Benet wins Mizuno to remain undefeated
Benet Academy's girls volleyball team put the finishing touch on a successful week by capturing the Gold Division championship at Saturday's St. Charles East Mizuno Cup in Aurora.
Led by Most Valuable Player Rachael Fara and all-tournament teammates Tiffany Clark and Dana Griffin, the Redwings (27-0) defeated defending tourney champion Plainfield North 25-19, 14-25, 25-18 in the championship match.
"It has been a good week," said Redwings coach Brad Baker. "We've had some long matches - JCA, Marist and this tournament. When you're talking about that kind of schedule, it's not only physically demanding but also mentally as well. You have to get up for good matches over and over again."
After closing the opening game with a 6-2 run, Benet fell behind 5-0 in Game 2 and got outscored 12-3 down the stretch as Plainfield North's Allie Lindroth (14 kills) and Kaitlyn Fisher (9 kills, 4 blocks) controlled the net.
"They played really well in Game 2," said Baker. "We played OK but they were outstanding. When you give blockers time to set up and they have some size, it makes it a lot easier for them."
Benet never trailed in the decisive third game, as Griffin collected 5 of her 11 kills during the middle portion before the 6-foot-3 Fara took over.
After the Tigers narrowed the gap to 20-16, the senior middle hitter delivered 4 consecutive kills to extend the lead to 24-16 before a perfectly timed turnaround kill from setter Sara Nielsen on match point sealed the victory.
"We like it always to be 'Rachael time,'" said Baker. "Sometimes it doesn't work and teams key on the other people. We want to make sure everyone is getting reps so they're ready when we need them."
"We worked hard for every single point," said Griffin. "I think that's what got us as far as we did. This is a good win for us and now we have to keep our minds focused on what's next."
Clark added 5 kills and 3 aces for the Redwings, who advanced to the finals with a come-from-behind, 23-25, 25-11, 25-16 semifinal triumph over St. Charles East (21-6).
The Saints rallied from a 9-4 deficit to take Game 1 behind a spirited performance from Kyla Augustine (3 kills), Meagan Smith (3 kills), Mikaela Mosquera (2 kills, 1 block) and Megan Schildmeyer (2 kills).
"We won that first game, which was awesome, and then we woke a sleeping giant and they came out crazy," said Saints coach Jennie Kull, whose team suffered a 2-game loss to Benet just 2 1/2 weeks earlier.
Griffin recorded 5 kills and a block as the Redwings cruised to the Game 2 win and Nielsen fueled a 5-0 run with a pair of aces midway through Game 3.
Back-to-back kills from Emily Schildmeyer and Mosquera pulled the Saints to within 16-12 before the Redwings pulled away with another 5-0 run.
All-tournament selections Mosquera and Megan Schildmeyer delivered 7 kills apiece for St. Charles East, which placed third for the second straight year thanks to its 25-12, 27-25 victory over Normal West.
"It was a nice weekend," said Kull, who also saw significant contributions from Chloe Rojas, Alexandra Mazanke, Anne Hughes, Avery Macklin and Morgan Kull. "It was a really nice team effort. I'm pleased with the progress of the whole program.
"We had kids who had been sitting and they came in and did well (against Normal West). That just shows that they're committed. Everybody is so supportive of each other. That's what has really pushed us over the edge."
Hinsdale Central edged Neuqua Valley 25-23, 25-23 to claim fifth place in the Gold Division, while Geneva outlasted Leon (Fla.) 25-27, 25-19, 25-13 for seventh place.
Sophomore Grace Loberg had a match-high 18 kills against Leon while senior libero Kelsey Wicinski earned all-tournament honors.
Naperville North captured the Silver Division title with a 3-game win over Bloomington while Rosary finished third.