Handling twists Grace-fully
Ulatowski racks up double-double in Lemont’s roller-coaster victory over Reavis
The back-and-forth flow that turned Lemont’s match Tuesday night into a roller-coaster ride didn’t seem to bother junior outside hitter Grace Ulatowski. She gets it.
There were huge peaks and valleys for host Lemont in a 21-25, 25-13, 25-20 South Suburban Conference crossover victory over Reavis, but it’s not a big deal to Ulatowski.
She realizes Lemont has been riding the wave this season with a starting lineup of only one senior, two juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen.
“We work together, so it really doesn’t matter if we’re up and down,” she said. “Even the freshmen are all playing up to their level. They do well with us.
“We pick each other up. If someone makes a mistake, we would try to get the next point.”
Ulatowski finished with 13 kills for Lemont (15-11, 10-0 SSC Blue), including five in the final game. She had kills for the 23rd and 24th points before freshman Keira O’Donnell ended things with a block.
Reavis (15-8, 8-2 SSC Red) closed out a tight Game 1 on Patrycja Jarzabek’s kill, and then things got a little wild.
Lemont outscored the Rams to finish off Game 2. O’Donnell and junior Anna Benson formed a wall at the net and accounted for two blocks, while O’Donnell added three kills and Benson had the kill that sent the match to a decisive game.
Undaunted, Reavis scored eight of the first 11 points in Game 3 before Lemont roared back, eventually took a 15-14 lead and then hung on the rest of the way.
Like Ulatowski, veteran Lemont coach Chris Zogata is calm about the team’s habit of getting in and out of trouble.
“It’s a learning process,” Zogata said. “They have been playing like this, but I understand they are young and learning, and it probably won’t be that way next year.”
Reavis coach Stephanie Korbakes was upbeat despite the rare conference loss.
“The one thing we had been working on all season was not getting down, and we really showed it this match,” Korbakes said. “It was amazing to see. I’m really proud of the girls.”
Jarzabek had 11 kills, four aces and eight digs for the Rams. Natalia Carrion added nine kills and 17 digs. Hailey Schultz had 34 assists.
Ulatowski also contributed 11 digs and three aces for Lemont, while O’Donnell landed eight kills
and four blocks.
Eliana Scoville started at outside hitter in place of Angelina Bobak, who was ill, and had five kills. Sophomore Jessica Rimbo had 14 assists and freshman April Rice had 12.
Benson, who notched four kills and four aces, enjoys being a part of a dangerous blocking tandem with O’Donnell.
“I never met her until she came here as a freshman,” Benson said. “She is the nicest person ever and is insane at volleyball.”
O’Donnell is making a huge impression on this team, but she confirmed she wasn’t sure what to expect. She first lived in Lemont and said her family moved to Minooka.
In eighth grade, she lived in an apartment in Lockport while the family’s house was being built in Lemont. Now, she’s settled into that house and with her volleyball teammates.
“Anna was like my big sister,” O’Donnell said. “I remember being so scared coming in for the camps. I was so scared and so nervous that she wasn’t going to like me. She looks so tough, but I know her and she’s so sweet.”