The IHSA Class 1A and 2A tournaments get underway next week with the area's Class 2A teams feeding into the Concordia University Supersectional on February 18.

Walther Lutheran and Lisle, the two top teams in the Lisle sectional, should meet on Thursday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the finals of the Immaculate Conception regional. The other top seeds in the Lisle sectional are Noble Street Charter, Willows Academy and Chicago Academy.

On the other side of the bracket, the Seton sectional features Chicago University High and Agricultural Science. They would meet in a sectional semifinal at Seton Academy at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, February 11 with the winner likely facing either Seton or Cristo Rey in the finals February 14.

***

St. Joseph is peaking at the right time.

Less than a month ago, the Chargers lost to Girls Catholic Athletic Conference foe Resurrection 59-36. Monday in the quarterfinals of the GCAC Red Tournament, St. Joseph nearly upset the No. 4 seed before losing 51-47.

"The Lady Chargers have been starting to put it together of late and this game was a test of how much they have improved," St. Joseph coach Jim Maley said. "We knew we needed to defend a good three-point shooting team and allowed only one in the first half."

Chanel Brown led St. Joseph with 23 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Shaakera Jones added 17 points and five rebounds.

***

The Quote: "You tell the kids you can make excuses or you can get results. Ever since Maggie (Dansdill) went out early in the year, Kelly (Langlas) went out and Diamond (Thompson) went out and now Sierra (Bisso) is out, guess what? We keep getting results." - Wheaton Warrenville South coach Rob Kroehnke after his team lost Sierra Bisso to an ACL injury last week.

The Quote, Part II: "At some point, we're going to catch a break." - Metea Valley coach Kris Kalivas, who lost 6-2 forward Anna Petersen and point guard Bria Walker to ACL injuries within three weeks of each other.

***

Prepvolleyball.com has released its preseason rankings of the top club teams in the country in the 18s, 17s, 16s and 15s age groups. Local clubs are among the top 10 in all four age divisions with Club Fusion to No. 1 choice among the 17s and Sports Performance the preseason choice among the 15s.

Club Fusion's 17s is led by Richmond-Burton's Ali Frantti, who led the Rockets to second-place in the IHSA Class 3A state tournament. The 2012 AAU National champions in 16 Open also boast former Milwaukee Sting outside hitter Simone Lee, Penn State recruit Bryanna Weiskircher of Rockford Boylan, and St. Francis libero Samantha Dubiel.

Also ranked No. 1 in the country is Sports Performance's 15 Elite team which is led by three players who played up last year and were the offensive focal points of team that went 9-1 at AAU Nationals. The three are 6-1 setter/outside hitter Molly Haggerty of St. Francis, 6-1 setter/outside Mackenzi Welsh of Plainfield East and 6-2 outside Allie Lindroth of Plainfield North.

Sports Performance's 18 Elite team is ranked eighth in the preseason thanks to the presence of Lauren Carlini, the Gatorade National Player of the Year, outside Alysia Baznik, middle hitter Sammy Condon, and juniors Maddie Haggerty of St. Francis, all-around attacker Annika Albrecht and Benet middle hitter Brittany Pavich.

1st Alliance 16 Silver comes in at No. 3 behind setter/hitter Hannah Juley, 6-2 Julia Sanders, 6-3 middle blocker Symone Speech and libero Riley Burchett. Newcomers include 6-3 middle/outside Mary Boken from St. Francis and 6-foot outside Lexi Mantas of Stagg.

Also among the 16s is No. 7 Michio, which features members of the USAV 15 Open national championship team. Eight players return from last year's squad, including Mother McAuley outsides Kennedy Arundel, Maggie Scanlon and Ryann Dejarld, middles Kristin Somerville (St. Ignatius) and Kelsey Clark and libero Carla Cahill.

West Aurora's Lauren Carlini (top row, far right) and Benet's Sheila Doyle (bottom row, third from right) were named to Volleyball Magazine's All-America First Team recently. Benet setter Hannah Kaminsky (top row, third from left) was a third-team selection.

Defending state champion Whitney Young will be the top seed when the Chicago Public Schools Girls City Championship Tournament begins Tuesday with first-round games. The second round will be played Thursday with the quarterfinals on Saturday, January 26 at Chicago State's Jacoby Dickens Arena.

The tournament continues with the semifinals at 5:15 and 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30 at Chicago State's Jacoby Dickens Arena. The championship will be played at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 2 at the Jones Convocation Center on the Chicago State campus.

Morgan Park is the second seed and will open with 31st-seeded Hope. Bogan is seeded No. 3 and opens with No. 30 seed Austin. Taft received the fourth seed and hosts Longwood in its tournament opener. Rounding out the top eight seeds are Phillips, Payton, North Lawndale and Hyde Park.

***

Hillcrest's Dana Gettis will try to become the 14th player in school history to score 1,000 points in her career Thursday against T.F. North. Gettis is at 429 points on the season (20.4 points per game) and 999 for her career. The 5-foot-9 senior guard has also added 94 rebounds, 114 assists, 86 steals and 32 three-pointers for the 16-5 Hawks.

***

Metea Valley guard Bria Walker was expected to have an MRI performed on her right knee Monday after she injured it in the Mustangs' loss to Morgan Park Saturday at the McDonald's Shootout at Willowbrook High School.

Metea Valley coach Kris Kalivas is hopeful but not optimistic that it's not an ACL injury.

"Possibly, it's just a hamstring, but possibly it's an ACL," Kalivas said. "She jump-stopped. That's what scares me, the way she jump-stopped. That's usually an ACL injury. She had one on her other knee as a freshman and she said it felt the same."

If the 5-6 senior Walker is done for the season, she would be the second starter the Mustangs have lost this season. Metea Valley's 6-2 senior forward Anna Petersen, also a standout softball performer, injured an ACL in the championship game of the Oswego East holiday tournament.

***

West Aurora's Lauren Carlini and Benet's Sheila Doyle have been named to Volleyball Magazine's 2012 All-America First Team.

Ebony Nwanebu, a 6-4 outside hitter from Lovejoy High School in Lucas, Texas, was named the magazine's Player of the Year after amassing 701 kills for the Texas Class 4A state champions.

Other first-team members included Amber and Kadie Rolfzien of Papillion-La Vista South (Neb.), who led their team to the mythical national championship, and 6-3 middle hitter Taylor Paulson of Asics Challenge champion Assumption (Louisville, Ken.).

Hannah Kaminsky, a 5-11 senior setter who led Benet to a second consecutive state championship and who recently committed to Southern Illinois, was a third-team selection.

***

Montini coach Jason Nichols said earlier this year that he intended to make the Montini Christmas Tournament the girls' equivalent of Proviso West. He is well on his way toward making that goal a reality.

Nichols announced Monday that Trinity, Geneva and DeKalb will join the field next season, and he is close to adding a fourth powerhouse - possibly Neuqua Valley - by the end of this week.

This season's field included Montini, Marian Catholic, Rolling Meadows and Plainfield East, all ranked in the top 10 at the time, as well as Fremd and Bogan.

***

The Quote: "I told them (his players) after the game that they could have held that team to 28 points. I know that's kind of a jerk move, but that is just the way I think. We gave up too many offensive rebounds, but that's what they are. We didn't give up a ton. A great win by our kids." - Nichols after his team's 51-36 victory over No. 1-ranked Whitney Young Monday at the McDonald's Shootout.

***

The Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division tournament starts Monday, January 28 with four quarterfinal games and concludes Saturday, February 2 with the championship at Trinity at 6:30 p.m.

The four quarterfinal games Monday are: St. Ignatius (8) at Trinity (1), 5:30 p.m.; Resurrection (4) vs. St. Joseph (5) at Trinity, 7:00 p.m.; Loyola (3) vs. Queen of Peace (6) at Mother McAuley, 7:00 p.m.; and Regina (7) at McAuley (2), 5:30 p.m.

The semifinals are Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Trinity, and the third-place game (4:00 p.m.) and championship (6:30 p.m.) are Saturday at Trinity.

Prepvolleyball.com recently released its final rankings for the 2012 season.

The rankings from 101-250 are largely ceremonial, designed to recognize teams for their outstanding seasons rather than meticulously determine their place in the national pecking order.

2012 Final Century Club National Rankings

1. Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Nebraska) Final record: 41-1; Last week's ranking: 1 Pre-season Ranking: 3 The Titans were a pre-season candidate for the top spot, thanks to their three incredible seniors, setter Kelly Hunter and hitters Amber Rolfzen and Kadie Rolfzen. But a lack of experience in most other positions pushed them down a few pegs. The team got a scare early from Iowa's Western Christian, but entered the Nfinifty Battle on the Plains unbeaten. Papio South lost its first match of the battle, snapping a three-year unbeaten streak, to No. 2 Assumption, but rallied from a Game 1 loss to then-No. 1 Torrey Pinesto win in three. Led by their dynamic senior trio, as well as senior MB Katie Kurtz, senior RS Olivia Schonewise and freshman libero Raegan LeGrand, the Titans did not lose again. Head coach Gwen Egbert's 700th career win came in the Class A championship victory over Omaha Marian. The victory capped a three-year run in which Papio South lost a total of one match.

13. Benet Academy Final record: 40-2; Last week's ranking: 13 Pre-season Ranking: "School to Watch" Benet was won the Illinois 4A title the past two years. In neither year did the Redwings start the season as favorites, though the 2012 title was certainly more surprising, as the team graduated two All-Americans, then saw a stud outside hitter, Maddie Haggerty, transfer to Wheaton St. Francis and help the Spartans win the Class 3A title. Coach Brad Baker said before the year that his team would be better defensively and he always belied that his squad would fare better than expected. With Sheila Doyle anchoring the back row, setter Hannah Kaminsky dishing as well as any full-time setter in the state and Cara Mattaliano picking up the slack big time on offense, Benet made believers of every team it came across.

21. New Trier Final record: 39-2

36. Mother McAuley Final record: 36-5; Last week's ranking: 36 Pre-season Ranking: 22 The Mighty Macs took third in the state in 2012, a great season considering how many underclassmen got the lion's share of playing time. In 2013 and 2014, however, anything less than everything might not be good enough for a team that hasn't won state since 2004. All starters will be back, including All-Area performers Courtney Joyce (setter), Carla Cahill (libero) and Ryann DeJarld (OH).

41. Marist Final record: 29-6; Last week's ranking: 41 Pre-season Ranking: 14 Senior dominated, this was Marist's year to win state. A shocking loss to Lincoln-Way Central two matches shy of another showdown with local rival Mother McAuley ended the Redhawks' season and now, barring an infusion of youthful talent, they may be looking up at the Mighty Macs for the next several years.

47. St. Francis Final record: 37-5; Last week's ranking: 47 Pre-season Ranking: 26 The Spartans won state for the first time since 2006 this past fall. Many will return in 2013, including Haggerty sisters Molly and Maddie and Mary Boken, making a repeat for venerable coach Peg Kopec a distinct possibility.

66. Joliet Catholic Final record: 32-7; Last week's ranking: 66 Pre-season Ranking: Not ranked. The Angels authored an eighth consecutive 30-win season in 2012, but lost out on a chance to get Downstate in a three-set loss to nemesis Wheaton St. Francis, the 3A champions. OH Morgan Reardon, who graduates fourth on the school's all-time kills list, is one of seven seniors on the 2012 team. The 2013 JCA squad will be young, with only three seniors, but talented, coach Chris Scheibe says.

118. Libertyville Final record: 34-6

140. Glenbard West Final record: 37-3

175. Edwardsville Final record: 32-9

176. West Aurora Final record: 32-6

193. Sandburg Final Record: 29-9 Not many Illinois teams were as hot mid-season as Sandburg, which was ousted by Mother McAuley in a sectional semifinal, 25-23 in the deciding set. The Eagles graduate three studs, Dakota Hampton, Paige Bendell and Kristy Theisen, but with 10 returning players, including sophomore setter Sami Knight, David Vales expects to put another very competitive team on the floor next fall.

194. Richmond-Burton Final record: 35-6 Richmond-Burton reached the state 3A Final Four this fall in the best season in its history, which included a record 23-0 start to the year. Conference player of the year Ali Frantti will return but the five seniors will be hard to replace.

195. Champaign Centennial Final record: 37-5

Illinois' Top 50

1. Benet 38-2
2. New Trier 39-1
3. Mother McAuley 36-4
4. Marist 31-6
5. St. Francis 35-5
6. Joliet Catholic 32-7
7. Libertyville 34-6
8. Glenbard West 37-3
9. Edwardsville 32-9
10. West Aurora 32-6
11. Sandburg 29-9
12. Richmond-Burton 35-6
13. Champaign Centennial 37-5
14. Breese Mater Dei 36-7
15. Naperville Central 28-9
16. Prairie Ridge 30-10
17. Hinsdale South 31-8
18. Stagg 31-8
19. Marian Catholic 28-9
20. Stevenson 34-4
21. Lincoln-Way Central 29-9
22. Lemont 26-13
23. Naperville North 27-9
24. Hinsdale Central 14-26
25. St. Ignatius 28-10
26. Rockford Boylan 32-3
27. Springfield 25-9-1
28. Quincy 34-2
29. O'Fallon 33-7
30. Crystal Lake South 26-10
31. Providence 25-12
32. Geneva 30-8
33. Palatine 27-12
34. Hersey 32-6
35. Trinity 26-9
36. Nazareth 24-14
37. St Charles East 25-13
38. Chicago Christian 24-16
39. Plainfield North 27-9
40. Oak Lawn 25-8
41. Jacksonville 30-10
42. Metamora 30-9
43. Columbia 35-3-1
44. Deer-Creek Mackinaw 38-1
45. Dakota 37-5
46. Port Byron (Riverdale) 33-4
47. Albion (Edwards County) 35-7
48. Keith Country Day 33-7
49. Mt. Pulaski 33-9
50. Kansas (Tri-County) 36-3

***

Abby Willett, a 5-foot-11 senior rightside hitter who helped Benet Academy win its second straight Class 4A state title, has committed to play volleyball for Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla.

"I committed to Rollins because they play the same level of volleyball that I play," said Willett, who plays club for 1st Alliance. "I loved the coaches and the girls, and the school is just beautiful. It just seemed to fall into place."

Cara Mattaliano, a 6-foot senior outside hitter who led Benet in kills last fall, has committed to play volleyball for Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey.

"I chose Princeton because I love the way I can get a great education and have a competitive volleyball experience," said Mattaliano, who also plays club for 1st Alliance.

The "Box"
Who knew that such an elementary drawing would create such a high school-sized headache?

The IHSA may not move at the speed of light, but occasionally the boys (and girls) in Bloomington get it right.

Remember the flap over the Class 4A girls volleyball sectional at Neuqua Valley in the fall? The 23-team sectional that was overnight converted into four ridiculously unbalanced regionals?

The IHSA claimed the move was necessary to accommodate Yorkville, which was bumped up to 4A by the association's new 25-25-25-25 enrollment split when assigning schools to certain sports. The IHSA said that Yorkville was not located in the "Chicagoland Box."

The move sent Oswego East, Oswego, Plainfield East, Plainfield North and Yorkville to Plainfield North; Bolingbrook, Lemont, Lockport. Plainfield Central. Plainfield South and Romeoville to Romeoville; and Aurora East, Metea Valley, Rosary and West Aurora to Waubonsie Valley.

That left Downers Grove North, Downers Grove South, Benet, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley and Naperville North in one regional at Central. Three of the top four teams in the sectional - Benet, Central and Naperville North - in one six-team regional.

There was thought at the time that the IHSA would not treat boys basketball similarly, thus incurring the wrath of dozens of athletic directors and coaches and hundreds and hundreds of fans, and lo and behold, it did not.

But at least Bloomington promises to do things differently when volleyball rolls around again in the fall.

The IHSA offered that the "box" was created at a time when all the team sports were the same classes, so the teams competing in Class 4A did not change from softball to basketball to volleyball, so the box was literally drawn around the schools who fell within a certain proximity.

Back then, Yorkville was Class 3A and would likely going south or west for its sectional. However, now that classifications may change sport by sport, schools change classes more often and increase the odds of a school outside the box being grouped in a sectional with schools inside the box.

The IHSA re-evaluated the policy after the volleyball situation. The policy has language that states, "In 4A bracketed team sports, the Executive Director is authorized to modify the state series brackets to accommodate unique travel situations."

The IHSA promises that each situation will be evaluated case-by-case in the future. However, executive director Marty Hickman did say that those involving Yorkville will result in complexes in all sports moving forward.

Thus, basketball sectionals involving Yorkville will remain sectional complexes and teams will not be grouped into four regionals.

That's certainly good news for boys teams like Benet, West Aurora and Naperville Central, and girls teams like Bolingbrook and Romeoville, which otherwise might have (following the volleyball model) been assigned to the same regionals regardless of potential seeding.

Hopefully, volleyball will enjoy the same executive discretion.

Lauren Carlini and West Aurora coach Lori Nicholson pictured with the Gatorade Player of the Year trophy.

The honors continue to pour in for Sun-Times Player of the Year Lauren Carlini of West Aurora.

Tuesday, the 6-foot-1 senior setter/outside hitter, who will be attending the University of Wisconsin next fall, learned she has been named the 2012-13 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, recognizes Carlini as the nation's best high school volleyball player.

Carlini recorded 333 kills, 303 assists, 156 digs, 92 service aces and 50 blocks this past season while posting a kill percentage of .594 and leading the Blackhawks (32-6) to the Class 4A sectional semifinals, where they lost to eventual state champion Benet.

She has maintained a 3.73 GPA in the classroom and volunteered locally on behalf of the Geneva Police Department, the Illinois Math and Science Academy and as a youth volleyball coach.

Carlini earned MVP honors in leading the U.S. Girls Youth National Team to a gold medal at the 2011 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships. She also started for Team USA at that summer's FIVB Girls Youth World Championships in Turkey, and PrepVolleyball.com named her the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2013.

The Gatorade Player of the Year is selected from among more than 400,000 high school volleyball players across the country by a national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports.

Carlini is just the fourth player from Illinois to win the award since 1995-1996. Previous winners from Illinois include Joliet Catholic's Kelly Murphy (2008-09), Oghanna Nnamani from Normal U-High (2000-01) and Benet Academy's Denise Boylan (1996-97).

***

Carlini brought home more hardware after she was named the MVP of the third annual SportsTownChicago.com High School Girl's All-Star Volleyball Game played two weeks ago at Moraine Valley Community College.

Behind 13 kills and 10 assists from Carlini, Team Pink defeated Team White 25-19, 17-25, 25-11, 16-25, 15-7.

"Everyone was super excited to play with each other, we came in really open minded and our main thing to tonight was to just have fun," Carlini said. "We made it this far, we're all all-stars here no matter what so we had nothing to prove, we just had to go out there have fun. Winning was just icing on the cake."

Alysia Baznik from Naperville Central led the way for Team White with 13 kills and Hinsdale Central's Meghan McDowell added eight kills and 12 assists.

The all-star game is the brainchild of Sports Town Chicago's Peter Ferreri.

"Three years ago, there were all-star games for nearly every sport except girls volleyball, so we thought we'd fill the gap," he said. "We are thankful to all the girls from all four corners of the state for their participation and are already looking forward to next year's event."

Proceeds from the event go to the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

Mother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld's White team featured Abby Luebbers (Breese Mater Dei), Sheila Doyle (Benet Academy), Alysia Baznik (Naperville Central), Erienne Barry (St. Charles East), Krista Brakauskas (Providence), Ciara Hill (Bolingbrook) and Jessica Brezwyn (Hinsdale South).

Also, Morgan Reardon (Joliet Catholic), Meghan McDowell (Hinsdale Central), Melissa Deatsch (York), Danielle Davis (Bloomington Central Catholic), Mallory Wilczynski (Cary-Grove), Kelly Clarke (Mother McAuley), Logan Walling (Normal U-High) and Emily Lindemulder (Chicago Christian).

Edwardsville coach Jami Parker's Pink Team included Emily Milligan (Nazareth Academy), Kayla Katarzynski (West Chicago), Lauren Carlini (West Aurora), McKenna Kelsay (St. Francis), Sophia Dodd (St. Ignatius), Mallory Salis (Marist), Caleigh Ryan (Glenbard West) and Tara Blake (Marian Central).

Also, Jane Trzaska (Glenbard South), Katie Roustio (O'Fallon), Amanda Dolan (Lincoln-Way Central), Corinne Gajcak (Naperville North), Sarah Parker (Edwardsville), Hannah Lee (Whitney Young) and Cindy Zhou (Libertyville).

The game is available for downloading at www.SportsTownChicago.com/asg2012.

***

St. Ignatius' Sophia Dodd (left), Camille Evans (center) and Casey Harris recently inked their letters of intent under the watchful eye of coach Erik Eastman.

Three volleyball players who led St. Ignatius to an 86-28 record over the past three seasons recently signed their national letters of intent to play Division I volleyball.

Sophia Dodd, who had 648 kills, 120 aces, 1,836 assists, 177 block assists, 21 block solos and 826 digs during her stellar career, signed with Wake Forest. Camille Evans, who had 776 kills, 61 aces, 87 block assists, 13 block solos, 294 digs and a hitting percentage of .359 at the near west side school, signed with the University of Connecticut.

Casey Harris, who had 246 kills, 169 block assists, 49 block solos and hitting percentage of .334 during her career at St. Ignatius, opted to stay close to home and inked a letter with the University of Illinois at Chicago.

***

Former Barrington and University of Illinois basketball star Ashley Berggren, who now teaches and coaches girls basketball at Schaumburg, will be inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame later this season.

Berggren is Illinois' all-time leading scorer, amassing 2,089 points during her career. She was Big Ten Player of the Year as a junior in 1997, leading the Illini to a Big Ten championship and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. During her senior year of 1997-98, Berggren earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor and led the Orange and Blue to their second consecutive NCAA Sweet 16.

She is the only Illini to be named first team All-Big Ten for three seasons, and also earned national recognition as an Associated Press Third Team All-American in 1998 and an honorable mention All-American in 1996 and 1997.

A 1994 graduate of Barrington, Berggren holds the Illinois record for points scored in a season with 689 in 1995-96. She also holds the school record for career free throws made (562), is tied for second in field goals made (748), is fifth on the career assists list (328), seventh on the career rebounding list (779) and eighth on the career steals list (183).

She scored a career-high of 43 points, the second highest single-game total in U of I history, on January 14, 1996.

Benet did a lot of this during 2012, including after its final match of the season.

Chicago Sun-Times Final 2012 Top 10 Girls Volleyball Teams
(Preseason ranking in parenthesis)

1. Benet 40-2 (8)

Benet coach Brad Baker took a collection of club "B" team players and an outside hitter who was a team manager for the school's 2011 title team and molded them into a state champion. Benet became the first team since Mother McAuley in 1995-95 to win back-to-back championships among the state's biggest schools. "I give credit to our freshman, sophomore and JV coaches who prepare these kids so that they're ready when it's their turn," Baker said. Whose turn is it next year? The Redwings will build around returnees Brittany Pavich, Rachael Fara, Caroline Wolf and sophomore Natalie Canulli, whose four kills, two aces and a block were huge in the championship game win over New Trier.

2. New Trier 39-2 (NR)

The Trevians came oh-so-close to their first state title since winning the inaugural tournament back in 1975. But coach Hannah Hsieh will welcome back a strong nucleus around which to build including one of the best setters in the country, 6-foot Taylor Tashima, who had 32 assists and seven kills in the title-game loss to Benet. Also back will be the towering tandem of 6-3 junior Haley Fauntleroy (seven kills against Benet and four kills and six block assists against McAuley in the semifinals) and 6-4 sophomore Sarah Shafiq, and libero Emmy Friedler.

3. Mother McAuley 37-5 (2)

Mother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld expects the Mighty Macs to be ranked in the top three nationally entering the 2013 season, and who can argue? Five of the Macs' top players were sophomores - outside hitter Ryann DeJarld, outside hitter Kennedy Arundel, libero Carla Cahill, rightside hitter Maggie Scanlon and middle hitter Kelsey Clark - and three more were juniors - setter Courtney Joyce, middle Gabrielle Ennis and outside hitter Molly Geary. One observer noted that McAuley still must find that "go-to" player at crunch time, but the physically-imposing Clark could be that player.

4. Libertyville 34-8 (NR)

The Wildcats did not win a match downstate, but they erased any doubts that they belonged among the state's elite. They took Game 1 off Benet and led 15-10 in Game 2 before the eventual state champions rallied, and led McAuley 22-20 in Game 1 of the third-place match before a service error began their downfall. Coach Greg Loika bids farewell to the nucleus of his 34-8 team, including setter Cindy Zhou, libero Kristen Webb, rightside hitter Taylor Zant and outside hitter Julia Smagacz, and will undertake a major rebuilding job in 2013.

5. St. Francis 37-5 (3)

Ugly uniforms or no, there was no stopping St. Francis last weekend in Normal. The Spartans won the school's ninth state title despite challenges from Champaign Centennial and the Ali Frantti-powered Richmond-Burton. The challenge next year for veteran coach Peg Kopec is replacing setter McKenna Kelsay, but whoever moves into that role will have a lot of offense to work with in the persons of Molly and Maddie Haggerty and middle hitter Mary Boken. A 10th state title isn't assured next season, but the Spartans will enter 2013 as the overwhelming favorites.

6. Marist 31-6 (1)

Lost to Lincoln-Way Central in the regional finals.

7. Joliet Catholic 32-7 (NR)

Lost to St. Francis in the sectional finals.

8. Glenbard West 37-3 (6)

Lost to New Trier in the supersectional.

9. West Aurora 32-6 (NR)

Lost to Benet in the regional finals.

10. Sandburg 29-9 (5)

Lost to Mother McAuley in the sectional semifinals.

Others: Richmond-Burton 35-6, Naperville Central 28-9, Prairie Ridge 30-10, Hinsdale South 31-8, Stagg 31-8, Marian Catholic 28-9, Stevenson 34-4, Lincoln-Way Central 29-9, Lemont 26-13, Naperville North 27-9, Hinsdale Central 14-26, St. Ignatius 28-10, Crystal Lake South 26-10, Providence 25-12, Geneva 30-8, Palatine 27-12, Hersey 32-6, Trinity 26-9, Nazareth 24-14, Chicago Christian 24-16, St Charles East 25-13, Plainfield North 27-9, Oak Lawn 25-8.

Did you know? Benet setter Hannah Kaminsky finished her high school career having never lost a tournament game of any kind on any level - freshman, sophomore or varsity. Her two-year varsity career included 79 wins, five losses, a 40-0 record in eight regular-season tournaments, and a 14-0 record and two championships in state tournament play.

One final thought: Anyone in the media room following St. Francis' 25-21, 25-20 victory over Richmond-Burton for the IHSA Class 3A title had to be moved when sophomore Mary Boken spoke about her sister, Megan, a member of the last St. Francis championship team in 2006 who was murdered in St. Louis in August. There wasn't an athlete in the state who displayed more courage than the young sophomore did this season, playing through that anguish thanks in large part to the support of her teammates and the St. Francis volleyball family.

Here is a more in-depth look at the members of the 2012 Chicago Sun-Times All-Area Team:

LAUREN CARLINI
School: West Aurora
Year: Senior
Height: 6-foot-1
Position: Setter/rightside hitter
College: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Season highlights: The 2012 Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year was named the top college recruit in the nation by Prepvolleyball.com. She was named to the all-tournament teams at the Benet invite, the Glenbrook North Discovery Tournament and the Autumnfest Tournament hosted by Glenbard East.
About the player: Carlini is a four-year varsity letterwinner and was captain of the team for the past three years. Her dedication to her sport and her motivation to always be better set her apart. She dominates as a hitter, set up the offense as a setter and possesses a dynamite jump serve. She set an example by her own hard work as well as her ability to motivate her team.
Quote: "Carlini is the ultimate physical setter. Her fitness level is extreme. You have to respect her offense so when she jumps to set, the defense MUST jump also, creating one-on-ones all over the court. Her blocking can shut down the best left-side attackers. She is one of the most competitive 'Hate-to-lose' players I have ever seen." - Prepvolleyball.com's John Tawa.

ALYSIA BAZNIK
School: Naperville Central
Year: Senior
Height: 5-foot-10
Position: Setter/outside hItter
College: University of Evansville
Season highlight: Baznik was named all-tournament at the Wheaton Classic and Autumnfest hosted by Glenbard East. Baznik was also named to the DuPage Valley Conference all-conference team.
About the player: Baznik finished the regular season with 304 kills, 174 digs, 20 blocks and 58 aces for a team that lived on the fringe of the Sun-Times Top 10 most of the season and finished one game behind West Aurora for the league title.
Quote: "Alysia is a four year varsity starter. She is an impact player from all six rotations on the floor. She finds ways to score despite being double- and triple-blocked. She is a great leader both on and off the floor and is simply irreplaceable." - Naperville Central coach Brie Isaacson.

JESSICA BREZWYN
School: Hinsdale South
Year: Senior
Height: 5-foot-9
Position: Outside hitter
College: North Carolina-Greensboro
Season highlight: Brezwyn helped lead her team to a first place finish in the Lyons Invite hitting over .500 and producing over 32 kills in two matches and 21 digs. She was named to all-tournament teams twice this year and had a season-high 23 kills versus Libertyville.
About the player: Brezwyn is graduating as one of Hinsdale South's best players to come through the door. A four-year varsity starter, she accumulated many accolades throughout her four years, including all-conference all four years. Brezwyn led the Hornets in kills and was second in digs each of the last two years.
Quote: "Jessica has truly blossomed into an amazing all around volleyball player. She went from being a shy, long and gangly freshman who was a starter on varsity, to a player that can not only control a match, but take over a match. I am so honored that I got to spend four years coaching Jess, and the best part about her is she has yet to hit her glass ceiling. Although she is one of the strongest players in the area, she still craves information to continue to improve her all-around game. Her dedication to this sport has truly paid off." - Hinsdale South coach Lisa Martinez.

JILL CONRAD
School: Stagg
Year: Senior
Height: 5-foot-11
Position: Rightside/setter
About the player: Conrad had 208 kills, 414 assists, 35 aces, 155 digs and 196 service points during the regular season.
Quote: "I remember coaching Jill at our junior high basketball and volleyball camps at Stagg and thinking 'Wow, this kid is going to be good...really good.' Jill is a player you can't help but love to watch. She has some of the best setter's hands we have seen at Stagg. Jill has been the starting setter on the varsity team her freshman through senior year. I don't think there has ever been a match where Jill wasn't a stat leader. Her competitive nature is one that is admired by all her teammates. The Stagg volleyball program will experience a great loss as we say goodbye and good luck to Jill." - Stagg coach Deanna Storino.

SHEILA DOYLE
School: Benet Academy
Year: Senior
Height: 5-foot-5
Position: Libero
College: North Carolina
Season highlight: Doyle was named all-tournament at the Mizuno Scholastic Cup and Wheaton Classic tournaments and was named the MVP at the Benet invite and Autumnfest hosted by Glenbard East. She was named to the East Subruban Catholic All-Conference team and was the Daily Herald Player of the Year.
About the player: Doyle was a two-year starter at libero and had 307 digs through the regular season in 2012 after compiling 286 as a junior.
Quote: "Shelia is one of the best liberos I have ever seen. Most defensive players excel at playing defense or serve receive, but Sheila does both at an elite level. She is an extremely quick and fast player, but what makes her great is her ability to read plays early and put herself in position to make plays. Sheila is a high energy, high motor player who attacks the ball. Where she has come from in the last four years speaks (Doyle was on the 'B' team as freshman) to her work ethic and her want to be great. She is committed to North Carolina where I expect her to make an immediate impact." - Benet coach Brad Baker.

DAKOTA HAMPTON
School: Sandburg
Year: Senior
Height: 6-foot-1
Position: Outside hitter
College: University of South Florida
Season highlight: Hampton accumulated more than 50 kills in the Maine West Tournament to lead Sandburg to the championship. She had 320 kills and 200 digs through the regular season.
About the player: Hampton could be the most powerful player Sandburg has seen in a decade. A three-year varsity starter that has improved her game each and every year, she is a complete player both offensively and defensively. Few teams challenge her blocking and she has single-handedly won games at the service line. Defensively, she covers the court from corner to corner and remains an offensive threat from the back row.
Quote: "Dakota impresses others on the court but it is what she brings to the team off the court that sets her above the rest. She has taken ownership of the team in preparation and focus. She will be her teammate's biggest critic but will be the biggest cheerleader when they are successful. She wants to win and has convinced all 14 teammates to give 100 percent during every game, every practice and every off day." - Sandburg coach David Vales.

HANNAH KAMINSKY
School: Benet Academy
Year: Senior
Height: 5-foot-11
Position: Setter
College: Uncommitted
Season highlight: Kaminsky was named the MVP of the Mizuno Scholastic Cup and Wheaton Classic tournaments.
About the player: All Kaminsky has done in her career is win. She is 16-0 lifetime in tournaments, and has lost only lost five times in her high school career (17-0 if you include last year's state tournament). A two-time All-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection, Kaminsky had 976 assists as a junior to help lead the Redwings to the Class 4A state title and had 859 through the end of the regular season this fall.
Quote: "Hannah is a winner. She makes other players around her better and rise to a level that they have never played at before. While the most important aspect of being a great setter is delivering a hittable ball every time, what separates Hannah from other setters is her ability to do everything else at an elite level. She has an extremely effective serve, plays defense at a D-I libero level and communicates better than any setter I have seen. She is also a great teammate who sets an example for everyone else by making sure she is working hard and always improving her skills. The most impressive part is that she did not become a full-time setter until her sophomore year, meaning her best days are still ahead."

EMILY MILLIGAN
School: Nazareth Academy
Year: Senior
Height: 5-foot-6
Position: Libero
College: North Dakota State
About the player: Milligan is the latest in a long line of strong defensive players for Nazareth Academy. She led the team in aces and serving percentage, and averaged five digs per game. She was a unanimous All-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection, and was named to the all-tournament teams at the Body and Sole Charger Invitational and the Darla Moldenhauer Boilermaker Classic. She helped lead the Roadrunners to back-to-back regional titles.
Quote: "Emily is one of the most intense players I have ever coached, whether in practice or a match. She always brings the same hustle and determination. She is the quarterback, constantly calling out what is happening on both sides of the net, helping her teammates and at the same time playing her position like few others can. Emily has been a big part of the success of the team over the past three years." - Nazareth Academy coach Wayne Saunders.

MORGAN REARDON
School: Joliet Catholic
Year: Senior
Height: 6-foot
Position: Outside hItter
College: Loyola-Chicago
Season highlight: Reardon had season-best 25 kills in a 25-17, 23-25, 25-17 victory over Wheaton St. Francis in the semi-final consolation match of the Gold Division at the Asics tournament.
About the player: Reardon is the latest in a long line of superlative volleyball players for Joliet Catholic. She averaged 10 kills, nine digs, and 4.2 service points per match for the Angels. She was named to the all-tournament teams at the Asics Challenge, the Mizuno Scholastic Cup, and the Glenbard East Autumnfest Tournament. She will graduate as the fourth-leading attacker in Joliet Catholic history behind 2007 Gatorade National Player of the Year Kelly Murphy, DePaul Basketball standout Allie Quigley and Wisconsin's Annemarie Hickey.
Quote: "Morgan is one of the best players I have ever coached. She has had a tremendous impact on our team the past three years and is a big reason for all the success we've had. She was a marked person by other teams, yet she was always able to come up with the big kill, big serve or the big defensive play. She is simply irreplaceable." - Joliet Catholic coach Chris Scheibe.

CALEIGH RYAN
School: Glenbard West
Year: Senior
Height: 5-foot-10
Position: Setter/outside hitter
College: Northwestern
Season highlight: Ryan scored game point against Downers Grove North to give the Hilltoppers their first conference title since 1984.
About the player: Ryan has been a four-year starter for Glenbard West. She was converted into a setter during her sophomore year. Her athleticism and leadership have been significant in Glenbard West's back-to-back 30-win seasons and more than 100 wins the past four years. Ryan has been named to eight all-tournament teams, and will graduate as the program's all-time assist leader with more than 2,012 assists, surpassing Amy Kendall (Miami of Ohio).
Quote: "Caleigh has been responsible for our resurgence as a program. She refuses to take a day off or even a play off. Her demeanor on and off the court will be hard to replace. She has had a relentless work ethic that has allowed her to juggle her remarkable athletic career with an amazing 5.8 GPA. Our entire school community will miss Caleigh as a leader, student and athlete." - Glenbard West coach Pete Mastandrea.

MALLORY SALIS
School: Marist
Year: Senior
Height: 5-foot-9
Position: Outside hitter
College: Ohio University
Season highlight: Salis was named the MVP of the NIKE Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Ariz., leading the RedHawks to the title of the 64-team tournament featuring some of the top teams from around the country.
About the player: Salis finished the season with 311 kills, 389 service receptions, 350 digs, 166 service points, 77 aces and 40 blocks. She was named the East Suburban Catholic Conference "Player of the Year" and to the all-tournament teams at the Wheaton Classic, Rich East and the Asics Challenge.
Quote: "Mallory is the most versatile and well-rounded attacker to come out of the Marist volleyball program in the 11-year history of our program. Mallory is a six-rotation threat. She is a classic "Old-school" outside hitter who can make a tremendous impact in all six rotations. Her defense is as exemplary as her offense. When looking at the impressive quality of teams that we played consistently all season, it is beyond impressive to see the impact that Mallory has made. Her leadership skills have grown tremendously throughout her journey at Marist. She is widely respected and viewed as a positive role model among not only her teammates, but her opponents as well." - Marist coach Natalie Holder.

CINDY ZHOU
School: Libertyville
Year: Senior
Height: 6-foot
Position: Setter
College: Michigan
Season highlight: Zhou amassed more than 520 assists, 167 kills, 156 digs and 38 aces during the regular season and led the team in aces and assists, was second in kills and third in digs. She was named to the all-tournament team at the Wheaton Classic.
About the player: Zhou holds the Libertyville school record in assists with more than 1,900 in her four-year varsity career, although she set a 6-2 as a freshman. Zhou has led the team to two North Suburban Conference titles in three seasons and has more than 120 career victories as a Wildcat.
Quote: "Cindy is the best offensive setter we've ever had, and certainly the best offensive setter in our area over the past couple of seasons. She has the ability to not only dish assists, but also she can attack from any rotation effectively. The greatest growth area for her has been her leadership and determination to win. In several matches, she's literally put the team on her back and simply willed us to win. Her decision-making and precision sets puts defenses on their heels as she can literally go anywhere with the ball. I've been most impressed with Cindy's poise, her character and her sportsmanship, all things we will be very sad to see departing Libertyville at season's end. She has made her Libertyville volleyball family very, very proud." - Libertyville coach Greg Loika.

Note: The 2012 Chicago Sun-Times All-Area Volleyball Team will run in print on Saturday, November 10.

Chicago Sun-Times 2012 Top 10 Girls Volleyball Teams
(Last week's ranking in parenthesis)

1. Benet 38-2 (1)

Think: defense wins championships. The defending state champions turned on the "D" and rallied from big deficits in both games to topple Edwardsville 25-20, 25-20 behind Cara Mattaliano's 10 kills and Sheila Doyle's 17 digs at the Normal West supersectional. The Redwings haven't lost on a Saturday since October 2010 and have won 44 straight tournament matches. Earlier in the week, Benet ousted Lemont in the sectional finals 25-14, 25-15 behind Mattaliano's 10 kills and Hannah Kaminsky's 25 assists, and rolled to a stunningly easy 25-10, 25-11 victory over West Aurora behind Brittany Pavich's nine kills and Abby Willett's three kills and two blocks.

2. Mother McAuley 36-4 (2)

Has Mother McAuley arrived a year early? By the Mighty Macs' standards, their three-year drought between state appearances was a lifetime. Sophomores Carla Cahill, Ryann DeJarld and Kelsey Clark and junior Courtney Joyce led McAuley to state for the first time since 2008 with a 25-17, 25-15 victory over Hinsdale Central in the supersectional at McAuley. Earlier in the week, the Mighty Macs re-established their dominance of the South Side by ending Stagg's fairybook season 25-16, 25-19 behind Joyce's 23 assists, seven kills and Maggie Scanlon's six kills and two blocks, and surviving a thrilling 25-21, 25-27, 25-23 victory over Sandburg.

3. Marist 31-6 (3)

The folks on the East Coast aren't the only ones who face a major rebuilding job. The RedHawks part ways with Mallory Salis, setter Taylor Holder, middle Rachel Dalton, 6-foot-2 outside Elyse Panick, middle blocker Shannon Murphy and outside hitter Kelly Marcinek from a team that won the prestigious NIKE Tournament of Champions in Arizona but stumbled against Lincoln-Way Central in a regional final. Junior libero Carolyn Yerkes and setter Molly Mayo will be back, and the RedHawks have more talent in the pipeline at the freshman and sophomore levels, so don't expect Marist to fall too far off the map.

4. St. Francis 35-5 (7)

What? No Breese Master Dei? St. Francis punched its ticket to Normal for the 17th time in school history with a 25-22, 25-15 win over the hosts at the Class 3A Chicago Christian supersectional. But they won't be challenged by two-time defending champion Mater Dei, which lost to Columbia in the sectional. Instead, their opener with Champaign Centennial figures to be their toughest obstacle to a 10th state title. Earlier in the week, St. Francis fought off two match points to defeat Joliet Catholic 25-15, 24-26, 30-28 in the sectional championship to add another chapter to the teams' storied rivalry.

5. New Trier 39-1 (5)

New Trier is seeking its first state title since New Trier (East) won the inaugural state tournament title 1975. The Trevians advanced with a 25-13, 23-25, 25-14 victory over Glenbard West at the Niles West supersectional. New Trier opened up an 11-1 lead in Game 1, then after stumbling in Game 2, took control of Game 3 at point No. 20 and never looked back. Next up? Mother McAuley. Earlier in the week, the Trevians benefitted from geography as they rolled past Niles North 25-21, 25-23 and Niles West 25-16, 26-24 in a sectional that featured 12 teams from the inner city (they have to play somewhere, don't they?).

6. Libertyville 34-6 (9)

Flashbacks. Everybody was having them. Shades of the Hersey match, the Wildcats gave up a 7-0 run after leading 24-16 in Game 2 of their supersectional against Prairie Ridge, but held on for a 26-24, 25-23 win. Earlier in the week, Libertyville rallied from an early 7-1 deficit to defeat Palatine 25-21, 25-14 in the sectional championship at Fremd. In the sectional semifinals, Libertyville blew a 21-11 lead in Game 1 against Hersey, but rallied for a 25-27, 25-17, 25-21 victory. Cindy Zhou had eight kills and 26 assists,
Kristen Webb had 32 digs and 8 assists, Rhiannon Prentiss had 14 digs and 12 kills and Julia Smagacz added 12 kills.

7. Joliet Catholic 32-7 (4)

Joliet Catholic's phenomenal season ended in a classic three-set match in the sectional finals at Glenbard South, won by archrival St. Francis 25-15, 24-26, 30-28. Morgan Reardon had 16 kills as the Angels rallied from a 14-9 deficit in Game 3 to grab a 23-21 lead, but Joliet Catholic could not put the pesky Spartans away. Earlier in the week, Joliet Catholic defeated Nazareth 25-16, 25-21 in the sectional semifinals. Now the work begins anew for coach Chris Scheibe, who says farewell to Reardon, setter Molly Mangun and middle hitter Katelyn Seeman. Back are junior middle Angela Vera and outside Julia Shemaitis.

8. Glenbard West 37-3 (8)

The glass slipper didn't fit. In a season of firsts, the Hilltoppers fell one game short of state after Saturday's 25-13, 23-25, 25-14 loss to New Trier at the Niles West sectional. Earlier in the week, Glenbard West defeated St. Charles North 25-23, 25-19 and Geneva 25-27, 27-25, 25-21, rallying from a 21-19 deficit in Game 2 against the Vikings at the St. Charles North sectional. The sectional title was Glenbard West's first since 1985 and the 37 wins established a new school record. Meg DeMarr had 33 digs in the match against Geneva and Meg Wagner and Amanda Perry each had 13 kills.

9. West Aurora 32-6 (6)

The Lauren Carlini era has ended at West Aurora. All the 6-foot-2 Wisconsin-bound setter/outside hitter did during her stellar four-year career is lead the former DuPage Valley Conference cellar-dwellar to back-to-back league titles, a regional title in arguably one of the toughest sectionals in the state, a school-record 32-win season and the previously unknown realm of ranking among the state's best teams. Also bidding farewell are setter Elli Martin, middle blocker Nerissa Vogt, outside hitter Kaitlyn Richter and outside hitter Peyton McKenzie, begging the question: Where do the Blackhawks go from here? Coach Kari Nicholson has some major work ahead.

10. Sandburg 29-9 (10)

David Vales' Eagles were playing as well as any team in the state down the stretch, a testament to his patience as he molded some disparate pieces into a south suburban powerhouse. But now he must say adieu to his big three of Dakota Hampton, Paige Bendell and Kristy Theisen, and the task ahead will be difficult. Sandburg does return sophomore setter Sami Knight, 5-9 junior Meghan Hutchinson, junior middle Kelly Finlay, and sophomores Kelly Bolitto (middle hitter) and Leah Lane (rightside), who all played significant minutes down the stretch. But at least Vales has a few months to find the next Hampton.

Others: Naperville Central 28-9, Prairie Ridge 30-10, Hinsdale South 31-8, Stagg 31-8, Marian Catholic 28-9, Stevenson 34-4, Lincoln-Way Central 29-9, Lemont 26-13, Naperville North 27-9, Hinsdale Central 14-26, St. Ignatius 28-10, Crystal Lake South 26-10, Providence 25-12, Geneva 30-8, Palatine 27-12, Hersey 32-6, Richmond-Burton 35-4, Trinity 26-9, Nazareth 24-14, Chicago Christian 24-16, St Charles East 25-13, Plainfield North 27-9, Oak Lawn 25-8.

The quote: "I'm pretty sick of this happening. It's extremely frustrating right now that this happens year in and year out. It's not fair to the girls. I don't know why the IHSA continues to do it because it's just not fair. For the past six years, it's been Joliet Catholic, Nazareth, St. Francis, Benet, JCA...it's the same thing year after year and it's just very frustrating as a coach to know we get the kids that walk in the door school we do the very best we can with them, and I think we do a pretty good job. They (private schools) have an advantage. I'm tired of that happening." - Lemont coach Chris Zogata, whose teams have been eliminated from the state tournament by private schools each of the last six seasons.

That's a fact, Jack: The roll call of teams that have eliminated Lemont from the state tournament since 2007 includes: Benet Academy (25-14, 25-15) in the 2012 Class 4A sectional final; Nazareth (25-21, 25-17) in the 2011 Class 3A regional final; Joliet Catholic (25-19, 25-20) in the 2010 Class 3A sectional semifinal; St. Francis (25-16, 25-14) in the 2009 Class 3A sectional semifinal; Joliet Catholic (25-14, 25-16) in the 2008 Class 3A sectional final; and Joliet Catholic (25-19, 25-20) in the 2007 Class 3A sectional semifinal. In 2006, Lemont lost to Hinsdale South in the Class AA sectional semifinals, 21-25, 25-15, 25-14.

St. Ignatius, which won the GCAC Red Division title for the first time at the last tournament the league will sponsor, hopes to continue its winning ways Tuesday against Hinsdale Central at the Riverside-Brookfield sectional.

Chicago Sun-Times 2012 Top 10 Girls Volleyball Teams
(Last week's ranking in parenthesis)

1. Benet 35-2 (1)

Benet coach Brad Baker probably did not sleep all weekend trying to figure out how his team is going to slow down West Aurora and Lauren Carlini in Tuesday's sectional semifinal at Neuqua Valley. The Redwings may want to try to get off to a better start than they did Thursday in a 25-18, 25-20 victory over Naperville Central. The Redwings fell behind 12-5 in Game One before using a 12-2 run to reverse the tide for keeps. Benet and West Aurora met earlier this season in the championship of the Benet invite with the Redwings hanging on for 28-26, 25-23 win.

2. Mother McAuley 33-4 (2)

The Mighty Macs bounced back from last week's loss to St. Ignatius in the finals of the final GCAC tournament to defeat T.F. North 25-9, 25-7 and Homewood-Flossmoor 25-13, 25-10 to win the Class 4A regional at Homewood-Flossmoor. Ryann DeJarld powered McAuley with 10 kills and Courtney Joyce dished out 23 assists. Next up? Sandburg in the 6:00 p.m. sectional semifinal Tuesday at Lincoln-Way Central. The last time these teams met, DeJarld lit up Sandburg for 12 kills in a 25-18, 25-16 victory at the Rich East tournament. The winner gets either Stagg or Lincoln-Way Central in the sectional final Thursday.

3. Marist 31-6 (3)

An unbeaten season in arguably the state's toughest conference. The championship of the 64-team NIKE Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Ariz. Then... "One match does not dictate our entire season," Marist coach Natalie Holder said after her team's stunning 25-19, 23-25, 25-21 loss to No. 7 seed Lincoln-Way Central in the championship of the Class 4A regional at Lincoln-Way North. "No one, except maybe Assumption from Kentucky, played a schedule as ridiculously challenging as ours and with our success rate. Lincoln-Way Central played exemplary, scrappy volleyball." Marist will have some work to do next year. Libero Carolyn Yerkes is the only regular who returns.

4. Joliet Catholic 31-6 (4)

Providence extended Joliet Catholic in their regional final, but ultimately Morgan Reardon was just too much for the Celtics. The Loyola-bound senior ripped 17 kills to lead the Angels to a 25-19, 24-26, 25-16 victory and a berth in the Class 3A sectional at Glenbard South, where everyone anticipate a championship match between the Angels and long-time nemesis St. Francis. Reardon got help from Mallory Mangun (33 assists) and Julia Shemaitis (eight kills). Before reaching the finals, however, Joliet Catholic must turn back Nazareth Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. The Angels handled the Roadrunners easily in their first meeting, 25-13, 25-16, back on September 27.

5. New Trier 36-1 (5)

The Trevians 25-5, 25-3 win over (Chicago) Prosser in a regional semifinal was a stunner. How did Prosser score eight points? Maine South at least put up a fight in the regional finals, extending New Trier in a 25-14, 25-21 loss. It doesn't get too much harder in Tuesday's sectional semifinal at Niles North, although New Trier's opponent does have some familiarity with the floor. The Trevians then wrap up the week with a rematch against Mikayla Leyden, Jacque Kibir-Evans, Ashley Klauss and Trinity in Thursday's sectional finals and possibly Glenbard West in the supersectional Saturday at Niles West.

6. West Aurora 32-5 (6)

There was a brief time Thursday that the IHSA website had West Aurora losing the regional final at Waubonsie Valley. "I want confirmation," a disbelieving Benet coach Brad Baker said. Lauren Carlini and the Blackhawks did advance to face Benet at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday at Neuqua Valley, downing Waubonsie Valley 25-18, 25-17 behind seven kills, 14 assists and six digs from Carlini, eight kills by Peyton McKenzie and four kills from Kaitlyn Richter. Carlini had nine kills, five blocks and seven digs and West Aurora fought off five set points in Game One the first time these teams hooked up.

7. St. Francis 32-5 (7)

The Spartans moved another step closer to their annual (at least for the past 10 or so years) tournament meeting with Joliet Catholic by dispatching Mt. Assisi 25-6, 25-20 and Glenbard South 25-18, 25-21 in the Class 3A regional at Illinois Math and Science Academy. But first, St. Francis must get past the Lady Tigers from Herscher. Senior outside hitter Loryn Bruer led Herscher to a 25-19, 25-17 victory over Manteno in the Class 3A regional at Reed-Custer after the Tigers escaped Peotone 26-24, 25-22 in the regional semifinal.

8. Glenbard West 35-2 (8)

Twenty-seven years? That's how long it has been between regional titles for Glenbard West, which finally got its first state hardware since 1985 by defeating West Chicago 25-15, 25-10 on the Hilltoppers' home court. Next up for Caleigh Ryan, Amanda Perry, Meg DeMarr and Co.? St. Charles North (23-12), which got 11 kills from junior Taylor Krage and seven kills from Daley Krage to beat Glenbard North 25-22, 25-19 on the North Stars' home floor. The winner gets either Geneva or St. Charles East in the sectional finals at Elgin Larkin.

9. Libertyville 30-6 (9)

The Wildcats survived a monster 27-kill effort from 6-foot-1 middle blocker Layne Self to defeat Lake Zurich 21-25, 25-23, 25-23 in the finals of the Class 4A regional hosted by the Bears. Taylor Zant led the Wildcats with 10 kills, Rhiannon Prentiss had six kills and 14 digs, Alex Basler added four kills, Cindy Zhou had 24 assists, four kills and 14 digs, and Kristen Webb was credited with 36 digs and 4 assists. The victory avenged a season-ending loss to Lake Zurich in last year's regional finale. Next up? Mid-Suburban League champion Hersey at the Fremd sectional Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

10. Sandburg 29-8 (10)

The Eagles continue their late-season surge, winning their 15th straight match 25-9, 25-17 over Lincoln-Way East in the finals of the Class 4A regional at Eisenhower. Paige Bendell led the way with 11 assists, eight kills and six digs, Dakota Hampton added six kills and five digs, and sophomore setter Sami Knight added 11 assists and 10 digs. But the task gets infinitely tougher Tuesday when Sandburg takes on No. 2-ranked and sectional top seed Mother McAuley in the 6:00 p.m. sectional semifinal at Lincoln-Way Central. Awaiting the winner will be either Lincoln-Way Central or Stagg.

Others: Stevenson 34-3, Lincoln-Way Central 29-8, Naperville Central 28-9, Hinsdale South 30-7, Stagg 30-7, Marian Catholic 28-9, Naperville North 27-9, Prairie Ridge 26-9, St. Ignatius 28-9, Crystal Lake South 26-10, Providence 25-12, Hersey 32-5, Palatine 26-11, Richmond-Burton 28-1, Trinity 26-8, Nazareth 24-13, Chicago Christian 22-15, Lemont 25-12, St Charles East 25-12, Plainfield North 27-8, Oak Lawn 25-7.

Quote of the Year: "Where is the IHSA tonight? Why don't they go talk to the Naperville Central kids and explain to them how this is fair?" - Benet coach Brad Baker, moments after the Redwings defeated the Redhawks 25-18, 25-20 for the Class 4A regional title at Naperville Central. The Neuqua Valley sectional, of which the Central regional was a part, was realigned into four imbalanced regionals because of the inclusion of one school, Yorkville, which the IHSA insisted was geographically located "outside the Chicago box." Yorkville, by the way, did not win a single state tournament game, losing a feed-in quarterfinal to Oswego.

Did you know? Plainfield North (27-8) lost to both Naperville North (25-20, 21-25, 25-18) and Naperville Central (25-16, 25-20) during the regular season. But the Tigers were able to win their own regional (beating Oswego and Oswego East) and advance to the Neuqua Valley sectional because the IHSA realigned the sectional into four imbalanced regionals, forcing Naperville Central and Naperville North to meet in a regional semifinal at Central. Central was then eliminated by Benet. North also beat Lemont (25-12) at the Wheaton Classic (25-19, 25-16), but the Indians advanced to Neuqua by beating Plainfield Central and Lockport at Romeoville.

News flash: Bridgeport Red Hill snapped a losing streak that had grown to 203 matches October 6 by beating the host Hutsonville Tigers, 20-25, 25-19, 15-8 in the fifth-place match of the Hutsonville invitational. It was Red Hill's first win since Oct. 7, 2002 - a stretch of nine years, 364 days - when it earned a 7-15, 15-11, 15-12 victory at Grayville. Entering the season, the Salukis had not even won a set since Oct. 4, 2004.

The Quote II: "Can you imagine anything like this happening in football or basketball? It's just another example of the IHSA with different standards." - Benet coach Brad Baker talking about non-certified officials being used as line judges in a regional final.

The Quote III: "The kids work so hard to get to this point. We as coaches have been around for a while and we have been there before, but these kids work so hard and they just continue to get better as the season goes on. That they have to play them in a regional final, a second round of the playoffs, to me it's just not fair to the athletes." - Naperville Central coach Brie Isaacson, whose team was denied a chance to be the top seed at its own regional by the IHSA.

I'll have what she's having: "We are hot right now and peaking at the right time." - Lincoln-Way Central coach Kathy Sulkowski, whose team got 12 kills from junior outside hitter Maria Brown, eight kills and 10 blocks from 6-foot-3 senior Amanda Dolan and 17 digs from senior libero Morgan Commet to defeat Marist 25-19, 23-25, 25-21 in the championship of the Class 4A regional Thursday at Lincoln-Way North.

Does Benet have one more title in its future?

Chicago Sun-Times 2012 Top 10 Girls Volleyball Teams
(Last week's ranking in parenthesis)

1. Benet 33-2 (1)

Benet wrapped up the regular season with a 26-24, 25-21 victory over Providence Thursday. Cara Mattaliano and Brittany Pavich each had six kills. Nicki Barnes and Rachael Fara added four apiece. Hannah Kaminsky had 22 assists. Earlier in the week, Benet beat St. Viator 25-17, 25-5 behind Mattaliano's 12 kills and Kaminsky's 21 assists and three aces. Now the real fun begins for Benet, which faces a treacherous route to state that includes a probable regional championship match with homestanding Naperville Central and a sectional semifinal against Lauren Carlini and West Aurora (really, Yorkville is outside the "Chicagoland box?").

2. Mother McAuley 31-4 (2)

Michelle Konecki had 17 assists and nine digs for Mother McAuley, but it was not enough as the Mighty Macs fell to St. Ignatius 25-18, 15-25, 25-23 in the championship match of the GCAC Red tournament at Queen of Peace. Ryann DeJarld and Kennedy Arundel each had nine kills for the Mighty Macs. Carla Cahill had 21 digs. Earlier in the week, the Mighty Macs rallied from down a set to defeat Lyons 18-25, 25-13, 25-20. Meanwhile, Sandburg's late-season surge has made the teams' sectional semifinal match at Lincoln-Way Central very interesting. The Mighty Macs then would likely face Marist in the sectional finals, and if they survive that, enigmatic Hinsdale South in the supersectional at McAuley.

3. Marist 29-5 (3)

Mallory Salis had 12 kills and Taylor Holder added 13 assists and five digs as Marist took down Carmel 25-19, 25-21 in its East Suburban Catholic Conference finale Tuesday. The Redhawks closed out the regular season at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona over the weekend, where they won the Platinum division by beating St. Joseph's Academy. Tuesday, they will likely face Bloom in the regional semifinal at Lincoln-Way North before meeting Lincoln-Way Central in the regional final on Thursday. The Knights have been up and down since reaching the Mizuno Cup finals, losing to Sandburg and Lockport while beating LW East and Champaign Centennial.

4. Joliet Catholic 29-6 (4)

At least the IHSA put Joliet Catholic and St. Francis in opposite halves of the bracket at the Glenbard South sectional. The Angels did get a bad draw with a likely meeting with Providence in the regional finals at Lincoln-Way West, but 3A newcomer Immaculate Conception does not figure to be an overwhelming impediment in the sectional semifinals before the Angels hook up with St. Francis. Joliet Catholic wrapped up the regular season with a 25-27, 25-12, 25-18 victory over Marian Catholic behind Morgan Reardon's 17 kills and 26 assists and eight digs from Mallory Mangun.

5. New Trier 34-1 (5)

Tuesday's easy 25-13, 25-14 Central Suburban League victory over Evanston and a 25-13, 25-9 road victory at Niles West on Thursday kept New Trier's perfect season alive heading into Saturday's regular season-ending tournament at Lyons, where the Trevians lost to the hosts in pool play. New Trier rebounded to beat Normal 25-12, 25-10 for fifth place. Meanwhile, looking ahead, the Trevians should only face token resistance in the state tournament until running into Trinity in the sectional finals at Niles North and possibly Glenbard West in the supersectional at Niles West.

6. West Aurora 30-5 (6)

Naperville North's 25-13, 14-25, 25-23 victory over Naperville Central knocked the Redhawks out of the DuPage Valley Conference title picture and allowed West Aurora, a 25-13, 25-14 victor over West Chicago and an easy 25-6, 25-18 win over Glenbard East on Thursday, to win the league title outright. A sectional title may not be as easy as the Blackhawks must first get past a decent Rosary club in the regional finals and either top-ranked Benet or old nemesis Naperville Central in the sectional semifinals to advance deeper in the state tournament.

7. St. Francis 30-5 (7)

The Spartans reached the 30-win plateau for the 27th consecutive season with Wednesday's 25-11, 25-16 victory over Chicago Christian. McKenna Kelsay had 17 assists and three kills and Michelle McLaughlin added seven kills for the Spartans. But the Spartans cannot count on receiving as much help as they did from the Knights (16 errors in Game One) when the state tournament begins. Earlier in the week, McLaughlin had six kills and Sarah Dubiel added nine digs as St. Francis downed Aurora Central Catholic 25-12, 25-15. The Spartans will probably see Aurora Central catholic again in its regional opener Tuesday at IMSA.

Photo (left) by Jon Langham.

8. Glenbard West 32-2 (10)

After dropping their first two matches of the season and finishing sixth at Glenbard East two weeks ago, the Hilltoppers celebrated their first outright West Suburban Conference title since 1984 and a perfect loop through the league with a victory over visiting Proviso East on Thursday. "I know my girls are resilient," Glenbard West coach Pete Mastandrea said. "They understand they still have a ceiling that they can attain." Glenbard West is the top seed at the Elgin Larkin sectional and would likely face St. Charles North in a sectional semifinal before meeting either Geneva or St. Charles East in the sectional finals.

9. Libertyville 29-6 (8)

Defensive specialist Vicki Liu ignited Libertyville from the service line to lead the Wildcats to a 25-18, 25-16 victory over Lakes and their second North Suburban Conference title in three years. Kristen Webb had 21 digs, Cindy Zhou had 13 assists, Taylor Zant and Julie Smagacz each had five kills and Alex Basler added three kills. The road ahead is fraught with peril, as the hosts could push Libertyville in the Lake Zurich regional with Hersey awaiting in a sectional semifinal at Fremd. Stevenson, which Libertyville edged for the NSC division title but which defeated the Wildcats in a tournament title match Saturday, is the top seed at the Fremd sectional.

10. Sandburg 27-8 (NR)

David Vales is a master of getting his team ready to play at the end of the season. Wednesday's 25-20, 25-22 victory over Lincoln-Way Central for the Southwest Suburban Blue title was the Eagles 13th win in a row. Dakota Hampton led the way with 10 kills and 11 digs. Paige Bendell added 20 digs, 11 assists and 10 kills and Sami Knight distributed 14 assists. Can Sandburg keep the momentum heading into the state tournament? Sandburg will likely face Lincoln-Way East for the Eisenhower regional title and Mother McAuley in the Lincoln-Way Central sectional semifinals.

Others: Stevenson, Lincoln-Way Central, Naperville Central, Marian Catholic, Hinsdale South, Stagg, Naperville North, Prairie Ridge, St. Ignatius, Crystal Lake South, Providence, Hersey, Palatine, Richmond-Burton, Lockport, Trinity, Nazareth, Fremd, Crystal Lake Central, Jacobs, Lincoln-Way East, Rosary, Immaculate Conception, Chicago Christian, Lemont, DeLaSalle, Glenbard South, Timothy Christian, St Charles East, Cary-Grove, Montini, Downers Grove North.

Dominating in the desert: Mallory Salis, who was recently named "Player of the Year" in the East Suburban Catholic Conference after leading Marist to a 9-0 league record, was named the MVP of the 64-team NIKE National Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Ariz. last weekend. Marist went 5-0 at the tournament, defeating Valencia (Calif.) 25-19, 25-14; Desert Vista (Ariz.) 25-27, 25-23, 15-13; Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 25-18, 25-10; Basha (Ariz.) 25-16, 25-18; and St. Joseph Academy (Mo.) 25-19, 25-23 (championship). Joining Salis on the ESCC all-conference team were Rachel Dalton, Elyse Panick and Kelly Marcinek.

Fly like a (Golden) Eagle: Nicki Barnes, a 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter from Benet who plays club volleyball at 1st Alliance, has committed to play collegiately at Marquette University. "Marquette went to the top of my list the first time I visited," Barnes said. "It is the perfect fit for me academically, and I couldn't be more excited about the volleyball program. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to be a Golden Eagle." Barnes was thrust into a starting role following the graduation of Jenna Jendryk (Dayton) and Meghan Haggerty (Nebraska) and the transfer of junior Maddie Haggerty (St. Francis). "Nicki is a high level athlete who has worked very hard and played volleyball for an extremely long time," Benet coach Brad Baker said. "Nicki has the ability to hit a variety of shots and has a high level of understanding of the game. Marquette is lucky to be getting Nicki as she is a wonderful person who will make a great teammate and help the Marquette program become better."

Good things come to those who wait: St. Ignatius became the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division champion for the first time in school history last weekend, defeating Mt. Assisi, Resurrection, avenging a loss to De La Salle and beating Trinity to give head coach Erik Eastman and assistant coach Patty Ryan their 200th win since taking the program over in 2005. In the championship on Sunday, the Wolfpack defeated No. 2-ranked Mother McAuley 25-17, 15-25, 25-23. This was the first time in school history St. Ignatius has ever beaten the Mighty Macs and ended McAuley's 13-year reign as Red champions. It is the first small or large division title for the Wolfpack since 1987. Sophia Dodd was named GCAC Player of the Year and received her fourth All-GCAC nod. Camille Evans, Casey Harris and Jana Brusek were also named All-GCAC.