Winning is a tradition for Benet Academy girls volleyball, but few players have embodied that legacy quite like Lynney Tarnow and Ellie Stiernagle. This story is sponsored by Fair Oaks Ford and Fair Oaks Lincoln.
Three seasons, three trips to the state championship
The two became fixtures in the Benet varsity lineup during their freshman seasons, a rare feat for a program stocked full of talent year after year. Starting their run in the fall of 2022, Tarnow and Stiernegle have gone 141-12 in their three and a half years with the team, advancing to the 4A state championship three consecutive seasons. While it takes an entire team to make annual runs to state, this duo earned their spots shortly after entering the program, thanks to their size, skill, and work ethic. Now, these seniors have gone from bright-eyed newcomers to battle-tested veterans as they chase that elusive state championship. Redwing head coach Brad Baker has won four state titles in his tenure, and he realizes the challenge of being ready to play from day one.
“It’s hard, when you’re a freshman here, to contribute, to be on the varsity team, and you have to earn it. You don’t just give it just because you’re on a high club team or you’re going to be highly recruited; you still have to do it on the court. And both Lynney and Ellie have taken that. They’ve come in here and they’ve earned their spot year after year. And then this year it’s been pretty special to watch them. You know, they’ve been able to see some of the seniors and seeing the older people and take their own style and really become leaders for our group this year. It’s been pretty special,” said Benet Academy girls volleyball head coach Brad Baker.
From talented newcomers to seasoned leaders
“I think the four years of Benet have been amazing. I mean, it hasn’t ended in the way we wanted to the last three years, but the people that we’ve met, even just being by each other’s side, I feel like we’ve grown a lot as people and players. said Benet senior Ellie Stiernegle.
“Obviously, I was the youngest on the team for a while because we didn’t have any freshman year sophomores, but this year it’s a completely new team around me. So I think that’s really exciting. And then hopefully trying to rub off all the stuff I’ve learned from the past three years onto them, and just how rewarding it is to see the progress we’ve made already, and hopefully for the months to come,” said Benet middle blocker Lynney Tarnow.
With Stiernagle guiding the Redwing offense as the team’s setter and Tarnow towering over the competition as a 6’5 middle blocker, the pair has spent the past four years refining their chemistry and developing into top-tier talents on the court.
“I think that that’s just a blessing for both of us, and it’s really bonded our connection over these past four years. And now obviously we’re the setter and the middle on the team. So I feel like as seniors, because we’ve had that bond for four years, it just makes our connection so flawless on the court,” said Tarnow.
“It’s fun to be able to set a 6’5 middle and just see her kill the ball. Having four years of that is so, so fun. And especially since we’re both going to the Big Ten next year, I think it’s going to be fun to play her,” said Stiernagle.
Joining the Redwing alumni playing at the next level
After hundreds of matches played side by side, next fall they will each head to different Big Ten schools, with Tarnow heading north to the University of Wisconsin to reunite with former Redwing All-American libero Aniya Warren. Stiernagle is staying closer to home at Northwestern, where her father, Chris, played linebacker for the football team.
“I think I’ve always wanted to play. My dad played at football at Northwestern, so, I think I always wanted to be a college athlete. And even go beyond that would be awesome. I’m just really excited to go to Northwestern. I mean, the coaches are amazing. I’m really excited to prove myself on a really big stage and play against the best volleyball in the country,” said Stiernagle.
“I feel like I just have so much great coming up. The Under Armour games are in December. And then I’m hoping to be in Wisconsin in January. So lots of fun stuff coming up. I’m just hoping to still do my role in whichever way I can, just helping my team around me and getting better myself, because I still have so much to learn and do,” said Tarnow.
Despite graduating seven Division I players from last season’s team, Benet is once again a top contender to lift the 4A state trophy. With Tarnow, who was recently named an Under Armour All-American, and Stiernagle setting the tone alongside several key returning veterans like Brooklyn Brass, Molly Welge, and Sophia Chinetti, the 2025 Redwings currently hold a 25-2 record and are the number one seed in the Glenbard West sectional.
Gearing up for one more run at the state title
“I’m very competitive in nature, and Lynney is as well. And we always want to win. So I think that even though we’ve lost three years in a row, that doesn’t show how we’ve gone back to work and wanted to prove ourselves even more. So, I think even though we’ve lost the three times and even though the team may change, the standard hasn’t,” said Stiernagle.
“I feel like the legacy of Benet is obviously something to look up to. And leaving my own legacy is something I wish to do. And I feel like going down to state three times already been such an achievement. But obviously, we still have more work to do. This year. We’re still chasing a title, so that would be great, but I’m just so happy with the career I’ve had so far and all the accomplishments my team and I have done,” said Tarnow.
“These girls are really self-aware, meaning we know we have to get to a certain level to even be able to get down there and to compete. And that’s all they’ve really been focused on is, all right, how are we playing today? What can we do better tomorrow so we can get closer to what our goals are of what we need to do to play at a high level? Those two have been awesome about it, and they’re great about leading by example and making sure we’re improving on a daily basis,” said Coach Baker.
For the Redwings, the legacy continues — one set, one block, and one final run at state glory.
For Naperville Sports Weekly, I’m Justin Cornwell.
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