Guerin gets back on winning track at Elmwood Park’s expense

ELMWOOD PARK — Guerin came into Thursday night’s Metro Suburban East game at Elmwood Park desperately looking for a win.

The Gators had lost their first five conference matches but finally got a notch in the win column by defeating the Tigers 25-11, 25-22.

“We had a couple bad losses so we needed this to pick us back up,” Guerin senior middle hitter Amy Lorenz said. “This is always a fun game because they’re a crosstown rival so to get a win is exciting.”

The Gators (8-8, 1-5) dominated in the early going, racing out to a 6-0 lead in Game 1. Elmwood Park (0-15, 0-6) struggled with unforced errors and could never get within striking distance.

Game 2 was a different story as the Tigers were tied with Guerin at 12-12. But the Gators would simply prove too tough. Lorenz was huge all night and slammed home a kill on match point to give Guerin a 25-22 win in Game 2.

“The first game we had an easier time because they were struggling with their serve receive,” Guerin senior defensive specialist Abbey Porretta said. “They did a lot better with that in the second game. We just had to take a deep breath and we pulled it out.”

While the Tigers are still looking for their first win, head coach Katie Prechel remains positive.

“I think about what we’re trying to accomplish and my goals don’t necessarily talk about wins and losses,” Prechel said. “I can’t behave that way because then we can get frustrated and be down on ourselves. These girls fight hard every single point. They know they’re improving and those wins will come.”