Neuqua can't quite finish off Redwings

The Benet girls volleyball team knows how to dodge a bullet.

A day after ducking 8 Marist match-point serves before winning, the Redwings sidestepped a pair of Neuqua Valley match-point serves before pulling out a 25-15, 19-25, 28-26 nonconference victory Wednesday night in Lisle.

"What can you say?" Benet coach Brad Baker asked. "It's just that we've been there and we just come through in those situations. It's just good to see over and over and over again."

The Redwings (31-3) are now 5-0 in three-game matches, overcoming 12 match-point serves for their opponents in the process.

"We're really tough fighters and we're able to hang in there when the pressure's on," said Ariana Mankus, who recorded Benet's final 3 kills, the first 2 kills to deny Neuqua Valley (21-9) the match and the final 1 to give her team the win.

Brittany Mikottis' block gave Neuqua Valley a 26-25 lead in Game 3. The Wildcats almost won the match on the next point, but Benet defensive specialist Brianne Riley swooped out of nowhere to keep the ball alive with a diving dig and enable Mankus to tie the game with a kill.

The Redwings moved ahead 27-26 on a Wildcats hit out of bounds before winning when Mankus fired a crosscourt rocket that ricocheted off a dig attempt and flew out of bounds for the kill.

Mankus finished with a match-high 12 kills and Natalie Patzin registered 11 for the home team.

After watching Benet dominate the opener, Neuqua Valley coach Kelly Simon saw her club fight back to force a third game.

The Wildcats had to come back again in Game 3 after falling behind 10-3. They did so with 9 consecutive points to pull ahead 16-14.

From there the stretch featured see-saw action before Benet won with a 3-point surge.

"It just came down to point for point," Simon said. "Anything could have gone either way."

Paige Stevens led the Wildcats in kills with 9. Michelle Madeja added 8, and Mikottis and Nikki Federico chipped in 7 apiece.

The teams are likely to face each other again in the Class 4A Neuqua Valley regional final next week.

"We've got some work to do and we've got some time to do it," Simon said.

"If we're lucky enough to see them again it's obviously set up to be a great match," Baker said.