Marian rolls to state

Marian Central celebrates winning the IHSA Class 3A volleyball Woodstock North Supersectional plaque after they defeated Carmel, 2-0. (Jenny Kane - jkane@shawmedia.com)

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WOODSTOCK – Sometimes confidence is born from doubt, and Saturday night Marian Central’s volleyball team showed what can happen when just a little belief takes hold.

Riding a wave of momentum that began in early October and will conclude next weekend, Marian Central took down Carmel, 25-18, 25-21, in the IHSA Class 3A Woodstock North Supersectional to advance to the Class 3A state semifinals for the second consecutive season.

Marian Central will face Marian Catholic of Chicago Heights at 6 p.m. Friday at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena in Normal.

The Hurricanes finished third at the state finals last year.

No one outside the program questioned whether another trip to the state semifinals this year were possible, but outside looking in is a difficult way to gain perspective.

In September when things were more roller coaster than steady, the Hurricanes didn’t think this berth was attainable.

“If you would have asked us at the beginning of the season if we were going back to state the answer was, ‘Absolutely not, but we’ll give it our best shot,’ ” senior setter Abby Gilleland said. “It’s phenomenal.”

Marian Central’s talent is obvious. The Hurricanes (34-6) have one of the best setters in the nation in Gilleland, two of the area’s best outside hitters in Emma Hussey and Tara Blake, a middle hitting star in Meredith Patterson and a scrappy back row that never quits, anchored by libero Caitlin Brocker.

But talent and confidence aren’t mutually exclusive.

“It’s a different dynamic and different chemistry [than last year], and in the beginning I don’t know if the girls really believed they could do it again,” Marian Central coach Laura Watling said. “You kind of start thinking, ‘We’re good, but we’re not that good.’ As the year went on they really started to believe it.”

There was no denying the Hurricanes believed they could beat Carmel (27-14). Carmel went ahead 6-5 in the first set but Marian Central went on a 12-3 run that included kills from Hussey and Blake to take a 17-9 advantage and force a Carmel timeout.

Patterson (nine kills) closed out the first game with back-to-back decisive kills, one on a slide and the other a stuff between two Carmel blockers.

Carmel led, 5-1, in the second game before Marian Central put together a 8-1 run that made it 9-6. Hussey played a particularly inspired sequence, knocking down four kills to terminate every time Gilleland set her.

“I was just thinking that this could be my last game and I think that before every game since I’m not going to play in college,” Hussey said. “It’s a lot of motivation for me.”

The Corsairs made the Hurricanes wait to get match point, rattling off three points late to make it 24-21.

Blake left the game when Marian Central led, 23-17, because she felt dizzy, but she re-entered after Carmel right side hitter Megan Mowery terminated to make it 24-21.

Blake hit the match-ending kill to set off the celebration the Hurricanes had questioned they’d get.

“It feels awesome,” said Blake, who said she was feeling fine after being light-headed momentarily.

“We’re trying to build our program here, so to do this two years in a row is great.”