Heading into their final home game of the season, the Benet Academy Redwings were considered one of the best high school girls’ volleyball teams in the country. With a 33-0 record, they were placed as the third best volleyball team in the country, according to MaxPreps. At their Senior Night, Benet was set to face off against Nazareth Academy at home. Although often deemed intense conference rivals in sports like girls’ basketball and baseball, the difference between Benet and Nazareth was stark in terms of girls’ volleyball. Before this game, Nazareth Academy lost every game it played in the competitive East Suburban Catholic Conference and was 3-28 prior to the matchup.

St. Ronald’s Gymnasium was filled with a favorable home crowd of over two hundred Benet students dressed in Halloween costumes, the ‘theme’ of the game. Ten of the seventeen rostered players on the varsity team were celebrated during this senior night. All of these seniors had received offers to play volleyball at the collegiate level, and six out of these ten players had already committed to playing Division 1 Volleyball. Aniya Warren, one of the breakout stars in the girls’ volleyball class of 2025, decided to announce her commitment to the University of Wisconsin-Madison several weeks after this game. Middle blocker Gabriele Stasys has committed to playing at Yale University in Connecticut, while Morgan and Audrey Asleson plan to play at the universities of Dayton and Colorado-Boulder, respectively. Other seniors were also elated to have their talents recognized and nurtured at the collegiate level; senior transfer student from Lemont, Keira O’Donnell, is going to Southern Mississippi, and senior Sophia Pursley will be attending the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Facing the supportive crowd, the Redwings triumphed over the Roadrunner volleyball team. While Nazareth made inroads with an early rally in the first set, the prowess of Benet Academy eventually turned the tides, securing victory in a 25 – 16 score. However, the second set was much more indicative of the extreme talent of Benet’s players, with Nazareth being soundly defeated in a 25 – 7 thumping. The end result of the match was Benet Academy girl’s volleyball, winning both sets in a 2 – 0 victory.

Many seniors were both saddened by this being the last Girls Volleyball game at home and hopeful that the Redwings could make a deep run in the IHSA State tournament. Senior Ethan Mendez in particular had kind words, stating that “Aniya played this game to near perfection. I can’t wait to see how she performs in the future!”. The victory gave hope to supporters of the girls volleyball team, with students saying “State is Fate” as a sign of support to the senior members. The Benet community, as always, continues to be inspired by the dedication that its student-athletes dedicate to their sports