Junior outside hitter Taylor Carroll and her Lyons Township volleyball teammates were determined to sustain any momentum against rival York for the Class 4A York Regional title Thursday.

With the Lions five points from victory, Carroll was so anxious after a timeout that she served before the official’s whistle to proceed.

“That usually doesn’t happen to me,” Carroll said. “I think I was just so locked in I thought I heard (the whistle).”

Carroll and the Lions closed out their solid match for a 25-23, 25-20 victory and return home for the LT Sectional.

The No. 4-seeded Lions (24-12) meet No. 1-seed Oak Park-River Forest (24-7) in Tuesday’s semifinals after winning their Oct. 7 meeting in three sets.

For the No. 6 Dukes (24-13), LT remembered their challenging 24-26, 25-15, 25-23 victory Oct. 14 in West Suburban Conference Silver Division play and 2024. The Lions lost that regional final to OPRF in three sets after winning the regular-season meeting.

“This game is always competitive. They (York) bring their best game and we always bring our best game,” Carroll said. “We just executed really well and stuck to it and we minimized our own errors. Just happy to win in two.”

The 6-foot Carroll had 12 kills. Senior basketball standout Emma O’Brien and freshman Olivia Pora each had five.

Colleen Chambers (22 assists), Kate Heatherly (7 digs, 3 aces), Avery Lee (5 digs, 5 service points) and Julia Ahrens (5 digs) also excelled.

The Lions used their multiple 6-footers to collect nine blocks for points. Middles Madison Jones and Kate Potter each had four total blocks and Carroll and O’Brien three.

“We played well tonight. It is always (close with York),” LT coach Jill Bober said.

“They (York) always play such a consistent game and with their hearts. We did come out blocking, which was a beautiful thing. I think we were reading their swing really nicely and we had the energy, momentum and intensity behind us.”

Senior Katie Day had 12 of the Dukes’ 23 kills and four digs.

Senior Amalia Toliopoulos had four kills and 14 assists, two blocks and three digs. Eileen Carroll (3 kills), Emma Braathen (6 digs), Madelene Braathen (4 digs), Ellie Kehoe (6 points) and Audrey Faley (2 blocks) also contributed.

The Dukes lose seven seniors, including four-year varsity standouts Day and Toliopoulos. Multiple players withstood injuries to play Thursday.

“Our girls really gave it their all. I don’t really know how much more we could have done on our side,” York coach Danny Piwowarczyk said.

”We were playing hard, making smart shots, smart decisions. We adjusted well in serve receive as the game went on. Props to LT. They deserved it. It was an awesome game.”

The Lions extended their winning streak over York but this was the first time since 2021 that the result was not by two points in a third set.

Cousins Taylor Carroll and Chambers also prevailed for the third time in two seasons over cousin Eileen Carroll, a full-rotation player for the Dukes.

“For me and Colleen, whenever we play me this game, it’s just like a family rivalry, wanting to beat (Eileen),” Taylor Carroll said.

With the first set tied 21-21, back-to-back kills by Carroll and O’Brien put LT ahead 23-21. Carroll twice answered kills by Day to close out the set.

The Dukes had led 3-0 and 10-5 but the Lions never trailed after Potter’s ace for their first lead at 15-14.

In the second set, Heatherly provided three straight aces to put LT ahead 11-9 and great back-row digs during York’s last lead at 14-13.

Carroll eventually put down the second save and then went down herself – thanks to the celebratory bump from an ecstatic Heatherly.

Chambers then served three straight points for a 17-14 lead with kills by Carroll and Pora and block by Jones and Pora. Potter’s tip kill ended the match.

“Every time I would set (Taylor) on the outside she would get a kill and right-side Olivia was doing really good shots, hitting where the defense wasn’t. And then anytime I set the middle, it was a good hit or tip to get the point,” Chambers said.

“I (also) think our serve receive picked up, which we’ve been working on. It helped me to run the offense and run the middles a lot more.”