Beating a team once in a year can be difficult. But beating that same team five times in a span of over a month and a half is extremely impressive and almost seemingly impossible.

It wasn’t always pretty but New Trier pulled off a fifth win against conference foe Evanston with an 18-25, 21-21, 25-20 win in the Evanston Sectional semifinal Friday, May 27.

The Trevians beat the Wildkits twice in conference play, as well as in the title match of the Warren Invite, and in the third place match of the Downers Grove South Invite.

“I think it’s a record, beating a team five times in a season,” New Trier’s Billy Fauntleroy said. “They wanted it so bad and for us to beat them for the fifth time was very difficult, but we fought and played as a team and came out on top.”

The first set belonged all to the Wildkits, as they got off to a 7-1 start before New Trier knew what happened. The Trevians would slowly battle back, narrowing the margin, all the way down to 12-9, but every time they would try to make a run, the Wildkits would counter with one of their own. In the end, it was too much for New Trier to overcome that six-point deficit in the beginning of the set.

“After that first 7-1 run, it was an even game,” New Trier coach Sue Ellen Haak said. “We just gave up too many points there at the beginning.”

“We just had to get our jitters out,” Fauntleroy said. “There are times we start out slow, but it’s a rebuilding process. That second set, we acknowledged the fans, almost embraced them like it was our home court and then in turn we were able to put the ball down and pass well. If everyone plays well, then we can’t lose.”

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