GLEN ELLYN – As impressive as any blistering kill or wicked serve Thursday night were moments of composure, especially late in the third game of a memorable IHSA Class 3A Glenbard South Sectional championship match between St. Francis and Joliet Catholic.

With both teams fighting off match points amid a growing din in the jam-packed gymnasium, maintaining poise might have been the night’s most difficult assignment on both sides of the net.

“After every point, I just cleared my head for a restart,” St. Francis junior Kristin Acciavatti said. “Every serve is a new point, a new ball and you just have to take it. You can’t think about the old plays, you can’t think of the future, you just have to take what you’re given.”