River Grove, IL:  What a match…Between a much improved Triton team and Natalia Smiech (/Dundee-Crown) out for a match - Harper escaped with a 4-set win in River Forest, IL.

In set 1, the score was knotted early at 3-3.  Harper fell behind by continuing to make fatal hitting errors…  It was 8-13 when coach Bob Vilsoet called a timeout.  Harper continued the pace to fall behind 10-18 on the way to a 14-25 loss.  Harper had 10 hitting errors in this set. Patricia Wadas (/Hoffman Estates) and Katie Hofmann (/Elk Grove) each had 3 kills.  Jules Carusiello (/Hersey H.S.) led Harper with 8 digs. 

In set 2, the score was tied again at 3-3, but Daniela Pineda (/Buffalo Grove) came off the bench to serve and brought Harper to a 7-3 lead.  Then 9-4… 9-6 and 11-5 when Triton called timeout.  Harper extended the lead to 14-5.  Triton, brought the score back to 14-10, and then to Harper's dismay to 15-15.  Then score was tied at 16-16 and 17-17. Harper fell behind 17-20 but knotted the score again at 22-22.  Harper outworked Triton for the last 3 points to win 25-22.  Rugile Jaciunas (/Wheeling H.S.) played very well at the net with 4 kills and a couple rejections.  Vicky Gorny added 4 kills as well.  Jules Carusiello (/Hersey H.S.) again led Harper with 7 digs where several of them belonged on a highlight film.  Daniela Pineda (/Buffalo Grove) ended up 10-10 serving with 2 aces in a major spark-plug role. 

In set 3, Harper started out 3-1, and then 10-1.  Harper went on to a 12-5 lead, then 16-8, 18-9, 21-10 and a nice, welcome 25-15 win.  Vicky Gorny got untracked with 7 kills and just one hitting error.  Taylor Pfaller (/St. Viator) led Harper with 4 digs in this set.  Daniela Pineda (/Buffalo Grove) was 12-12 serving with 3 aces in this set!

In the final set, Harper started out in the lead at 6-3.  Harper extended the lead to 10-5, then 11-7, 14-10 and 17-11.  Triton did NOT go quietly as Harper had hoped, and the score tightened significantly to 19-18 while Harper shot themselves in the foot a few times.  Coach Bob Vilsoet called timeout at that point.  Harper received the next point at 21-19 on a crucial joust where Harper's middle hitter Rugile Jaciunas (/Wheeling H.S.) was able to win the point at the net when Triton followed through into the net.  Harper missed the ensuing serve to close the gap to 21-20… but Harper executed well at the end for a 25-21 win.  In this set, Katie Hofmann (/Elk Grove) got loose for 6 kills on a bunch of swings.  Vicky Gorny added 4 kills.  Taylor Pfaller (/St. Viator) had 13 assists in this hard-fought final set.  Jules Carusiello (/Hersey H.S.) had 11 digs in this set. 

In the final set, Taylor stole the serving thunder with 10-11 serving and 3 more aces.  Daniela Pineda (/Buffalo Grove) made both her serves to lead Harper's serving for the match - 24-24 with 5 aces.  Taylor Pfaller (/St. Viator) ended the match 22-24 with a match-high 8 aces and 40 assists.  Jules Carusiello (/Hersey H.S.) finished with a match-high 18 digs, and Vicky Gorny ended with a match-high 18 kills and 14 digs.

Harper plays tomorrow night, Friday, September 17, at Judson College.  Match time is 7:00 p.m.

Next week, Harper plays at D3 #9 Joliet on Tuesday, September 21, and at home against currently unranked Madison College on Thursday, September 23.