The regional final on Oct. 31 was the right time for Frances Smith to come through, but that’s just what she does for Homewood-Flossmoor girls volleyball.
A year ago, the Vikings senior had 132 kills. This season she was asked to take a different role, one that garnered a little less of a spotlight. Smith didn’t mind and her willingness to do what the team needed is a big part of why H-F is one of the best teams in the South Suburbs.
“I know that we have really big players on our team that are really consistent and can hit the ball straight down. I think they should be utilized as much as possible. I just want to help as much as I can as an offensive player,” Smith said. “(The new role) is not something that I let get me down. I just try to focus on being a better passer, a key player in that way. Being able to play all the way around gives me the opportunity to be helpful in many different areas, whether it’s offense on that day or defense.”
Smith did have offensive opportunities in that regional championship. She came through with six kills while also playing a big part defensively as the Vikings earned the program’s first regional title since 2019 with a 25-19, 25-12 win in the final over Sandburg.
“Frances has just been rock solid for two years. She never comes off the floor. She’s one of our best passers. She’s just an outstanding kid, top five in her class (academically),” coach Bob St. Leger said. “She’s just a great kid who’s going to do anything we ask.”
It’s the first postseason championship since St. Leger, a Sandburg alum, took over as head coach.
“It’s big for me. It’s big for them. It ain’t easy to win,” St. Leger said. “To do it against a team like that, Sandburg, just the name on the jersey alone can make it tough. Their program is so solid every year, and coach (David) Vales does such a great job with them.”
The win didn’t come as easily as it could have. H-F cruised to win 25-13, 25-16 over the Eagles during an Oct. 1 regular-season match in Flossmoor. The Vikings weren’t perfect in the regional final, though. Sandburg actually led early and stayed within three points for most of the first set.
“There were maybe a little bit of nerves,” St. Leger said. “I think it’s just a little bit of timidness in a playoff situation. I think you saw in that second set, that didn’t happen.”
The second set was, indeed, all Vikings.
Homewood-Flossmoor (28-7) jumped out to a 7-1 lead and continued to build that advantage. It finished with a 7-0 run.
LaDonna Trantham and Kymora Scott were able to get better swings in that set. The pair of Division I recruits combined for 10 kills on the evening. Skyler Skinner had 27 assists.
The victory avenges a 2-1 loss to Sandburg in last season’s regional.
“We didn’t want to completely hone in on that or focus on that because we knew having any sort of negative mindset or doubt was going to bring us down and affect our energy,” Smith said. “We definitely were focused on this being a new night and we were just going to come out and give it our all.”
Mother McCauley, which won two Class 4A state titles, awaits in the Marist sectional semifinal on Nov. 5. The Mighty Macs own 17 state championships, more than any other program in Illinois.
“They’re literally the most storied program in Illinois volleyball history. It’s going to be a great opportunity for us. We’re going to go into it like we would any other match,” St. Leger said. “We’ve got LaDonna and Kymora, so I feel like you should be able to compete with just about anybody when you have two players of that caliber. We’re obviously going to need everybody to play well.”
