1. Never assume. Lemont’s front-row players did that when one of their hitters bounced a spike off defender Becky Bradshaw during a key point in Set 3 in Thursday’s South Suburban Conference match against Oak Lawn. While the Indians celebrated, libero Haley Hiljus dug the ball. The Spartans went on to win the point and the match, beating Lemont for the second season in a row.
2. Parity abounds. Only a couple of weeks into the season, there are no unbeaten teams in the Top 10. The main reason, though, is that good teams in girls volleyball tend to seek out good teams for early tests. The marquee match-ups continue Tuesday when Marist plays at Mother McAuley on Tuesday, and Thursday in a SouthWest Suburban crossover when Lincoln-Way Central plays at Lincoln-Way East.
3. Carissa is clutch. Carissa Lorenz, of Lincoln-Way West, made it her business to step up when the Warriors needed her the most in Saturday’s 31-29, 25-23 win over Mount Assisi in the title match of the Rich South Invitational. The 6-foot-2 middle had two blocks and a kill during the extra-points session in Set 1, and two more kills for their final points in the second set.