The girls volleyball state championship has become a Normal tradition for Benet Academy and Mother McAuley as both teams make it a combined 29 appearances in the title match. This happens to be a rematch of last season’s championship where the Mighty Mac’s came out victorious in three sets, so Benet is in redemption mode. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Benet trails but fights early
Mighty Mac’s have a two-point advantage but Ava Novak for Benet cuts into it with a kill.
Catchup is the Wings side in set one but they keep it together and Audrey Asleson gets a kill as well and they trail 11-7.
Mother McAuley stars get going
Time for Mighty Mac’s to unleash their stars. It starts with Michigan commit Ellie White who gets a kill to keep her squads lead to four.
White is not the only Mighty Mac committed to a big-time school. Ellery Reese, who’s committed to Alabama, gets the block and shows excitement for the Crimson Tide. Mother McAuley leads 17-13.
Benet trails 23-18 but they are not quite out of it. Audrey Asleson tries out a block that doesn’t go but she gets another and this time she gets her favor.
Set point in here for Mother McAuley. Benet’s Christine Pullen is on to serve but it goes over the line and the Mighty Mac’s win set one 25-22.
Redwings turn it around in set two
Redwings quickly regroup in set two. Here comes the send-back and Aniya Warren makes a nice dig that sets up a Lynney Tarnow kill to make it 5-0 BA.
Mighty Mac’s wake up from the slow start so once they get the send-back, Syndey Buchanan gets a point and they are down by three.
Back to the Mac’s we go and we go back to Ellie White who just kills volleyballs for a living. That looks too easy for White and Mother McAuley is within two.
However, Novak and the Wings are in a situation to keep their season alive so the senior gets an important to make it 15-10 Benet.
21-15 Wings and Ellie Stiernagle’s serve is a nice ace after some miscommunication on the McAuley side.
Let’s play three
Set point coming up this time for Benet and Audrey Asleson keeps the season alive. One set to go in the girls volleyball season presented by a 25-18 set two win for Benet.
The Mighty Mac’s may have lost three straight set number twos in the championship over the past three seasons, but it fuels them up. Buchanan gets an aggressive kill to jump-start the set, up 5-1.
Tarnow is doing everything she can to keep Benet in it and this kill cut the deficit to 14-7.
White and the Mighty Mac’s want some more points so get ready for yet another kill. 18 kills on the night for White and Mother McAuley opens the lead to nine.
It’s not over till it’s for Benet because Gabby Stasys gets a crucial block to get BA back within five.
Mother McAuley wins the girls volleyball state championship
Match point on the rise for the Mother McAuley and Benet can’t return it over and the Mighty Mac’s are back-to-back state champions. Mother McAuley takes the win in three and adds state title number seventeen to the Trophy case. Benet Academy ends the season as state runner-up with a final record of 39-3.
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