Glenbard West stymies heavy-hitting Oswego to win sectional semifinal

Glenbard West knew full well the caliber of opponent it would be facing in its sectional semifinal match Tuesday night.Going up against two of the state’s top hitters in Oswego’s Hannah Herrick and Sara Gilio, the Hilltoppers set out to prepare, knowing they couldn’t be afraid when it came time to play ball.“Being scared never helped anyone,” senior Farryn Burridge said. “You can’t be scared when you go up against hitters like those. You have to be confident, and you have to know that you can shut them down.”The Hilltoppers did just that, shutting down the vaunted Panthers and never trailing in a 25-18, 25-16 sweep of one of the Southwest Prairie Conference’s best to open the Class 4A Glenbard West Sectional.Senior setter Cara Herbert was once again at the controls for Glenbard West (32-6). Herbert, a Loyola-Maryland commit, dished out 19 assists, spreading the ball to five different hitters with the objective of keeping the Panthers (24-10) on their toes.“Just to keep their middles gu