Nazareth volleyball beats Lemont 25-22 in third set to reach state semifinals

Nazareth volleyball defeated Lemont 25-22, 12-25, 25-16 on Monday to secure a spot in the Class 3A state tournament. The Roadrunners will face Geneva at 4 p.m. Friday in a state semifinal at Normal.

Lexi Van Eekeren, a senior for Nazareth, drove the team’s late momentum in the third set. She recorded four kills in the deciding frame, including a block and a smash that helped shift the lead. Nazareth scored 10 of the final 11 points to close out the match.

The teams traded leads frequently in the third set, reaching 10 ties. The final tie occurred at 15-15 after a block by Lemont’s Maddie Maloney. Sadie Quinlan followed with a kill to restore serve for Nazareth, after which Van Eekeren took over the scoring.

Van Eekeren smashed an overpass attack from Lemont and blocked a high ball from the right pin. She added her fourth kill of the set to put Nazareth ahead 19-15. She later served an ace and set a kill for Ellie Warren before serving a second ace to give Nazareth a two-point margin.

“It was our moment,” Van Eekeren said. “It was now or never.”

Nazareth coach Esai Velez noted that Van Eekeren does not lead the team in any single statistical category but contributes across the board. Velez identified her as the team captain and leader.

“She knew that for us to go to state she needed to do everything. And she did it,” Velez said.

Lemont, which finished 27-12 on the season, controlled the second set. The Knights jumped out to a 6-1 lead and maintained the advantage throughout the frame. Marta Pranskunas, a 6-foot senior middle, recorded nine kills in that set, leading Lemont’s hitting and blocking efforts.

Pranskunas also contributed a block and a tip kill to give Lemont a 5-2 lead early in the third set. Lemont coach Peggy Clemens said the team adjusted to utilize its middles more effectively in the third set.

“She was unstoppable,” Clemens said of Pranskunas.

Nazareth, which finished 27-13, did not trail after 14-14 in the third set. Van Eekeren pushed a two-handed kill down the line to tie the score at 14-14. The Roadrunners then built a lead that Lemont could not overcome.

Talia Surendran finished with a team-high nine kills for Nazareth. Madeline Briscoe recorded 13 assists, and Tess Tortorello made seven digs. In the first set, Surendran had six kills and Van Eekeren had four as Nazareth pulled away after a 16-16 tie.