After epic supersectional, Benet ready for state

Last year Mother McAuley denied Benet a chance to three-peat downstate when the Macs knocked off the Redwings in the Class 4A championship match.

This weekend Benet (39-1) will look to make it three out of four when it takes on Normal Community (35-4) in Friday's Class 4A semifinal at 7:30 p.m. at Redbird Arena in Normal. The Redwings earned that opportunity - and a fourth straight trip downstate - by winning an epic, 27-25, 37-35 supersectional battle with Mother McAuley at last Saturday's Hinsdale Central supersectional.

The victory, which featured a comeback from a 20-14 deficit in Game 1, avenged the Redwings' lone loss this season, and guarantees Benet a fourth state trophy in four years and the fifth in the school's history, all since coach Brad Baker took over in 2007.

"We played really well. Obviously, McAuley played great. It was just two good teams playing great and fortunately we were able to pull it out," said Baker, who can equal the school record for wins in a season at 40 with a win in Friday's state semis.

While many volleyball followers considered that supersectional showdown to be a state championship match one round shy of the state tourney, Baker is not worried about his team being overconfident.

"That match is over," he said. "We've moved on really from that. We need to focus on Friday night. We're going to get a good match on Friday and we need to prepare ourselves to play well."

Benet is led by 6-foot-3 middle Rachael Fara, the Daily Herald's All-Area Team Captain. She had 7 kills against Mother McAuley, while Dana Griffin had 12. But defense played a big role in the team getting a different outcome against the Macs than it had when Benet suffered its lone loss this season in the finals of the Autumnfest event at Glenbard East.

"I do think defensively we were able to play better," said Baker, whose team got 7 digs from Natalie Canulli and 6 more from Aileen Griffin in the supersectional. "There were a few points that we had given away in that earlier match that were plays that we should make. We ended up making them this time. It didn't win the match for us, but it allowed us to stay in it … to get it to the extra-point games, and both of those we were able to pull out."

The Redwings have yet to face Normal Community this season, but they have already defeated the other two 4A semifinalists, Libertyville and Loyola Academy.

The two winners Friday will meet for the state title around 9 p.m. Saturday following the third-place match, which is scheduled to begin around 7:25 p.m.

The perennial power:

By now most volleyball fans in these parts are well aware of the history around the St. Francis program.

Not everyone knows Peg Kopec recently notched her 1,200th win, or that last year's Class 3A title was the school's 10th IHSA volleyball crown. But most are aware that the Spartans and Kopec have been among the state's elite programs for decades and it's no surprise to see St. Francis back downstate this weekend.

But the Spartans' opponent in Friday's state semifinal - Breese Mater Dei - has quite the resume as well. The Knights have claimed seven state titles of their own, including titles in 2010 and 2011. The late coach Fred Rakers won the first six of those championships, and his son Chad picked up the last one.

"We've played them numerous times," Kopec said. "They're one of the premier programs in the state. Fred Rakers had 1,000 wins before he turned the program over to his son. They're very good. They're a very tall team, and they play very good defense."

The 37-3 Knights advanced to state after beating Mattoon 25-16, 25-16 to claim the Breese Central supersectional crown. Elle Gebke led Mater Dei with 8 kills and setter Madison Haake had 21 assists.

The two power programs will play at 6 p.m. Friday with the winner advancing to Saturday's 3A title game at 5:30 p.m.

The 36-4 Spartans defeated Marian Central 25-19, 26-24 to win the Belvidere sectional and give the school a chance at a third consecutive Class 3A title.

While Kopec has guided the program downstate enough times to win 10 championships and add seven more top-four finishes, reaching the tournament never gets old.

"You see it through new eyes (now)," Kopec said. "Some of the girls have not been down before."

The team's top hitters, Molly Haggerty and Mary Boken, have been downstate before. The pair each recorded 7 kills in last year's championship sweep of LaSalle-Peru. Haggerty, a junior committed to play at Nebraska, paced St. Francis with 14 kills in last week's supersectional win.

Roll out the welcome mat:

The Spartans are not the only DuPage County team to have reached state in Class 3A. Friday's other semifinal features Montini and Joliet Catholic at 4:30 p.m.

The Broncos, who reached state by sweeping Tinley Park in the supersectional, are led by All-Area outside hitter Monica Loftus, a 5-foot-11 senior, and talented junior setter Gina Cappetta.

Kopec is happy to see Montini coach Steve Dowjotas join her Spartans in the Final Four.

"I think it's very exciting. I'm happy for Steve and I think it's great that the Montini girls are experiencing state," she said. "There's a lot of good volleyball in this area."