Manteno defeats Victoria Soto to reach first sectional title game in Hosselton era

Manteno volleyball players secured a 25-6, 25-5 victory over Victoria Soto on Tuesday night, marking the program's first appearance in a Class 2A Chicago Christian Sectional championship match under head coach Alexis Hosselton.

The win erased a decade-long pattern for Hosselton, who served as a player on multiple Panthers squads that captured regional titles but fell short in sectional semifinals. Hosselton, a 2015 graduate of Manteno, described those previous seasons as a period of being the bridesmaid rather than the bride. Her team now stands at the threshold of a sectional title, a stage the Panthers have reached in four of the five years they have qualified for sectionals.

The current roster has developed alongside Hosselton for five years. The group began under her guidance as eighth-graders in 2021. They navigated a turbulent second season in 2023, the only losing campaign in Hosselton's tenure as head coach. Senior Danika Fletcher played varsity ball that year and recalled feeling scared in every match due to a lack of team chemistry. The program improved in 2024, losing just six games and one conference contest. This year, the team finished conference play undefeated, including postseason matches, and clinched a second consecutive regional title with a three-set win over Wilmington last weekend.

The focus shifted to Victoria Soto on Tuesday. The Panthers maintained a high level of play despite the disparity in talent between the opponents. Senior Maddie Gesky recorded five kills, two blocks, and five aces. Senior Danika Fletcher contributed 15 assists, four aces, and one kill. Makenna Laskowski added three kills, three aces, and three digs. The team credited their success to a bond formed over four years of playing together, a dynamic that senior Maddy Belisle attributed to the players growing up in the same neighborhood.

Manteno now faces Aurora Catholic at 6 p.m. Thursday for the sectional championship. A victory would advance the Panthers to the supersectionals. Hosselton noted that the team has circled the 2026 season on their calendars for some time. She observed that the players are currently seeing the potential for their run to continue. Hosselton stated that when a team buys into a coach's vision, it represents the ideal coaching scenario.

The upcoming match represents uncharted territory for Hosselton's coaching career. Her squad has worked through every stage of volleyball development since their eighth-grade season, a period that previously ended in disappointment. The current group is one game away from reaching the next level of the tournament, continuing a postseason run that has defined their recent history.