Benet tough under pressure

Beating Naperville Central twice this season didn't lure Benet into a false sense of security.

The Redwings knew what they were in for Thursday night.

"The toughest game of our lives," Benet senior libero Paige Vargas said.

No. 1 Benet didn't wilt under that pressure, overcoming a disputed ending to Game 1 for a 28-30, 25-20, 25-19 win over the defending state champion Redhawks in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Class 4A Downers Grove South sectional.

Benet (38-1), sectional champion for the first time in school history, plays Edwardsville at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Normal Community West supersectional.

"Coach puts us in a lot of pressure situations in practice," said Benet senior Natalie Patzin, who had 17 kills and 7 digs, "so we know how to play under pressure. We know it's now or never. For us seniors it's our last chance. We want to make history."

The rematch of last year's sectional final started out in scintillating fashion. Benet, down 19-14 in Game 1, roared back to tie it on a Brianne Hucek flip. Back-and-forth it went after that. Eight more ties, three Benet and two Naperville Central game points turned away.

Finally, with Naperville Central leading 29-28 after a Meghan Bray kill, Benet middle Jessica Jendryk was called for spiking the ball outside the antenna, a call met with howls of protest from the Redwings side as the game ended.

"Honestly, I was outside the antenna," Jendryk said. "I wasn't going to admit it during the game, but I was. But we picked it up after that and got on a roll."

Down a game for only the second time this season, and first time since the opening match of the season, Benet didn't break.

Two Ariana Mankus aces, a Jendryk kill and one of Mankus' 12 kills gave the Redwings an early 6-3 lead. Benet would score its next 9 points on Naperville Central errors, 8 on hits, for a 15-11 lead.

"When you lose a Game 1 like that it can go one way or the other," Redhawks coach Brie Isaacson said. "Either come out on fire or go in the tank. Their backs were against the wall and they responded."

Four more Redhawks hitting errors and a net violation allowed Benet to bolt out to a 5-0 lead in Game 3 that held up.

"Too many unforced errors to play with a team like that," Isaacson said.

Benet's defense had a big hand in denying the Redhawks attack. Blockers put up a strong front at the net, and back-row specialists like Vargas pounced on whatever was left.

After Naperville Central (33-6) pulled back within 19-17, Benet responded with the next five points. Patzin put down two kills on free balls, Hucek dropped in a kill and Jendryk another ace.

"This is an extremely mature group of girls. That's what it takes to do this," Benet coach Brad Baker said. "They can handle their emotions, and come crunch time they get the job done."

Emily McGee, in her final game at Naperville Central after being a part of two state championships, had 16 kills and 15 digs and Bray 9 kills and 4 digs.

"I love my team. We played with no regrets," McGee said. "We kind of let them back in at the end of Game 1, and it carried over into Game 2 and Game 3. It was just not our day."