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PRINCETON HIGH SCHOOL | PRINCETON
Regional Titles: 19
District Titles: 4
Sectional Titles: 11
State Final Trophies: 2
State Championship Appearances/Titles: 1/1
1990-A: Princeton 2, Huntley 0 (36-2-1)
State Final Coaches: Rita Placek (1980, 1990, 1994), Andy Puck (2008)
First Team All-State Players: 1990 – Nicole Coates.
Princeton: The pinnacle of Princeton volleyball came in 1990 when Coach Rita Placek’s 36-2-1 Tigresses came from behind in both sets to top Huntley in the Class A state final, 15-12, 16-14. Known for their strong serving, the Tigresses notched a still-standing state record of 503 aces in 1990. “This is the best team I have ever coached,” Placek said. “We have three good hitters, and the others carry their load.” Those Tigresses remain the only team in any sport in Princeton history to win a state title. Their leaders in the final were all-tournament selections Nicole Coates (15 kills), Tina Forth (18 assists), and Karen Flaherty (three kills). “Ever since I was little, I wanted to play in the state tournament,” said Coates, who later played at Notre Dame. “My mom was a referee here and I would watch from the stands.” Placek’s first state-qualifying squad was her 19-5 team in 1980 that lost to Elmhurst Immaculate Conception in the quarterfinals. Among Princeton’s standouts that year was Mary Bouxsein, who still holds the state record for career aces with 573 over 87 matches (6.5 per match). Bouxsein twice had 22 aces in a single match (against Sterling in 1978 and Henry in 1981), marks that rank second in state history behind the record of 26 set by Nashville’s Sherri Heseman in 1978. Placek’s final state trip in 1994 saw her Tigresses lose in the quarterfinals to Huntley to finish 28-7-2. Her leaders were four-year starter Megan Laine, a setter, and three-year starters Janda Forristall and Courtney Sapp, both hitters. The tallest Tigresse was the 5-foot-9 Forristall. “In Princeton, we don’t grow them very tall,” lamented Placek. “The tall people live in another town.” In 1998, Placek retired with a record of 493-176-12 over 25 years. She won five conference titles, 16 regionals, and nine sectionals. In 2002, Andy Puck took over as coach and, in 2008, returned Princeton to the state tournament. That 28-11-2 Class 2A fourth-place squad was led by 6-1 Leah Shaw, who in three years on the varsity helped Princeton go 90-27. She later played at Illinois Central College and Bowling Green State University.
