By Eric Stock
NORMAL – University High senior setter Alexis Engst has been waiting four years for this moment.
“We’re all pumped up, our whole school is pumped up,” Engst said about the Pioneers state finals appearance. “We are going to have a lot of fans which is good It’s my senior year. It’s been a dream of mine all four years to make it to state and having that opportunity my senior year is so exciting.”
Engst is one of eight seniors who will be aiming for the program’s first state title since 2000 when the Pioneers play Belleville Althoff Catholic on Friday in a Class 3A semifinal at Redbird Arena.
U-High can essentially treat this weekend’s matches as home contests. As Illinois State’s University laboratory school, the Pioneers will be playing one long serve away from their home gym.
“It’s been a really big deal at school, I know a lot of our friends are coming,” sophomore setter Isabel Schaefbauer said. “It’s cool to have a whole community supporting you, but at the same time we are focused on the court and not worried about distractions.”
U-High (29-10) advanced to state with a super-sectional win over host Tinley Park for its 11th straight win, the last six have been straight-set sweeps.
Second-year U-High Coach Mike Bolbuis, who coached Deer Mack-Mackinaw to a state title in 2012, said he can’t concern himself with the Crusaders 39-1 record.
“We want to be aware of what the other team is capable of doing, but we’re not putting stock into their record or anything like that,” Bolhuis said. “It’s just the mindset of let’s try to control what we can control on our side of the net.”
The game is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. The championship game is set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The winner will play the winner of Arlington Heights St. Viator and Chicago Resurrection.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
