Volleyball: Marquette fends off tough Aurora Christian for regional title

AURORA – In the crowd milling around the floor of Aurora Christian’s Donald D. Davidson Gym looking for congratulatory hugs and photo ops, 81-year-old Jake Killelea was making his way toward his granddaughter, Marquette senior Kaylee Killelea, for just that purpose.

As he got closer, he paused to joke to passersby, “How was that for a stress test? I’m getting too old for this.”

Many would have to agree, no matter the person’s rooting interest, that while it was not a thing of beauty for either team, the fans certainly got their money’s worth in heart-stopping moments alone in the Crusaders’ incredibly intense 25-21, 27-29, 25-22 victory over the pesky host Eagles.

Marquette, which set the school record for wins in Wednesday’s three-set semifinal win over Indian Creek, served for the match three times in the second set but could not put the Eagles away.

Then, with the third and deciding set tied at 22, it took two AC errors around a kill by the younger Killelea to win its first regional crown since 2019 and gain a spot in next Monday’s 6 p.m. contest at the Forreston Sectional. There the Cru (32-6) will take on Hanover River Ridge, as the No. 6 seed defeated top-seeded Annawan in much easier fashion, 25-21, 25-10, in the title game of the Annawan Regional.

“You hate to see the match end on a lift call like that when both teams have been playing so hard,” Marquette coach Mindy McConnaughhay said of the final point, a lift by the Eagles, “but credit Aurora Christian. That is a terrific young team and they’re going to be good for years to come.

“I think we had to win this tonight to validate the record we set. I told them after we won last night and they were excited, but I told them the group in 2019 also won the regional, so they had to win tonight. … They got quiet, then laughed and came out determined to do this tonight.

“They stepped up, and while it wasn’t our prettiest game, it’s a win – a huge win – and I’m so proud of them tonight.”

Said Maera Jimenez, who posted 13 kills, three blocks and 12 assists for the winners, “For sure, 32 wins is better than 31. Having the record for wins wouldn’t have felt anywhere near as complete without the win tonight. Winning the regional shows that we deserve the record and that we can go even further and set an even bigger record.”

The first two sets were very much the same until the end, seesawing back and forth until, with the first game tied at 20, a tip by Mary Lechtenberg around a Killelea ace put Marquette in control.

In the second, it looked like the oft-tipping Crusaders would sweep when an Eva McCallum kill and an AC passing error put them on top 24-23, but kills by the Eagles’ Maddie Johnson and Joya Woodfork turned the tables, and a Johnson ace and a Cru lift evened the sets.

Marquette threatened to run away with the final game, taking leads of 8-3 and 17-11 before the Eagles rallied, tying the score on five points by Julia Waltmire. A miraculous save by AC libero Ashlyn Aseltine – sprinting well past the end line to retrieve a slam by McCallum – knotted it at 22-22.

A lift on the Eagles for sideout gave the Cru the serve, and Killelea cashed in a back-set by Jimenez for her 14th kill of the night to set up the final point. That came on another lift call on AC, which finished the season with a 15-18 mark.

“It was a shame to see it end the way it did. You want to see it end on a hard swing, even if it was out. It’s unfortunate,” an emotional Eagles coach Mayra Johnson said. “But it is what it is. We can’t go back. The girls did the best they could all night, all season, and played terrific tonight.

“We came in as underdogs all season, coming in off a 3-29 season last year, then coming into the regional as a No. 9 seed, but these girls have such fight and grit in them, and I’m so proud of what we did tonight. This is just the beginning for us. We’ll get it next year.”