Things couldn’t have been much more out of sync.
Mother McAuley was down by six points. Half of the loyal supporters were still on a bus, having gone to the wrong school.
Senior middle hitter Ellery Rees was about to go into the match. She needed … the Mighty Macs needed … something.
“I just remember sitting on the bench and turning to Lucy Maloney,” Rees said of her sophomore teammate. “I just said, ‘Let’s go. Let’s turn this around.’
“Everyone looked a little scared, which is OK because it was still the beginning. But when I went in there, I knew I had to be confident and play how I know how to play.”
The Alabama-bound Rees clearly changed the tide Friday night as McAuley rallied to beat Normal West 25-19, 25-21 in the Class 4A Normal Community Supersectional.
Michigan recruit Ellie White led the Mighty Macs (35-5) with 11 kills and nine digs. Sydney Buchanan added six kills, while Peyton Heatherly contributed 21 assists and Sam Falk made 14 digs.
Avery Feltes paced Normal West (35-5) with eight kills and Reanne Cupples added 14 assists, but McAuley will play Barrington (35-5) at 8:30 p.m. Friday in a state semifinal match at Illinois State’s CEFCU Arena.
McAuley trailed 10-4 in the first game when the 6-foot-3 Rees entered for her rotation.
Normal West held a 12-5 lead when her first kill attempt dropped in just in front of the back line. Two rallies later, she tipped down an overpass. Next, she blocked a shot straight down.
The service run by Abbey Williams didn’t stop until the Mighty Macs led 16-12.
Whatever jitters there were, Rees made them go away.
“Yes, I was nervous,” said Heatherly, the freshman setter. “But I knew when Ellery came in, she was super confident, super positive. I just knew I had to feed her the ball so we could get back into the lead.
“Ellery is such a positive player. She’s someone I always look up to. I know whenever I’m with her, we’ll score points and have a good time.”
After missing nary a beat during a 25-11, 25-19 win over archrival Marist in the sectional final, the Mighty Macs had their struggles against Normal West.
Beyond the heroics by Rees, both White and Buchanan swung away in a tight second game. Normal West kept rallying and forced a 20-20 tie before Buchanan put down two kills. White and Mary Claire Deacy each had one.
McAuley coach Jen DeJarld was more than OK with the challenge.
“You know what, it’s like survive and advance, right?” DeJarld said. “There are times when you’re shaky. It was hard to come off that big win against Marist, knowing we had to do it all over again.
“The atmosphere was different. The gym was a little different. The drive. Everything falls into it. It’s not easy. And getting to state three years in a row isn’t easy. I’m glad we struggled a bit going into next weekend because it’s good to push through those struggles and find a way.”
The one who found the way when it mattered the most was a relative. Rees is DeJarld’s niece.
“Since Ellery was a kid, she has always demonstrated poise under pressure,” DeJarld said. “When I used to watch her play basketball, she wasn’t the star, but under great pressure she could do smart things with the ball.
“She never threw the ball away. She always did the right thing. I noticed even then how calm and stable minded she can be. And I think it was that way (Friday night).”
She had to know that Aunt Jen was proud.
“I think so,” Rees said, smiling. “It’s tough playing for her, but it’s a lot of fun and very rewarding. And going to state, it’s definitely something I’ve been dreaming about forever.
“To get to do it twice is incredible. I’m just super proud of our team.”
