WEST TOWN — Ogden International School of Chicago athletic director Chris Chantry wasn't pleased with the results from the first four years of the school's girls volleyball program.
So prior to this season, Chantry fired the coach, who happened to be himself.
He brought in Eli Estrada, a longtime coach for several teams, including Powerhouse Volleyball Club and the former junior varsity head coach at Latin School of Chicago. And the Owls responded, winning the five-year-old school's first regional title in any of its 23 varsity sports last week in the IHSA Class 2A tournament.
"I decided that for this team to get to the next level was to fire myself and hire someone better than myself," said Chantry, of Roscoe Village. "That's really what it was, and he just took them to the next level."
The Owls, who play Morgan Park Academy in a Class 2A sectional semifinal Tuesday night, sport a 12-3 record. Estrada said he is excited about the long- and short-term future of his team.
"I cannot think of a more deserving group of young ladies who deserve such success," said Estrada, of Ukrainian Village. "They have progressed from being a group of individual athletes into a team of volleyball players.
"More exciting is that they are starting to see what they are truly capable under the right circumstances, and in doing so have been changing and building a different culture of sports and volleyball at their school."
Senior setter Kristen Lyda said Estrada, a Latin and DePaul University graduate, brought two key extra facets to the table this year. When Estrada first met the team, Lyda said he preached "perfect practice makes perfect," and she said he's stuck to that motto all season. Lyda also noted Estrada helped improve the Owls' defense and serving ability, which she said carried them to the regional crown.
"After Coach Chantry told us he wasn't going to be our coach, we all missed him, but I think it worked out for the best," said Lyda, of the South Loop.
Ogden, 1250 W. Erie St., held its first graduation earlier this year, and the outgoing senior class' gift to the school was a small trophy case.
Until the volleyball team's victory over Marine Military Academy in the regional final last week, the case had been empty.
"The case is at the front of the school, and every morning, everyone walks past it," Lyda said. "Now that we're going to have our trophy in the case, it's going to feel really good."
"It's nice that all that hard work is finally rewarded," Chantry said of claiming the regional title. "Ogden is not on the map because of their sports. We're on the map because of our academics.
"We want to be a well-rounded school in both sports and academics, and hopefully this is the first of many" trophies.
