Nov. 14--NORMAL, Ill. -- The Bloomington Central Catholic volleyball team's short trip home from the state tournament might include a few extra stops.
And some additional hardware.
The Saints captured the program's first state title with a 25-20, 25-21 win against previously undefeated Orion in the Class 2A final Saturday at Redbird Arena. Bloomington Central, which is located five miles away from the Illinois State campus, finished third in 2003 (Class A) and 2010 (Class 2A).
"We might make our trip home a lot longer than it really is now," Central Catholic coach J.R. Banister said.
The Saints (35-5) capped an unlikely journey to their first state championship by winning their final 26 matches following a 9-5 start. Maddie Holt netted 26 assists and 14 digs, and Kate Hoerdemann contributed 18 digs and seven kills for the Saints.
Orion (40-1) saw its undefeated season end in a host of errors. The Chargers finished with 16 kills and 12 hitting errors, with Ashton Lee leading the team with nine kills.
"I couldn't be prouder of these girls," Orion coach Jack Wheeler said. "They played a great match. Bloomington was a little better than we were. We never quit. I'm proud of what these girls accomplished this season. It was a record-setting season for Orion."
In the 2A third-place match, Timothy Christian concluded its firststate appearance by defeating Shelbyville 25-17, 19-25, 25-23. The Trojans (37-5) also set a school record for most wins in a season after posting a 36-3 mark last season. Sophomore Tracy Westra had seven kills, six assists and eight digs, and junior Ava Venema added nine kills.
"There's a learning curve to playing down here," Timothy Christian coach Scott Piersma said. "It's definitely a different stage for these girls. I'm happy they performed well. I'm proud they were able to regroup and wanted this game. Only two teams win their last match."
The Trojans netted 36 kills and five aces, with senior setter Dani Van Laten recording 23 assists, eight digs and four kills.
"This year making it downstate was good, and I'm so excited that we were able to get third," Van Laten said.
In Class 1A, Lanark Eastland cruised to its third state title with a 25-16, 25-16 win against Cissna Park. The Cougars (40-1-1) also won championships in 2008 and 2009. Cassidy Logemann tallied 10 kills and five digs, and Makenzie Fink finished with 10 kills for the Cougars.
"I think they just set a goal to win state since seventh grade," Eastland coach Kristy Pierce said. "They really wanted it and worked hard, and they have that extra hunger from last year."
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Player of the match: Maddie Holt, Bloomington Central, 26 assists, 14 digs.
Key performers: Bloomington Central -- Kate Hoerdemann, 7 kills, 18 digs; Erika Moore, 16 digs, 6 kills. Orion -- Ashton Lee, 9 kills, 11 digs; Macy Hancock, 15 assists.
