Rosary pulls stunner

The last time the Rosary volleyball team defeated Suburban Catholic Conference rival St. Francis, Royals setter/right side hitter Christine Hartmann was a freshman on a senior-dominated team in 2004.

Hartmann, now a senior, had to wait until this year to beat the Spartans again on another senior-dominated team.

The Royals defended their home court and beat the Spartans 25-18, 20-25, 25-18 Monday in Aurora.

"I can't even explain (how happy we are)," said Hartmann, who finished with 4 blocks, 7 kills and 14 assists. "When we first started at tryouts, everyone was like, 'We are going to be St. Francis.' We clearly wanted to do that, so it feels good."

This was St. Francis, the Class AA defending state champion, and the No. 1-ranked team in the Daily Herald's Top 20 suffered its first loss of the season.

"I thought Rosary played exceptionally well," said St. Francis coach Peg Kopec. "Their defense was outstanding, their blocking was outstanding and they kept pounding the ball. They did a great job."

Game 1 was all Rosary, as it captured the lead early and never looked back. The Spartans came as close as 20-17 after a double block from Megan Barnicle and Margaret Vonderhaar, but the Royals (8-2, 4-0) tallied the next 4 points behind Hartmann's serving and blocks from Kylie Schalz.

The game ended on one of Schalz' team-high 9 kills. She finished with 5 blocks.

"(Schalz) has really come into her own," said Rosary coach Lisa Kasper. "She's become the player I always thought she was going to be when she walked in here as a freshman."

The Royals led for half of Game 2 until St. Francis (14-1, 3-1) scored 9 consecutive points behind Catherine Culligan's serving, kills from Vonderhaar and Meghan Matusiak, along with blocks Matusiak and Morgan Butler.

"(Culligan's) serving is fun," Kopec said. "It's adds a little excitement."

At the end of the rally, which was stopped by a Schalz kill, St. Francis led 20-13. Rosary attempted a comeback with the next 4 points, but the Spartans hung on to their lead and capped the game with a Barnicle block.

Game 3 started with four ties, until Rosary gradually built up its lead. Its biggest rally came when it scored 5 consecutive points behind a pair of Lindsey Weber aces -- which helped the Royals lead 21-10.

The match was capped on a Weber kill. Moments later, the loud student section mobbed the Royals after their biggest win of the season.

"It was an exciting game for them, it was an exciting game for us," Kopec said.