So many swings. So many incredible digs by Joliet West.
Mother McAuley’s Ellie White isn’t used to being denied, denied, denied.
But the junior outside hitter is not a quitter. And she didn’t quit Friday night.
“They had a really strong defense,” White said. “I had to keep my options open. Hit shots, hit corners. I just had to mix it up.”
And keep swinging.
The Michigan recruit got enough of them down to lift the Mighty Macs to a tough 25-18, 25-19 victory in the Class 4A Eisenhower Supersectional in Blue Island.
White led the Mighty Macs (38-3) with 12 kills and 10 digs. Ellery Rees added six kills, while Sydney Buchanan contributed four kills and seven digs. Olivia Klapp had 12 assists and Gigi Navarrete made 16 digs.
Ava Grevengoed, Gabby Piazza and Natalia Harris each had six kills for Joliet West (29-11). Olivia Baxter made 15 digs.
Mother McAuley will play St. Charles East (33-7) at 8:30 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals at Illinois State’s Redbird Arena in Normal.
It will be the last stop on a rough road.
“We knew it would be tough,” White said. “People put standards and expectations on us. That’s really hard on us. But we pushed through mentally and emotionally and physically.”
White had 36 swings against Joliet West. The Tigers’ defense, led by Baxter and Ashlyn Noon, made her look for options from start to finish.
Their last dig against her in the second game was a pretty pickup from the floor. But White got the ball right back, and this time knocked down the defender in the back row, to make it 24-18.
“I always want the ball,” White said, smiling. “I always want to get that kill. It felt good.”
The 12 kills pushed White past the 500 mark for the season.
In a word? Mighty Macs coach Jen DeJarld found one.
“Amazing,” DeJarld said. “They had a big block on her, but she worked it out. There were times when she was trying to avoid the block and I told her, ‘Don’t avoid the block. Just hit their high hands.’
“The thing about Ellie is that she keeps her focus. When she makes an error, she just focuses on the next play. She is an example for our whole team as someone who can rebound after a mistake.”
And find other ways to contribute.
White was part of the defensive play of the match.
Joliet West was trying to rally late in the second game when a hit that looked like it would drop was saved by Navarrete.
The ball caromed toward the McAuley bench, but White sprinted after it and sent it toward the net. Buchanan, lunging toward the floor, brought the ball up and over the net.
McAuley would get the point.
“I knew the ball wasn’t right in the middle of the court where I wanted it to be,” Navarrete said. “But I knew our team was going to grab it.
“The fun and exciting part of the game is you never really give up on a ball. Especially with defenders like we have, that can make a huge difference against other teams.”
On the biggest night so far this season, White was the epitome of pushing on.
“Ellie just never gives up,” Navarrete said. “She relies on me and our back row to lift her up. And she even lifts herself up.
“She’s not that person to be a Debbie Downer. We always remind her how great she is and how powerful she is. It’s just awesome that she does what she does.”
And the mission continues.
“Climbing to the top, living in the moment, is the best part of the journey,” Navarrete said. “And we’re not done yet.”
