La Salle-Peru’s Addie Piecha finishes top 16 at state: Friday’s NewsTribune/BCR roundup

At Prospect: La Salle-Peru senior Addie Piecha did not enter the IHSA Class 1A state tournament with momentum.

Piecha had been battling shin splits and played below her seed at the conference and sectional tournaments.

But she shook all that off to turn in a historic performance at state.

After winning her first two matches Thursday to advance to the second day, Piecha won her first match Friday before bowing out of the tournament in the fifth round of the consolation bracket, finishing in the top 16.

“She wasn’t necessarily riding high and playing her best tennis going into it,” L-P coach Aaron Guenther said. “We just said, ‘We’re here, this is the last tournament you’re going to participate in as an L-P Cavalier, so make it count.’

“She went into the first match (Thursday) and instantly we said this is a winnable match and she won it in three sets. Then she went up against a 9-16 seed from Deerfield, and Deerfield won the state title as a team last year, so we knew it was going to be tough. Addie came out screaming with a 4-1 lead and she looked at me and said, ‘I think I can do this,’ and I said, ‘I don’t see why you can’t.’ She stayed steady, weathered the storm when (her opponent) went on a run and she didn’t really get too low ever. She played her game, trusted her training and it worked.”

Piecha is the highest placing player for L-P during Guenther’s 12-year tenure.

“It was really great for her and I think it really showed that her hard work paid off,” Guenther said. “I think it was great for the program to show that we are here and we are more than just qualifiers, we’re players who go there to do something.”

In the fourth round of the consolation bracket Friday morning, Piecha defeated St. Thomas More senior Catherine Ra 6-4, 6-3 before losing 6-2, 6-1 to Timothy Christian freshman Brie Kellough, a 9-16 seed, to end her run.

“Addie’s engine just never stopped,” Guenther said. “She hustled down every single ball that came her way,” Guenther said. “She made sure every ball she hit was getting back in play. She was flexible. She would have an aggressive mindset on certain points then she would have a more defensive mindset on certain points and she was able to flip that switch midpoint when it called for it. She was just incredibly coachable, incredibly flexible and just wanted it. That really drove her to success.”

Peoria Notre Dame 7, La Salle-Peru 0: The No. 4-seeded Cavaliers saw their season end with a loss to the No. 1-seeded Irish in the Class 2A Orion Regional final.

L-P finishes 15-4-2, tying the program record for wins.

Newark def. St. Bede 25-10, 25-17: Kijah Lucas had four kills and a block as the Bruins lost their regular season finale in Peru.

St. Bede is 21-10-2 entering the postseason.