Girls volleyball: Benet dominates St. Viator
It was another weird night in the already weird spring season for the Benet Academy girls volleyball team. But when it came to playing, the Redwings were their usual stellar selves in bringing some normalcy.
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Class 4A state champs from defending their title last fall, and now Benet and other programs are struggling with their schedules this spring to play a limited season right in the middle of club volleyball seasons and, oh by the way, now there's also spring break to deal with.
Adding to the weirdness Monday, Benet held a Senior Night before playing East Suburban Conference foe St. Viator, even though it was the team's first home match. Once the match started, however, the 2-0 Redwings looked like their normal dominant selves in sweeping the Lions 25-9, 25-17 with Penn State-bound Rachel Muisenga finishing with 20 assists while running a sharp attack.
Fellow Division I recruits Caroline Doyle and Kyla Kenney shined as well, with Doyle sparking the defense and Kenney recording a match-high 10 kills.
"It's not what we thought we'd have our senior year, but we're all very grateful to be out here," said Muisenga, who was a key piece in the program's state championship run in 2019, as well as its third-place trophy the year before. "We have eight games [before the ESCC tournament] and we're going to enjoy every minute of it."
Benet coach Brad Baker agreed with that way of thinking. He said many of his players just returned from club ball in Louisville, several will head off to a tourney in Las Vegas next week, and then many players and families will leave town for spring break, something he encouraged them to do when this shortened spring season was up in the air.
"It's the same for everyone playing volleyball. We just hope we're sharp with the practice limitations and kids playing with their clubs," he said. "When it comes to Kyla and Rachel, they have played a lot of high school volleyball together and lot of club ball together and that helps."
St. Viator (2-2) was a little short-handed due to injury and church retreat conflicts, but trailed just 4-3 early in the opener after a pair of kills from junior Lauren Allaire, who would finish with 6 kills on the night. But Benet went on a 17-2 run for a commanding 21-5 lead on its way to taking the first set. The Lions the battled to the very end before falling 25-17 in the second set. Reanne Valera moved from defense to the outside to fill a void and had 4 kills, while Danielle Panzeca led the Lion defense with six digs.
"They're a solid team and they're always great in all parts of the game," St. Viator coach Charlie Curtin said. "We'd get on a little bit of a roll and then we'd have a couple ruts and they'd just run off six, seven points. But we showed a lot of heart and they continued to fight."