Benet, Wheaton Academy Take Regional Volleyball Crowns
The Redwings and Warriors each won three-set matches Saturday to claim Class 4A and 3A regional titles.
By Amina Kaminski ·
Regional volleyball finals played out across the Chicago suburbs this week, with top seeds advancing in several brackets and two matches going the distance before a winner emerged.
Benet handled Naperville Central 25-17, 19-25, 25-10 in the Class 4A Naperville Central Regional final. The second-seeded Redwings dropped the middle set to the fifth-seeded Redhawks before closing it out. In Class 3A, Wheaton Academy trailed 24-19 in the third set against Batavia before winning 14-25, 27-25, 29-27. Penny Park served through five Batavia match points to keep the Warriors alive.
Seeds held elsewhere. Glenbard West topped Downers Grove South 25-18, 25-10 at the Downers Grove South Regional, and Lyons beat York 25-18, 25-16 at Oak Lawn, both Class 4A. Lemont handled Agricultural Science 25-11, 25-12 at Thornridge, and Geneva defeated St. Francis 25-18, 25-22 at the Geneva Regional, both Class 3A.
Montini's Victoria Reed put down 13 kills as the top-seeded Broncos beat eighth-seeded Fenwick 25-21, 25-19 for the Class 3A Trinity Regional title. Micaela Haggerty added five kills and five digs, and Avalyn DeKeyser had 17 assists for Montini, which improved to 27-10. Fenwick dropped to 12-21. For the Friars, Maggie Hiller had seven kills, Emily Drumm five kills and Phoebe Baker 10 assists.
Timothy Christian beat Glenbard South 25-17, 26-24 in the Class 3A Glenbard South Regional final behind Mia VanHekken's nine kills and four digs. Audrey Williams also had nine kills, Maddie Rudman eight kills, eight digs and four aces, and Sophie Kwak 25 assists for the Trojans, now 28-6.
Top seeds Nazareth, Glenbard West and Westmont advanced without dropping a set. Nazareth beat Kelly 25-3, 25-4, Westmont topped Chicago Academy 25-13, 25-14, and Marist defeated Hinsdale Central 25-13, 25-7. St. Laurence edged Riverside-Brookfield 25-23, 26-24, Evergreen Park beat Hinsdale South 25-14, 25-22, IC Catholic Prep topped Regina 25-18, 25-19 at Waukegan, and Marist beat Hinsdale Central in Class 4A.
Regional winners move on to sectional play.
