'All Hail The Champs': McAuley Wins 4A State Girls Volleyball Title

CHICAGO — Mother McAuley took care of unfinished business Saturday night at ISU’s Redbird Stadium, claiming their 16th championship against a tough Benet Academy team. The Mighty Macs won the best two out of three sets, clinching the title and becoming the winningest girls volleyball program in the IHSA.

The Benet Redwings, themselves holding four Class 4A state titles, had two missions Saturday night: Handling the McAuley’s massive student section, and handling The Killer – Ellie White — who racked up 20 kills and nine digs.

Billed as an “elite” matchup between two great programs, the Benet Redwings came out of the gates swinging in the first set, getting off to a 7-1 start against McAuley. The Macs staged a comeback for the ages, settling down after a Benet flurry and coming from behind to claim the first set 25-22.

Benet would not go unanswered in the second set, matching point for point to a 17-17 tie, surging ahead to claim the second set 25-17, and forcing a third set.

McAuley answered back, with White clobbering the ball toward a third set win and the state title, aided by the stellar setting of Olivia Klapp with 20 assists and 20 digs by Northwestern-bound Gig Navarette and senior libero.

Adding to the effort was Ellery Rees, who contributed nine kills, and Mary Kate Sheehan with five kills.

The Mighty Macs theme of the 2022-2023 season was “unfinished business,” after being denied a state title last year by Metea Valley High School, of Aurora.

The coach who made the Mighty Macs mighty – Jen DeJarld – won her third state title as a coach, not to mention the two state titles when she was McAuley student athlete in the 1980s.

The Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School champion 2022-2023 Varsity Girls Volleyball Team.