Finally, the match fans have been waiting for

All season Benet coach Brad Baker has preached to stay in the present. Never get caught looking toward the next match.

But who's kidding whom?

Since the Class 4A volleyball pairings were released, any self-respecting fan or player couldn't help but anticipate the state semifinal match between Benet and Mother McAuley.

The wait is over tonight, when the Redwings make their first appearance in the state tournament against Illinois volleyball royalty. The 7:30 p.m. match at Normal's Redbird Arena follows the first 4A semifinal between St. Charles East and Evanston.

Mother McAuley (38-2) and Benet (39-1) come in ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, in the latest PrepVolleyball.com national poll. The team that wins Friday will be heavily favored to win Saturday's championship match.

"No doubt this is going to bring a lot of hype to the match, when you have teams that have played as well as both teams have all season," Baker said. "Our girls want to play the best competition and people are saying Mother McAuley is pretty good. We want to play them."

Redbird Arena is a second home to Mother McAuley. The Mighty Macs have made a record 21 appearances at the state tournament, winning 13 championships. They took second to Naperville Central last year and return six starters from that team.

"Hopefully, we can use that experience to our advantage," Mother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld said. "That first night at Redbird can be kind of intimidating."

The Mighty Macs have won 21 straight matches since losing to Kansas City's St. James Academy at the Nike Challenge. Their only in-state loss was to Downers Grove South the second match of the year.

Kelly Griffin, a 6-foot-1 senior outside committed to Western Michigan, leads the team in kills with 253, and Northern Illinois-bound libero Sue Hayes has 336 digs. But the player to perhaps most keep an eye on is senior setter Desiree Aramburu, committed to Radford. Aramburu leads the team with 751 assists and 48 aces, and in DeJarld's words has emerged as one of the best setters in the nation.

"She's a street-smart setter," DeJarld said. "She takes risks and always knows where our hitters are. She's not a textbook setter, but she has certain things you can't teach."

Benet beat Mother McAuley at Glenbard East's Autumnfest tournament last year, but the Redwings' loss to Joliet Catholic there this season denied the teams a shot at a rematch.

"They're just a very solid team," Baker said. "They don't have a weak position."

What Benet lacks in state experience it makes up for in talent. Outsides Ariana Mankus and Natalie Patzin, middle Jessica Jendryk, libero Paige Vargas and setter Brianne Hucek lead a group of six Division I commits.

"When it comes down to it, you're always going to choose talent over experience," said Baker, who has three girls who played for a club national title last summer. "Mother McAuley has lots of talent, but when it comes down to it the best team is going to win.

"We just have to take care of our side of the ball. If we do that, we feel like we can beat anybody in the state."