Glenbard West never took it for granted, especially this season.
But the Hilltoppers are once again back in the boys volleyball final four.
Charlie Clifford clubbed 14 kills as Glenbard West slid past New Trier 25-21, 29-27 on Friday morning in the opening quarterfinal of the boys volleyball state finals at Hoffman Estates High School.
Glenbard West (35-5) will face O’Fallon, a 25-23, 25-23 winner over Sandburg, at 10 a.m. on Saturday in the opening semifinal. It’s the 11th straight season and the 12th time in the last 14 years that the Hilltoppers will bring home a trophy. But this one is more of a surprise.
“We don’t do anything easy, and it’s very special this year,” Glenbard West coach Christine Giunta-Mayer said of making it back to the final four. “We lost 10 seniors from last se