
BOLINGBROOK - Elijah Zambrencia led with 11 kills, while Blake Keller had 18 assists, but O'Fallon - southern Illinois' lone representative - lost in the IHSA boys state volleyball quarterfinals to Glen Ellyn Glenbard West 25-19, 25-19, in the opening match of the state finals Friday morning at Bolingbrook High School in suburban Chicago.
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Including this season, the Panthers have qualified for the state finals four of the last five seasons, finishing fourth in 2023 and 2025.
In the match itself, Zambrencia led with his 11 kills, while Sutton Massey added six kills, and Nathan McBride had five kills. Keller led the Panthers with his 18 assists in the match. Overall, Zambrencia accounted for 14 points, while Massey had six points, and McBride scored five points.
The Panthers finish their season at 32-4-1, while the Hilltoppers go to 37-2, and meet Libertyville, a 23-25, 25-17, 25-21 winner over Wheaton North in the second quarterfinal, in the first semifinal Saturday morning at 10 a.m. The winner plays the winner of the semifinal between Oak Park-River Forest and Chicago Marist Catholic in the final at 5 p.m., while the semifinal losers play for third place at 4 p.m.
