Burlington Central beats St. Charles East 27-25, 25-16 in Burlington

Burlington Central defeated St. Charles East 27-25, 25-16 on Tuesday night in Burlington, sending the Rockets to the Class 4A Burlington Sectional final, Chicago Tribune reported.

The victory carries extra weight for a program playing its first season after being bumped up to Class 4A. Now 30-7, Burlington Central will play at 6 p.m. Thursday against St. Charles North for the sectional title and a shot at the program’s second-ever sectional championship.

The match began with St. Charles East jumping out to an 8-3 lead in the first game, with five of those points coming off hitting errors by the Rockets. Freshman outside hitter Lani Akenten admitted the moment got to her.

🔴 LIVE : St. Charles East vs Burlington Central | Illinois Varsity Girls Volleyball 2026

“Yeah, I think it did,” Akenten said. “I was nervous. I was really timid.”

Burlington Central coach Julia Smagacz saw the tension in the gym affecting her players.

“There were a lot of nerves,” Smagacz said. “There was a lot of energy in the gym. I think that interfered with their focus.”

Akenten turned the momentum with a kill down the line followed by an ace, sparking a comeback that saw her finish with seven kills, two aces and a block. Her second ace gave Burlington Central a 26-25 lead, and a kill from Niyati Kasireddy ended the set.

Burlington Central girls volleyball defended home court with a straight-set win over St. Charles East in the Class 4A Sectional Semifinals. Meanwhile St. Charles North upset top-seeded Huntley in the other semifinal matchup. pic.twitter.com/CXUhBZD5ov

— https://x.com/nwherald/status/2117844654502629518

“She showed her age a little bit early but then she showed her maturity,” Smagacz said of Akenten. “I feel like she had a couple where she was like, ‘Oh, no.’ I think it was that one line shot she had. I think she thought, ‘OK, now I remember who I am.’ She’s such a mentally strong player that those kinds of errors aren’t going to faze her.”

Akenten carried that confidence into the second game, adding two kills and a block as the Rockets built an 11-4 lead they never relinquished. LaRaiya Cunningham-Duncan and Kasireddy each added four kills for Burlington Central.

“I think me getting those aces got my confidence back,” Akenten said. “If I missed those, it would be very tough to get out of or we would have to fight in a third set. I think it’s cool to contribute like that.”

St. Charles East (26-12) battled back from a deficit earlier in the postseason, but coach Jessa Henry saw the match slip away once the serve receive faltered.

CHS vs St. Charles East Varsity VB

“I always expect to come back,” Henry said. “When we played Naperville North, we were down 23-19 and came back and won. I know they have it in them. Once our serve receive goes, it’s really hard to bounce back from.”

Emma Phillips led the Saints with a match-high 10 kills, and Scarlett Dickerson added eight.

Thursday’s opponent comes from an upset

Waiting in Thursday’s final is St. Charles North (24-14), which knocked off top-seeded Huntley (31-6) 15-25, 25-15, 25-19 in the other semifinal Tuesday night.

For Burlington Central, the moment represents validation of the jump to the larger classification.

“This is awesome,” Smagacz said. “We made it this far in 3A last year, but to do it against these really talented 4A schools is something special. We’re really proud that we’re doing so well this early in 4A.”

Akenten acknowledged the nerves will still be there Thursday, but the goal is clear.

“It feels good because we have something to prove,” Akenten said. “We belong here. We have a chance to get what we want by earning it. I really just want to go to state.”