Will County Gazette

Members of the Crest Hill community celebrated the accomplishments of a local youth athletics team which was honored by the city council during the council's April 3 meeting.

The board welcomed members of the Richland Grade School's 8th Grade Girls Volleyball Team and its coaches and their families, which finished the season with an 8-2 record, winning the the Richland Invitational, then winning its regional and sectional championships before finishing fifth in the Class III state competition. 

The council members took turns reading a portion of a resolution honoring the team.

"I certainly want to thank you personally for representing your school, for representing your families, and for representing the City of Crest Hill in all of your accomplishments," Mayor Ray Soliman told the team. "I know you're a little disappointed, but I will tell you, there's a lot more teams more disappointed than how far you girls went. To finish fifth place in the state in the IESA State tournament, it's something that you should be proud of and you will have with you for the rest of your lives. You have created amongst yourselves a lifetime of friendships with your teammates, with their parents, something that nobody can ever take away from you. And you'll probably – some of you – will go to different high schools. Some of you will most likely go to many different colleges. You may live your lives at different jobs. You may live not in Illinois anymore. You may live out of state. But no matter what happens, you girls have formed a bond amongst yourselves that will last for the rest of your lives."

Soliman also congratulated the girls on being wonderful students in addition to champions on the court. He thanked their coaches, parents and families, friends, and school community for supporting the team throughout the season, showing up to games and cheering them on.

Coach Jennifer Mueller thanked the mayor and council for their support of the school and the team. She said this was the most memorable and enjoyable team she has coached in her career, with the girls loving the sport and spending time with each other, often begging her not to end their practice.  The team's captains echoed the sentiment, saying they loved their teammates.

School officials also noted the team's sportsmanship around one another and the teams they competed against. Alderwoman Claudia Gazal said she was very emotionally connected to the team and was happy to talk about its success.