Unlikely back-row hero helps Trevians drop Ramblers in regional finale

One of New Trier volleyball’s few seniors, Calia Cremascoli is comfortable in the clutch. She’s been there before.

But not like this.

A rotation change put Cremascoli in the back row for one rotation on Thursday, and with a couple of service aces and key digs, the middle blocker sparked a 6-0 third-set surge for the Trevians that turned the tables of the regional-championship match.

“I knew I had to step up at that moment. I don’t usually get to serve and I like to take that opportunity when I can to get back there and get some aces or whatever it is,” Cremascoli said. “We do focus a lot on defense and I love playing defense. I loved getting that opportunity and having the ball hit at me.

“I also know all my teammates were setting me up for success; we had some great blocking and Serena (Bauer) had some great swings during that run.”

The run gave the Trevians a 12-3 advantage in the decisive set, carrying them to a 30-32, 26-24, 25-17 victory against Loyola Academy in the IHSA Class 4A Leyden Regional final.

In New Trier’s typical lineup, Cremascoli subs out when her turn back-row rotation comes up, but an injury had coach Hannah Hsieh looking to Cremascoli for her serving middle.

The senior came through when it mattered most.

“We were trying to play with what would give us the better advantage and I thought Calia came in and opened up our lead,” Hsieh said. “… Normally she doesn’t serve. She had some great digs, too. I’m really proud of her.”

Up until the big New Trier run, the Trevians and Ramblers were in a slugfest, matching each other’s runs and passing the momentum back and forth.

Loyola jumped out to a sizable first-set advantage at 12-6 and kept at it until it was 19-12, but New Trier roared back, eventually tying the match at 24-24 with a kill from junior Serena Bauer (11 kills).

The rivals traded blows from there, each missing set-point opportunities, until two Trevians errors ended the game in Loyola’s favor.

Despite the loss, Hsieh felt the Trevians’ fight in the first set paid dividends later on.

The intensity carried over to the second set. Neither team had a lead greater than three points until Kate Andersons’ kill gave New Trier a 20-16 advantage.

Loyola fought back and even took a 24-23 lead, but could not end the match.

“We were battling, and in that second set we had a swing for match point,” Ramblers coach Lionel Ebeling said. “Then just a slow start in that third set was hard to recover from, with the momentum, but I’m proud of the way we fought.”

Bauer gave her team a 25-24 lead before the Trevians won the set to force a third.

There, Cremascoli’s heroics made the difference as New Trier finished off Loyola.

Bauer and Andersons recorded a team-high 11 kills apiece, while Cremascoli added 6 kills and 3 aces. Sophomore Harper Payne chipped in 7 kills.

Loyola junior Audrina Harvey led her team with 12 kills, while senior Brea Payne added 8.

The Ramblers finish up at 20-17 and, led by Harvey and fellow outside hitter Kaelyn Pasma, will carry over a junior-heavy roster that also featured three sophomores. Payne, Alexa Campbell, Lainey Ryczek and Eva Madigan are set to graduate.

“We play in my opinion the hardest schedule out there,” Ebeling said. “… Our record doesn’t necessarily reflect the growth. We’ve grown a lot together, and we just have to work just as hard in the offseason and let that carry over.”

The Trevians move on to face the sectional’s top seed, Glenbrook North, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, in a semifinal of the Glenbrook South Sectional.

New Trier (25-8) saw the Spartans (28-2) twice this season, falling both times in three sets.

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