Even in a bit of trouble, St. Viator’s battle-tested squad was not prepared to wilt.

The Lions came from behind 8 points in the second set in a two-set (25-15, 25-23) sectional final victory over hosts Vernon Hills on Wednesday, Nov. 2.

The championship in the sectional final was third in program history, all of them coming since 2017.

The Lions went on to fall to defending state champs Nazareth Academy in the super-sectional match, 26-24, 25-20.

In the sectional final, senior libero and 4-year starter Reanne Valera ripped off a 7-0 serving run to tie the match 16-16 in the second, a run during which she had 2 aces and Marceline Gorny and freshman outside hitter Erin Lynch tallied kills.

“We had to have a change of mindset,” Valera said. “We were down a lot. But I think my team is pretty good at handling… pressure.”

The Cougars jumped back on top with a Peyton Self kill, 20-19, and the squads traded the lead several times.

Morgan Hart pushed Vernon Hills ahead 23-22, only for St. Viator senior outside hitter Ella Trieloff to tie the match with a kill. Her ace then put St. Viator up 24-23.

Following a Vernon Hills timeout, Trieloff came right back with another ace to begin a Lions celebration.

“A team with so much firepower (Viator) and you make as many mistakes as we did tonight, your margin for error is really small,” Vernon Hills coach Chris Curry said.

St. Viator leaped out to an 8-2 lead in the first set and kept the pressure on. Trieloff later mounted a 7-0 serving run during which Andrea Rivera and Lynch each recorded a kill to run out to a 20-9 advantage in an eventual 25-15 first-set win.

“When we came out in the first set, we did really everything we wanted to execute,” St. Viator coach Charlie Curtin said. “They made a lot of adjustments and were able to come back and really make it an amazing match.”

Valera’s steady presence in the back row kept the Cougars from putting St. Viator too much on the defensive.

“She’s, I believe, an all-state libero,” Curtin said. “She doesn’t fold to pressure, she’s always ready to go. She executed exactly what I was calling so it worked out well.”

Gorny blasted 7 kills and Trieloff added 4 more.

“We just lit up the court. We just don’t stop,” Valera said. “We step on the gas and we’re getting kills and points, then everyone is great and happy.”

In 2017, the Lions took fourth in the state and won 29 games. Wednesday marked St. Viator’s 30th victory, tied for the most (like last year’s squad) in Curtin’s time as coach that runs 16 seasons.

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