Girls Volleyball: Hattie Monson showcases skills, but Benet is no match for Marist in state semifinal

NORMAL — Benet junior Hattie Monson quickly dove to her right to attempt to slow down Marist’s run.

With Marist relying on a solid defense, coupled with a barrage of big-time hitters, the Redwings were struggling to avoid a quick two-set defeat in Friday’s Class 4A state semifinal at Redbird Arena.

When Monson was unable to pick up the late dig in the second set that allowed a service ace point, several Redwings shook their head in amazement over Marist’s stunning display of all-around play.

In the rubber match between East Suburban Catholic Conference elite programs, Marist rode a powerful offense to a surprisingly quick 25-18, 25-15 win in the first 4A semifinal. The RedHawks (38-3) seek their second straight title in Saturday's title match against Downers Grove North.

The Redwings (38-3) have to settle for attempting to earn their first-ever third-place trophy in Saturday’s 7:25 p.m. match against Prairie Ridge.

“Obviously, it was not our “A” game,” Benet coach Brad Baker said. “[Marist] had theirs, and we didn’t…You want to bring and play your best in this biggest moments. We proved all season long that we can, but give credit to Marist, they took it to us. They sided out at a monster rate. They outpassed us, beat us in every aspect of the game.”

Marist broke open the match midway through the first set. With the score tied at 14-14, Marist junior outside hitter Maddie Arundel pounded down a kill that sparked a game-changing four-point run.

“They had a run, got a couple of blocks and we made a few errors that gave them some momentum,” Baker said. “They ran with it. We were not able to pull ourselves out of it.”

Benet entered the semifinal attempting to win the program’s fourth state title. In their first state appearance since 2014, the Redwings had trouble stopping Marist’s offensive attack.

The RedHawks, ranked No. 21 nationally by PrepVolleyball.com, tallied 26 kills en route to finishing with a .254 hitting percentage. Arundel paced the RedHawks with nine kills and five digs.

“They have some strong hitters, and that’s definitely one of their strengths,” Monson said.

Monson, a Notre Dame recruit, showed why she’s among the best in her position. With the Redwings, ranked No.37 by PrepVolleyball.com, battling to build momentum throughout both sets, Monson’s repeated highlight-reel digs energized her teammates and the throng of Benet fans. The 5-foot-6 junior finished with 14 digs, while Ally Van Eekeren, a Creighton recruit, tallied 19 assists. Sophomore outside hitter Kyla Kenney collected a team-high eight kills.

Kenney said Marist’s middle hitters put up a superb effort to help end the Redwings’ quest for a state title.

“The second time we played them [this year] there were a lot more hitting than blocking,” she said. “Tonight, they were right there and closed the block. I didn’t really have many shots.”