St. Charles North claims 4A sectional title with rout of Burlington Central

St. Charles North volleyball players claimed their first Class 4A sectional championship since 2017 by defeating Burlington Central 25-13 and 25-19 on Thursday night. The North Stars finished the match in straight sets, extending their season record to 25-14. This victory marks the first time the program has captured the Burlington Central Sectional title in nine years.

The team entered the final with 25 wins, a total that fell short of the 30-win campaigns they recorded in the previous two seasons. Six senior players had left the roster during the offseason, but the remaining group maintained a level of familiarity that coach Lindsey Hawkins credited for their resilience. "We didn’t have to build our bonds," junior Brynn Hopkins said. "We already had such good chemistry, and that’s really what a team needs."

Burlington Central, competing in its first season in Class 4A, started strong with a 9-5 lead in the second set following an ace from Gabby Alesi. St. Charles North responded with kills from Hopkins and Ellie Sutter to tie the score at 10. Consecutive aces from Holly Wilson then gave the visitors a 16-14 lead, which they held until the end of the set. Sutter finished the match with a team-high 10 kills, while Mya Mikos contributed seven.

Hawkins noted that Burlington Central served more aggressively, which disrupted the North Stars' serve receive. "It was kinda rattling our serve receive," Hawkins said. "When that started shutting down a bit, I thought, 'Oh no, they’re gonna get tense,' but they never really did." The North Stars used the pressure of playing on the road to their advantage, jumping to a 10-2 lead after an ace from Addie Kashuba.

Junior Molly Meshenky provided a defensive anchor at the net, recording four blocks and three kills. Hawkins had met with Meshenky early in the season to remind her of her capabilities. "I took it to heart," Meshenky said. "Just went with every practice, went out, did my hardest." The North Stars will now face Libertyville, who holds a 38-1 record, in the Fremd Supersectional at 6 p.m. on Monday.

Burlington Central coach Julia Smagacz acknowledged the difficulty of the matchup. "This is where we lived all season, playing from behind," Smagacz said. "And they surged, they played a lot better [in the second set]. First year in 4A, definitely competitive." The Rockets finished the season with a 30-8 record and a third consecutive regional title.