Thurman.
Kate Pringle had a kill to extend the Mustangs' advantage to 11-7, but Phalen powered the Tigers back into contention.
The second game see-sawed with neither team enjoying a lead greater than two points until Conrad unleashed her triumvirate of aces to give Downers South a 19-15 cushion.
Wheaton South would claw back once again, trimming its deficit to one point after a Sarah Michell ace.
Zarek had a kill to bring the Mustangs to match point, which was realized two possessions later when Morgan duplicated her first-game winner to close out the Tigers in two.
"I feel like we played well against Lemont," Morgan said. "We just made (too many) errors. We were able to do a lot more plays (against Wheaton South)."
Morgan finished with 11 kills to lead the Mustangs' hitting attack, which was largely fueled by the 9 assists from Conrad.
"We were 11-25 last year, so our goal is to be above that," said first-year Downers South coach Trisha Kurth. "It's been slow going so far. We have a tough schedule."
Downers South returns to action Saturday morning.
