Lake Forest’s Striedl earns All-American honors

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Updated: October 30, 2011 12:19AM

Fresh off its championship run at the AAU Volleyball Junior National Championships last week in Orlando, the Sky High 17 Black team is playing this week at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in Atlanta.

Headquartered in Crystal Lake, the elite Sky High club team received a major contribution in Orlando by right side hitter Mary Striedl. Striedl, who also plays for Lake Forest High School and will be a senior this coming fall season, was consistent with her left-handed kills throughout the tournament

“Mary was blocking and hitting great,” Sky High 17 Black coach and club executive director Scott Harris said. “Her jump serve was also on.”

Sky High went 9-1 in pool play in its 65-team bracket, before defeating teams from Orlando and Minneapolis in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. In the June 22 championship game, Sky High defeated a team from Ft. Worth Texas, 25-15, 17-25, 15-10. Once again Striedl’s play on the front line figured prominently, as she was named an All-American for the tournament.

“It was such a shock and an honor to be named All-American,” Striedl said. “The entire team played great and should get the credit.”

Striedl, who will be going to the University of Pittsburgh on a volleyball scholarship after her senior year at Lake Forest, will be joined on the Pittsburgh campus by another local star that also plays on the 17 Black Sky High team, Amanda Orchard of Lake Zurich High School.

“It will be wonderful to keep playing volleyball with her,” Striedl said.

Sky High, which has 10 teams going to Atlanta, is seeded 15th in the 32 teams comprising the 17 and under division at USA Nationals. Play begins on Wednesday, with the championship rounds on Saturday (July 2).

“We need to keep playing very aggressive and be strong at the net,” Harris said.