Benet’s Gabby Stasys made a pit stop on her way to the Class 4A Bartlett Supersectional on Friday night.
It wasn’t to fill up the tank. Well, not the gas tank, at least.
“I stopped at the gas station before, and I got a Celsius,” Stasys said. “I drank it before the game, and I was like, ‘This is going to get me going.'”
Did it ever. Whether it was youthful enthusiasm or the energy drink that fueled her, Stasys boosted her team to victory with the greatest performance of her career.
The 6-foot-1 junior middle hitter recorded nine kills and four blocks, leading all players in both categories, as Benet swept New Trier 25-19, 25-14 to advance to the state semifinals for the ninth time in 15 seasons.
The Redwings (38-2) will play first-time semifinalist Willowbrook (39-1) at CEFCU Arena in Normal at 7 p.m. Nov. 10.
“I was just so excited,” Stasys said. “I didn’t want this to be our last game. I love this team, and I want to keep playing with them, and I want to win state.”
The Redwings might do just that if Stasys and her teammates play the way they did against New Trier (29-7), which played tough in the first set.
The Trevians led 14-11 when Stasys, a Yale commit, hammered her second kill of the set off a feed from sophomore setter Ellie Stiernagle. That ignited the Redwings, who went on a 14-4 run to close the set.
“I honestly didn’t even notice the score,” Stasys said. “I was trying not to look, but I knew we were down.
“I feel like everyone was so supportive. Whenever I got a kill, Aniya (Warren) and Ava (Novak) and everyone was just like pushing me around. Everyone was boosting each other up, and I really think that helped us.”
A block by Stasys gave Benet its first lead at 16-15. New Trier tied it at 18-18, but a hitting error gave the serve to Warren, an Indiana commit, and the junior libero served five consecutive points.
Two points later, Warren set sophomore right-side hitter Sophia Chinetti for the clinching kill.
The Redwings dominated the second set, taking an 11-3 lead on senior defensive specialist Christine Pullen‘s five-point serving run. Pullen led all players with nine service points, one more than Warren.
The defense — led by Pullen, Warren and junior defensive specialist Morgan Asleson, a Dayton recruit — was outstanding.
“I thought the defense was amazing,” Stasys said. “They made so many good hustle plays, stuff that I never thought anyone could get up. They kept getting the ball up.”
While the Redwings are dominant in the front with Stasys and 6-5 sophomore Lynney Tarnow, who had seven kills, Benet coach Brad Baker said everything is intertwined.
“We’ve got kids like Gabby and Lynney up front blocking, it makes the defense a little bit easier, right?” Baker said. “You touch a lot of balls, you can run them down, and our defenders are phenomenal. They never give up. They pursue everything. They play with high energy. It’s fun.”
The back line has been great all season, but this performance was next level. What was the impetus?
“Definitely a lot of fire lay in us today,” Pullen said. “We were just excited. We know that every single team that we play, we always know that they’re going to give their best. It could be everyone’s last game.”
It wasn’t Benet’s last, in part because Stasys had her best.
“Oh, my gosh, she was amazing, seriously amazing,” Pullen said. “I’ve never seen her play like that. She was phenomenal.”
The Redwings are two victories away from their fifth state championship since 2011. But it would be the first for everyone on the current roster, and this is the last chance for Pullen and Novak.
“It means so much,” Pullen said. “Last year, we lost in the championship, so we’re excited to get an opportunity to go back. This is my last year that we get to do this, so I want to make the last year the best year.”
Will a Celsius be part of the preparation?
“Oh, yeah,” Stasys said. “I have to get it.”
So will some of her teammates.
“We like to drink those a lot,” Pullen said. “A lot of us drink one before every game, or at least some type of caffeine.”
That’s fine with Baker.
“We’re not superstitious, but we do believe in rituals,” he said. “If you do something and play well, let’s continue to do it.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
