DePaul Prep Takes Fourth Place in 3A Volleyball State Finals

[Preview of my story this week in Inside—Booster.]

By Jack Lydon

The DePaul Prep Rams (37-5) fell to the Prairie Ridge Wolves (38-3) in the IHSA 3A State third-place game Saturday afternoon in Normal. The Wolves edged the Rams in two sets, 22-25 and 23-25. The fourth-place finish in the State Finals is still the farthest that any DePaul Prep or Gordon Tech team has achieved in volleyball.

Despite going back and forth the whole way, DePaul Prep could not get more than a one-point lead at any point. Although the Rams were more at ease than they were in the semi-final, it came down to Prairie Ridge’s excellent play handling the Rams’ hits.

“It was tough. We wanted to protect the serve so anytime we got the ball back we wanted to keep the serve on our side. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Playing at this level, you know it’s going to be competitive volleyball. We just didn’t make that change quick enough,” said DePaul Prep head coach Caroline Gajzler.

DePaul’s semi-final match against Mahomet-Seymour was not much different. The Rams were right with the Bulldogs but a five-point run midway through the first set lifted the Bulldogs to a 25-18 first set. The Rams rallied bringing back to two but Mahomet pulled away slowly as the first set continued. In the second set of Friday’s semi-final, the Rams cleaned up their service errors but just couldn’t put together a run to overtake the Bulldogs.

Of the semi-final loss, DePaul Prep head coach Caroline Gajzler said, “Ultimately, we fell short in playing the game that we’ve been playing. A few back-to-back hitting errors here and there. Some missed connections with our setters.

“[Mahomet-Seymour, eventual 3A state champion] was definitely one of the most competitive teams that we have played this season. They played very clean tonight. They ran down most of the balls, most of the touches.”

The fourth-place finish was a little bittersweet for the DePaul Prep. The Rams definitely believed they could win. The bar is high at DePaul Prep. In just the past few years, the Rams have back-to-back state championships in boys’ basketball, a state championship and a second-place finish in boys and girls cross-country respectively and fourth place finish in baseball.

“Gratitude. Grateful. An honor to be these girls’ coach. The school has only been in existence for ten years and it goes back to Gordon Tech. To be a part of history, I am really blessed. I love these girls not only as athletes but as human beings. I am grateful to be part of their story. I can’t wait to see what the rest has for them. I am just really grateful to have the experience of being here,” Coach Gajzler said.

The 37-5 season for the Rams was the culmination for a four-year process for the team and the coaches.

“It feels surreal. Ever since we got here freshman year, it was always something that seemed so far our of reach. But this year and last year, it was finally attainable. And the fact that we got this far and beat a lot of teams that we worked really hard to beat to get here. All that really paid off,” said senior hitter Amira Boone.

“Our senior class said this is our year, this is our season. All of our programs are excelling. What we all worked for for four years is all coming together,” said senior Layla Christian.

“We called this our unicorn season. Taking eighteen on a roster we knew it was going to be something special. We just talked about it in the locker room. Being GCAC White champions, two-time tournament champions, regional champions, sectional champions, super-sectional champions, first time coming downstate, so the entire season has kind of been this high. Hard work paying off, these girls trusting the process, believing the coaching staff, and really stepping up their game and growing throughout four years. It’s really neat to be a part of that process.

“Everyone wanted it so bad. I am so proud of this team and how far we have come,” said senior Katie Syftestad.

DePaul Prep Defeats St. Ignatius to Win 3A Sectional

It didn’t look good for the Rams midway through the first set when they were down 18-12. Then, slowly at first, they cut the margin to 22-17. Then the Rams charged back outscoring the Wolfpack 7-1, taking the first set 25-23.

The second set saw the more typical Rams play—steady building a lead. They took the Wolfpack 25-16 in the second set and the match. A 3A Sectional final match and advance to the Super-sectional on Monday. One game away from the State Tournament.

The Wolfpack are an excellent volleyball team. Every bit the equal of the Rams. Ignatius returned most of their team from last’s 3A third-place finishers. It was the Wolfpack that ended the Rams’ season last year in the Sectional semi-final. The Rams have been working toward this win all year. Even so, the Wolfpack seemed a little shellshocked by the Rams’ first set comeback.

The did not get down; they came back and won. This just might be the Rams’ year. The Rams have a remarkable 36-3 record this year. But one the three losses came at St. Laurence on October 3rd in three sets.

St. Laurence is next. The Super-sectional is Monday evening at Hinsdale South high school. With the St. Ignatius defeat avenged, there is another defeat to take care of on Monday.

As for the photos, I went a little crazy. I shot 2987 photos. I picked out 109 to process. I ended up only working up 40. I wanted to get as many as I could knowing this would be a historic game between two of the top teams in the state.

The light is always challenging in the Gentile Gym. Very yellow non-LED lights. I spoke to St. Ignatius AD Mike Hurley about it. I told him that he could not be outdone by DePaul Prep AD Pat Mahoney who just bought new LED lights for the Tom Winiecki Gym which will be installed before the basketball season. Hurley smiled and said nothing about getting new lights. My personal crusade to improve the lights in Catholic Leagues gyms still has a way to go.

I hope you like the photos.

DePaul Prep Defeats St. Ignatius 47-43

The DePaul Prep Rams defeated the St. Ignatius Wolfpack 47-43 on Thursday evening at DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym. Huge win for the Rams who haven’t beaten St. Ignatius in a long time. I concentrated on taking the photos so there is not much of a game recap.

DePaul Prep Rallies to Come Back and Defeat Trinity 50-47

That was a bad a first half as I have seen a DePaul Prep/Gordon Tech girls varsity team play. Turnovers, traveling, fouls, missed shots, no rebounds, you name it. Somehow, by the grace of the Almighty, they were only down 24-17.

Whatever the DePaul Prep Rams coach Sarah Zarymbski said to her team at halftime, she should write down and sell it.

It worked. The Rams were a whole new team in second half. The energy was 100% better. The started playing defense. They got most of the rebounds offensive and defensive. They starting shooting. The shots started falling. They all but erased the deficit in the third quarter. Down 31-30 entering the final frame.

The fourth quarter was back and forth. Trinity is good. No quit in the Blazers.

The Rams had the ball after a time out with 42.9 to play and the score tied. Moving the ball around looking for a shot with the clock running down, junior guard Maliah Wood got the ball. Square to the basket lining up the three-pointer, she finished the half the way she started it—a three-pointer that was never in doubt. Nothing but net.

Eight seconds on clock. Curiously, down 50-47, the Blazers moved the ball into the paint for a two point bucket. Even so the shot did not fall. Rams come back from a terrible first half to win 50-47.

DePaul Prep Defeats St. Laurence in Varsity Volleyball Match

The DePaul Prep Rams varsity volleyball team defeated St. Laurence in three sets on Thursday. Very high level volleyball and teacher appreciation night as well.

Coach Caroline Gajzler has her Rams at 14-5 with about three weeks until the IHSA state tournament and 11 matches still to play, the Rams look to finish strong. The move to 3A and into the St. Ignatius sectional for the playoffs will be a challenge for the Rams. I am getting better at shooting volleyball hopefully in time for a deep playoff run by DePaul Prep.

Wouldn’t it be great to shoot a state volleyball final! Make it happen Rams.

(And I just love the shot of Haley Pitcock is swooning. She said photos of the bench would be the best. She was totally right!)

DePaul Prep Opens Volleyball Season against IC Catholic Prep

The match was basically as close as it could get. The DePaul Prep Rams fell in three sets to IC Catholic Prep by the closest of margins, 25 to 23 in the final set at DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym.

A big crowd in DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym welcomed the return of high level volleyball to the Northside.

Should be a great season.

DePaul Prep Falls to Byron 52-45 in 2A Super-sectional

By Jack Lydon

The DePaul Prep Rams fell to the Byron Tigers 52-45 in 2A Super-sectional at the Elgin Community College Monday night. Two disciplined and evenly matched teams put on an exciting game that demonstrated the high level basketball one expects to see in a Super-sectional match up.

Byron jumped out to an early 12-4 lead not because they were especially dominating but mostly because DePaul we not hitting inside shots they ordinarily would. The Rams were able to crack the impressive 1-3-1 zone defense the Tigers threw at them; they just rushed some shots and could not take advantage.

On the other end, the Tigers were able to finish just enough layups early when they penetrated the Rams defense to grab the early lead.

“We tell the kids and we have learned the hard way. We want to stay even the whole game. We don’t want to get too high to start. We feel like we play tight if we get too high and you can’t keep the up for the whole game,” Byron head coach Eric Yearly said.

“We also talked about starting fast. When you come to a Super [sectional game], one team is nervous, and if you can jump out early, it makes it tough to come back and overcome a deficit from the beginning. We jumped out early. When you have a seven-point cushion it makes it a little easier.”

Despite the Tigers’ fast start, the Rams settled down and outscored Byron in the second quarter. DePaul senior Nora Leadstrom had thirteen points in the first half keeping the Rams close.

In the second half, the Rams rallied and eventually cutting the Tigers’ lead to two points with under four minutes left in the fourth quarter.

“They brought the pressure up in the zone and they got us,” admitted DePaul Prep Coach Sarah Zarymbski. Down two, the Rams lost a few turnovers resulting in fast break points that stretched Byron’s lead.

As the clock ticked down, “[DePaul] extended their defense and we were able to get some back cut layups. Our kids come over in the huddle and said ‘the back cuts are open so get your eyes up,’”said Yearly.

“Once you get it under two [minutes], you gotta make your free throws. We made enough to win. “They are a good team. They are the best team we have played all year. We are the mirror image of each other. We have great posts and great guard play. We just happened to be the one that came out on top,” Yearly continued.

Losing three super-sectionals in a row is tough for the Rams. An emotional Coach Zarymbski took the loss hard but kept it together after the game. Zarymski, the 26 year-old, fourth year coach, has been impressive in her short tenure.

“We did a lot this season that we have never done. Most wins in program history. A GCAC regular season title and we are young,” Zarymbski said.

Byron moves on to 2A State Final at ISU on Thursday and will face CPS Noble charter school Butler in the semi-final.

DePaul Prep Volleyball Photos From Resurrection and Rosary Matches

The DePaul Prep Rams varsity team had two home matches against rivals Resurrection and Rosary this week. I couldn’t pass that up. Tuesday’s Resurrection match turned out better for the Rams winning in two straight games. Not so much in today’s match against Rosary. Rams fell in two straight games.

Volleyball is hard to photograph. I am out of practice. I will keep working at it. I hope you like the photos.

DePaul Prep v. Providence Game Photo Gallery

On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, the Providence Catholic girls varsity visited DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym to face the Rams. These are the best of the photos I took that evening.

DePaul Prep Girls Volleyball Falls to Trinity on Senior Night

The DePaul Prep girls varsity volleyball team lost a close match to Trinity on Senior Night Thursday (October 7, 2021).

This was my first time photographing volleyball since my daughter Mary Claire played for Gordon Tech in 2011. That was a good volleyball team, or so I remember. It came back to me after a while. I hope you like the photos.

DePaul Prep Falls to Providence Catholic 54-37.

The DePaul Prep girls varsity basketball team took on Providence Catholic Saturday afternoon on Senior Day. The young Rams only have one senior on the squad, point guard Eva Budziszewski.

The story on the game will follow. There will be a preview of my Inside article later in the week. For now, I hope you like the photos. It was great to get back to doing girls’ games. This weird COVID season has limited my availability. I should be able to get at least one more in before basketball comes to screeching halt.

As always, Go Rams!

DePaul Prep Edges Timothy Christian 53-51 in 2A Sectional Semi-final

The DePaul Prep Rams edged the Timothy Christian Lady Trojans 53-51 Tuesday evening (February 17, 2020), at Orr Academy. The Rams advance to the 2A Orr Sectional Final against Walther Christian on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

In the first half, the Rams opened a ten point lead on the Lady Trojans by scoring in transition while shooting enough threes to keep pace with their excellent shooting Opponents.

In the second half, the Lady Trojans dialed up the defense and the Rams struggled. The Rams excellent free throw shooting in the fourth quarter sealed the win.

It was an excellent game, well played and well coached by both teams and coaches. I can’t overstate how impressed I am with first year head coach Sarah Zarymbski. It seems like just yesterday Sarah was an eighth grader winning a championship with Bernadette Molloy’s St. Benedict Bengals. Now she is part of Bernadette’s coaching tree. Bernadette’s daughter Megan is the girls head coach at Lane Tech.

Sarah has her Rams playing at a level greater than the sum of their parts. The Rams are a team that works together. They move the ball around quickly and commit very few turnovers. And foul only when they need to. Well, okay, not only when they need to but they don’t commit needless fouls and get into foul trouble.

I was looking at the 2A bracket. I thought Latin was the likely sectional winner but the Romans fell to Walther Christian in the second game last night. The Rams are poised to make a deep playoff run.

See you Thursday at Orr and 7:00 p.m.

And did I mention how wonderful the light is in Orr’s gym since the changed the lights this year? It is seriously one of the best gyms for light in the City. Another reason to love Lou Adams.