Benet where it wanted to be
NORMAL - The Benet girls volleyball team left Redbird Arena last year unsatisfied.
On Saturday night the Redwings will get a chance to atone for that disappointment.
Benet used its experience and an unwavering defense to roll past Normal Community 25-15, 25-22 Friday night in a Class 4A semifinal at Redbird Arena.
The Redwings (40-1) will play in the state title match for the fourth straight year at 9 p.m. Saturday when they face Loyola Academy (28-9). Benet, which lost to Mother McAuley in last year's title match, will be seeking its third state title since 2011 against a Loyola team that is in the state final tournament for the first time in program history.
"It feels great," said Benet coach Brad Baker. "That's where we want to be. You can't win the championship unless you're in it. You gotta be in it to win it."
And not winning it last year did not sit well with the Redwings, whose only player to be on the court for a state title is senior Northwestern recruit Rachael Fara.
"It's huge for us," said Benet junior Tiffany Clark, who had 7 kills and 13 digs in Friday's win. "Rachael is the only one who knows what it feels like to win a state championship. Last year (stunk). Second place (stunk)."
Benet used its state tournament experience to make quick work of Normal (35-5) in Friday's first game as the Ironmen had more errors in the set than kills. From a 6-6 tie the Redwings took the lead on a Normal error and never looked back, winning the final two points of the game on Normal hitting errors.
"It sort of helps," Baker said of his team's experience. "You know the routine and you have a game plan that works. But just being here before doesn't score points for you."
Normal pushed Benet in the second game, staying close throughout. But once the Redwings broke free from a 4-4 tie, they never gave up the lead, although Normal did fight its way to a 21-21 tie on a kill by Rachel McGuire.
But then a block from senior middle Marissa Tassone and sophomore setter Sara Nielson gave the Redwings a 23-21 lead before Normal's Machayla Leonard put down a kill to make it 23-22. Benet closed out the game and match on a Nielson kill and a Normal hitting error.
Fara had 8 kills to lead the Redwings' offense.
"In the second game you could tell Normal wanted it more," Fara said. "They played better and it was crunch time. We just had to keep going and keep our minds focused.
"I don't know what it's like to not go to the state finals, but I still get butterflies each year and I get antsy each year. It's awesome to be playing for the championship again. Having won a championship, it's a high you never want to come down from and that's what we want (Saturday)."
Senior libero Natalie Canulli led Benet's defense with 13 digs, senior Dana Griffin added 8 digs and Nielson had 23 assists.
"I thought we played really well defensively and we always put that first," Baker said. "We feel if we have a passion to play defense everything else will work itself out."
Leonard had 8 kills and Ginny Gerig 10 digs to lead Normal.
"I wish we had come out of the gate a little better and not been so timid," said Normal coach Christine Konopasek, "but I don't think we have anything to hang our heads about. Benet had the experience of being at the state tournament so maybe that gave them an edge in confidence. We came out tentative and I don't feel like we played like that the majority of our season."