Marist knew they could do it, even if few outsiders did.
The RedHawks were supposed to lose during several legs of the Class 4A postseason bracket but never did. They defied the doubters, all the way up to and including a 2-1 win over Benet Academy Nov. 16 at CEFCU Arena in Normal.
“The mindset was just ‘Fight.’ That’s something we say a lot, especially once the playoffs started,” junior Cassidy Cage, a Homewood resident, said. “We were the underdogs and people didn’t expect us to win that match. We just said ‘As long as we fight, whatever result we get, just know that we left it all on the floor.’”
Marist (32-9) was the underdog in more than one postseason match. It beat top seed Mother McAuley in the sectional final 25-20, 25-17. It beat traditional powers Normal West and then Lockport in the super sectional and state semifinal before taking on Benet.
“That McAuley game, no one thought we would win that one, either. So, after that it was just like ‘Fight to the end, no matter what anybody else thinks,’” Cage said. “It’s really about what we think and we believe we can do. We all believed we could win and we could change the minds of others.”
That Benet match wasn’t easy. The Redwings won the first set 19-25, controlling things early. Cage said there may have been some state championship nerves.
“I don’t think we played bad in that first set, we just had a few errors that once we got the jitters out, our coverage got way better and our blocking got better, our set up to dig,” she said. “I think we just all played as a cohesive team in that second and third set.”
Marist finished the second set on a 6-0 run to take it 25-16. Bella Bullington had four kills in those final six points.
That gave the RedHawks confidence, Cage said, and they took the next one 25-19.
“Our mentality shifted (after that first set). This is what we fought for. This is not how we wanted to go down,” Cage said.
Cage said Marist built chemistry and camaraderie throughout the season, fighting through injuries and the ups and downs of a season that didn’t progress in a straight line.
“The biggest thing we had is that trust factor with each other. I think we really built that throughout the season,” Cage said. “We knew we could rely on each other and that really helped us push forward.”
Related story:
- Homewood resident Cage making volleyball run with Marist (Nov. 6, 2024).