NORMAL — When Providence’s Lily Lipke looked up in the stands this weekend and saw her mother, Christine, celebrating after points at CEFCU Arena, it meant a lot to her.
Lipke, a sophomore, is a 6-foot middle hitter. Thirty years ago, Christine was on that same floor for the Celtics playing in the middle at state and also wearing No. 4, just like her daughter.
“She’s such an inspiration to me and she’s just amazing,” Lily said of her mother, whose maiden name is Curtin. “Volleyball is such an amazing sport because she was able to do it and I was able to do it. To see us both being middles — we’re so similar.
“She’s my biggest cheerleader along with my family and friends. It’s a great support system.”
Lipke and Providence gave the fans something to cheer about Saturday night, closing out its season with a 25-21, 20-25, 25-19 win over Prairie Ridge in the Class 3A third-place match.
Wright State recruit Abbey Knight led the Celtics (35-7) with 20 kills, while Demi Carbone added eight kills and 15 assists. Lipke came through with four block assists.
Christine said the facility formerly known as Redbird Arena hasn’t changed much since 1995.
After high school, she played at Marquette but doesn’t have the itch to get back on the court.
“Oh, God, I don’t know if I can jump anymore,” she said. “I miss it, but it is so fun to watch these girls. This has been such a special team this year. It was special for them to experience.
“I’m so proud of them. Every single one of them.”
Green machines
Lockport’s Malley Green knew what she wanted to do in sports when she was 8 years old. Her older sister, Lainey, developed into a setter and Malley, now a junior, followed suit.
“She was my inspiration, and she was a setter,” Malley said of her older sister. “I always wanted to be like her. She was the main reason I got into volleyball.”
Malley helped the Porters take third Saturday in Class 4A with a 21-25, 25-23, 25-16 win over Fremd. Bridget Ferriter paced Lockport (34-8) with 15 kills, while Hutsyn Timosciek had 14.
Lainey Green plays for Northern Kentucky. Last year, she led the team with 554 assists.
Malley, meanwhile, shared time in a 6-2 offense this season with Natalie Bochantin and ended up with 158 assists. She’s glad to be a part of the volleyball world.
“The one thing I love about volleyball is the girls,” she said. “Without volleyball, I would not know half of them. Not only is it competitive, but it gave me forever-long friends.”
Jordan rules for Marist
Marist coach Jordan Vidovic is now 4-for-4.
Starting with the boys in spring 2024, he has guided boys and girls volleyball teams for the RedHawks to four straight state titles, including Saturday’s Class 4A championship over Benet.
What’s the secret to his success?
“It’s his temperament,” said Larry Tucker, who is Marist’s president. “He has the most even-keel temperament of any coach I’ve seen. When the girls or the boys are panicking, he’s still confident.
“They feed off that. I’ll tell you, there is nobody better.”
Junior outside hitter Taylor Berg pointed out Vidovic has knowledge of all positions on the court.
“He knows how to coach perfectly,” Berg said of Vidovic. “He’s always there for me if I need extra help or if I have any questions. He always has the answers.”
Vidovic doesn’t always has the answers when talking about himself, but even he admitted the streak of four state championships is pretty impressive.
“It unreal when you really think about it,” he said. “But I’m around such special people and special kids. They learn from each other. We consider our program player-led.
“We just try to guide them in the right direction.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
