Girls volleyball: Benet overcomes Waubonsie Valley

If you dissect the Class 4A Bolingbrook girls volleyball sectional, you can't help but be impressed by just how well Benet went about its business.

Sure, the Redwings were the top seed and the nationally ranked program was expected to win another sectional, which they did by dispatching of Waubonsie Valley 25-19, 25-17 Wednesday night in Bolingbrook.

But along the way, the 38-1 Redwings swept a talented Naperville Central squad on Monday, after those Redhawks played superb volleyball in defeating a hot Neuqua Valley team that had claimed a share of the DuPage Valley Conference crown.

Waubonsie Valley, meanwhile, took the court Wednesday with 28 victories, their own share of the DVC crown, and a roster loaded with solid veterans. They played another strong match, but it just wasn't enough to beat Benet, which plays at a level that few teams can reach.

Benet advanced to play Minooka in a supersectional at Normal at 7 p.m. Friday.

Redwings coach Brad Baker, whose teams make a habit out of accumulating state trophies, knew Waubonsie Valley would be a tough obstacle in his team's plans for more hardware in 2019.

"These girls knew what was coming tonight. And if you look past Friday our season's gonna be over," he said of the supersectional showdown. "This time of year everyone's playing good. If you look ahead in the sectional and the super we're in, it's way too tough.

"We expect coming into the match that teams are going to play well and that's exactly what we got. You don't get to these moments not playing well. Everyone's playing well. If you think these are going to be cakewalks you're not going to like the result."

Junior outside hitter Kyla Kenney started fast and helped propel the Redwings to a first-set win despite the strong fight from the Warriors. Kenney had 6 of her team-high 9 kills in the opener, including a powerful slam down the left sideline for a 24-19 lead. Ann Marie Remmes followed that with a solo block to close the first set.

"It definitely does energize me, especially for the second set." Kenney said of the early kills. "Not just me, too, it's the whole team and it's good to know I have all the other players that can also make big contributions."

What makes Benet so tough is that they can hit opponents in a variety of ways, including a balanced attack, tough serving, an elite setter in Rachel Muisenga and superb defense.

"Everyone was hot tonight," Kenney said. "It wasn't just one person. That's the good thing about this sport is it's such a team sport."

Sophie Gregus added 7 kills and Remmes and Colleen McGuire had 5 apiece. But libero Hattie Monson and defensive specialist Caroline Doyle also stood out, extending plays against a Warriors' attack that swung away with a vengeance all night. It was that defense that had the biggest impact on the outcome, according to Waubonsie Valley coach Kari Galen.

"They're a good team, but I don't think the divide between us and them was very big at all," said Galen, who guided the program to its first sectional final since 2006. "I think that we challenged them quite a bit. They just have very good defense. That was an adjustment for us; just putting balls away on their side."

Gregus said facing top-notch competition in the sectional will only help the Redwings in their quest for another state title.

"They definitely gave a really good fight. In these matches you can't really expect anything else," she said. "Every single match we need to take it up a notch. That's what it takes to get to state."

Gabi Croll led the Warriors with 6 kills. Aryanna Ruffin had 3 kills and 3 blocks.

"It was a lot of intensity and a lot of pressure," Ruffin said. "Both teams were really loud. There was just a lot of energy in the gym. This is a game that we wanted really, really badly and we just ended up coming short at the end.

"But we were the first Waubonsie Valley volleyball program in a while to win both conference and a regional title. That was huge."