Lockport girls volleyball returning to state for first time since 1996

1996: “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls is blasting across radios. The film “Independence Day” is breaking box office records. The Lockport volleyball team is making its fourth trip to the state tournament in seven years.

The Porters wind up finishing fourth just three years after winning it all for the first and only time in program history in 1993. Coach Julia Hudson and the girls on the team don’t know it, but this is the last time the Porters will make the state tournament for 28 years.

2024: Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” remains the hottest ticket in the world. “Inside Out 2″ becomes the eighth highest grossing movie in the history of cinema. And once again, the Lockport volleyball team is heading to state, ending a significant drought for the second consecutive year.

The 2023 Porters reached the sectional finals for the first time since 2004, but came up just shy of snapping their state tournament skid, falling to Joliet West in straight sets.

This year, they made it past Lincoln-Way West to claim a sectional title for the first time since 1999 (Britney Spears’ “... Baby One More Time” and “Star Wars: Episode I” were all the rage). Lockport dispatched Downers Grove South in three sets for a supersectional championship Monday and now heads to Normal to try and do what no Porters team has done since the first year of Bill Clinton’s administration.

“We’ve gotten over a couple of humps lately,” coach Nick Mraz said. “Last year making the Sweet 16 for the first time in [19 years]. The girls didn’t have the goal of sectional, supersectional and then state. It’s a 1-0 mentality. We’re going to celebrate [the supersectional win], but they know very well that when we step into the gym next, it’s game on.”

It’s been a banner year for the Porters. They enter the state tournament at 35-5 and have won 14 of their past 15. They’ve also shown a knack for grinding out competitive contests, as they’re 11-2 in third sets this season.

It hasn’t all come on the back of one individual, either. It’s been a true team effort throughout.

Sure, Jenna Kolosta (246 kills) and Bridget Ferriter (244) lead the way in attacking, but Emily McGraw (148), Hutsyn Timosciek (126) and Kyla Mitchell (122) aren’t far behind. Natalie Bochantin leads the way in aces with 54. Sadie Denk is tops in digs at 332, though Ferriter, Bochantin, Quinn Higham and Malley Green all have over 100 themselves. Bochantin has 569 assists, while Green has pushed 353.

All of that is to say that no one has done it alone. That’s also clear in how the Porters communicate in discussing their enormous accomplishment.

“It’s amazing [to make it to state],” Denk said. “We haven’t done this in so long in our program. It’s great to do it in my senior year and with my best friends. I just have to make sure I stay sound in my serve-receive and trust in my ability and defense to get the ball.

“If we play like how we know we can, we’re going to be successful.”

Denk is one of five seniors on the team. McGraw, Kolosta, and Samantha and Amanda Bagdonaite are the others. That group has provided invaluable leadership in addition to the stats they’ve put together on the court. The history they’ve made isn’t lost on them.

Heck, the oldest of them wasn’t alive when the Porters last made it this far.

They’re taking in the experience one match at a time.

“We have such a young team,” McGraw said. “This environment is very new to them, but push through ... and I’m really proud of this. I think it took a lot of grit, and I’m very proud of our team.”

There are only great teams left at this point of the season. The Porters’ Friday night state semifinal opponent at CEFCU (formerly Redbird) Arena in Normal – Marist – is one such team, entering Bloomington-Normal 29-9 after upsetting three consecutive higher-seeded teams to reach this point. Friday’s other semifinal features Benet Academy- vs. Huntley, with the third-place match and 4A state championship set to take place Saturday night.

Tip off for Friday’s match is approximately 8:30 p.m. A win would be historic for this group, but the Porters are not thinking of it in such terms. They’re taking the same mindset they’ve had all year. The same one that got them here.

“Our mentality is just 1-0,” McGraw said. “One game at a time, one point at a time. That’s where our heads have been at this entire time. ... It would mean the world to go out senior year winning it all. I think it’s going to take a lot, but I’m sure we’re up for it.

“We’re ready.”