There were tears shed, as there always are in state tournaments, but Wheaton Warrenville South’s tears had just as much to do with what it had accomplished as what it hadn’t.
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The Tigers lost Saturday evening’s Class AA consolation match to Normal Community 15-13, 1-15, 15-9 just hours after falling to Downers Grove South in the semifinals.
“After the match we were really sad, but we weren’t crying about the loss,” said senior Nicole Wallace, who had a career-high 19 kills. “We were crying because this is the last time we’ll all play together.”
After losing in two games to Downers South, the Tigers had to come back to play for third. They had to fight back from a 4-0 deficit in the first game. They got all the way back to 14-13 before surrendering game point. The second game was a clinic, with big hits and five aces for the Tigers. The third game was another struggle, with Wheaton South leading 4-1 but then losing the momentum.
The Tigers (32-10) started the season with all six starters returning and 10 seniors from a 29-8 team. A midseason slump had many people dismissing Wheaton Warrenville South.
“We were in a lot of disarray,” coach Bill Schreier said. “Getting here was a tribute to the girls.”