Copyright Chicago Tribune
Providence’s Cali Tierney wasn’t in charge of bringing the food. But the 6-foot senior outside hitter was cooking on the court Tuesday night, getting the Celtics’ first two kills, then serving up three straight aces and finishing up by putting down their final two kills. What did Wright State commit Abbey Knight think of Tierney’s performance? “That was a nice sandwich,” Knight said. “She was phenomenal.” Tierney feasted on the competition in a Class 3A Kankakee Sectional semifinal match, coming through with eight kills and four aces for the Celtics in a 25-16, 25-14 win over Evergreen Park. Three straight aces by Tierney in the first game helped Providence (32-6) extend its lead to 16-9. Before that run, three servers for the Celtics put their attempts directly into the net. “When we had the run of a few missed serves, I knew I had to go up there with the confidence and do what I’ve been doing,” Tierney said. “The goal is to get aces. “My teammates had my back and I had positive thoughts when I went behind the line.” Right in line, Knight totaled 11 kills, Demi Carbone added four kills and Kennady Kotowski had three blocks for the Celtics, who will meet Lemont (25-12) at 6 p.m. Thursday for the sectional title. Fiona Buchanan paced Evergreen Park (24-13) with five kills. Shannon Farrell added two aces. Lemont, Providence’s next opponent, kept the season of retiring coach Chris Zogata alive in the other semifinal behind eight kills from Fiona Tkach, 10 digs from Kaitlyn Wilson and 18 assists from Olivia Sarno. The Celtics haven’t won a state trophy since a third-place finish in 1988. When talking about the possibility of breaking that streak, Knight knocked on a plastic seat in Kankakee’s cafeteria. “I count it as wood in my heart,” she said with a laugh. Tierney, meanwhile, is going through a hectic week with practices, matches and pinning down her college choice. She confirmed Tuesday night that she was planning on committing to Canisius. Providence coach Lee Rucinski feels like that’s a good move for Tierney. “They play the kind of blue-collar volleyball that we play at Providence,” Rucinski said of Canisius, a Division I program. “It’s high level and it’s where she belongs.” Rucinski also enjoyed the hitting and serving show that Tierney put on against Evergreen Park. “This is definitely one of her best matches of the season,” Rucinski said of Tierney. “She’s been dealing with some ankle soreness all season long after an injury she suffered in the summer. “Coming out, it’s senior go time, right? We’ve been to the sectional three straight years and we want to keep doing what we’re doing. You could see it in warm-ups and you can see it in practice.” Practice carried over to the match for Tierney, as it usually does for the best players. “She was gearing up for something special,” Rucinski said. “To have her help give us another night of fun was exciting.” Tierney said she wants to study psychology in college and would like to possibly go into sports psychology. The highs and lows that the Celtics have experienced the past two seasons — including the heartbreaking losses in the supersectional — may have helped give her a head start in that field. “I can use psychology and connect it to my game,” she said. Tierney, however, thinks this could be the breakthrough year for the Celtics because many of the seniors have been playing together since freshman year. “This team has great chemistry,” Tierney said. “Demi, Delaney (Purtill), Abbey and I leave it all on the court. We’re giving it everything we’ve got this year.” Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
