The Palos South eighth-grade Girls Volleyball Team is: Top row (left to right) Dorian Urquizo, Annika Hock, Maja Pszczola, Elaina Yasin, Hannah Koenig, Makaleigh Terry, Maya Surdel, Brooklyn Parr, Maggie Purtill, Coach Marty Duggan. Bottom row (left to right) are Raliyah Bruce, Sarah Cairo, Sofia Wilson, Katy Zumerchik, Khadija Faisal, Alexa Morales. (Supplied photos)

The Palos South eighth-grade Girls Volleyball Team is: Top row (left to right) Dorian Urquizo, Annika Hock, Maja Pszczola, Elaina Yasin, Hannah Koenig, Makaleigh Terry, Maya Surdel, Brooklyn Parr, Maggie Purtill, Coach Marty Duggan. Bottom row (left to right) are Raliyah Bruce, Sarah Cairo, Sofia Wilson, Katy Zumerchik, Khadija Faisal, Alexa Morales. (Supplied photos)

Palos South eighth-grade girls volleyballers go undefeated

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regional 4 9 24 Palos South 8th grade volleyball first 2 e1712874954624

The Palos South seventh-grade Girls Volleyball Team is: Top row (left to right):  Mr. Adams (coach), Victoria Gashnica-Sobczak, Savannah Oliva, Madelyn Amedio, Nora Riley, Michelle Rozanski, Riley Krol. Middle row (left to right):  Teagan Jeffers, Anna Mulica, Lexie Rispin, Olivia Majercak, Molly Hackett. Bottom row (left to right):  Clare Arnold, Ava Mackey.

From staff reports

Palos South’s eighth-grade girls’ volleyball team finished first in the Southwest Interscholastic Conference (SWIC) on March 9, completing an undefeated season with a record of 19-0.

This is the fifth straight year that Coach Marty Duggan has led the Cardinals to a first-place finish in the tournament, which was held this year at Palos South Middle School. South’s Katie Zumerchik was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Members of the 2023-24 eighth grade team include: Hannah Koenig, Maggie Purtill, Dorian Urquizo, Makaleigh Terry, Sofia Wilson, Katy Zumerchik, Maya Surdel, Maja Pszczola, Raliyah Bruce, Sarah Cairo, Brooklyn Parr, Annika Hock, and managers Elaina Yasin, Alexa Morales, and Khadija Faisal.

“This was an amazing finish to a fantastic season. I am so proud of this team,” said Duggan. “They are talented, determined, fun and I’m looking forward to seeing all they accomplish at the high school level.”

Seventh-graders take third

Palos South’s seventh-grade team finished with a regular season record of 10-6 and a tie for fourth place in the conference and a third place finish in the tournament.

Members of the seventh-grade team are:  #4 Ava Mackey, #6 Lexie Rispin, #8 Maeve Maher, #9 Teagan Jeffers, #11 Olivia Majercak, #14 Michelle Rozanski, #18 Madelyn Amedio, #20 Molly Hackett, #21 Riley Krol, #25 Anna Mulica, #26 Clare Arnold, #27 Nora Riley, #32 Savannah Oliva, #33 Victoria Gashnica-Sobczak.

“I appreciate all the effort and the accomplishments the girls achieved this season in representing Palos South,” said Coach Adams. “They are a good group of kids and I wish the best for them as they continue their academic and athletic pursuits.”

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