Sectional Semi-Final Highlights vs Sandburg

Veronica Snelling looked well Tuesday, which was bad news for Sandburg. A bad back kept Benet's junior outside hitter out of a few matches toward the end of the season, and she is still limited in practice. Her left arm was lightning, though, in Benet's 25-21, 25-19 win over Sandburg at the Class 4A Lyons Sectional semifinals. "We're all back now and ready to go," Snelling said. "I'm fine." Snelling backed up her words with eight kills, second to Tiffany Clark's nine for top-seeded Benet (36-2). The Redwings advanced to play Mother McAuley in Thursday's sectional final. Clark herself has been bothered by a nagging heel injury, but she knows now is not the time for excuses. "It's been a really long season, but we're holding on," said Clark, a Michigan recruit. "Just a couple more matches. We have to suck it up." Snelling's opportunities were few in Game 1.

Sandburg (30-8) eventually paid for the inactivity.  Her blast from the left side staked Benet to a 6-3 lead. Moments later, Snelling unloaded on a monster shot off a helpless Sandburg defender. She did the same later, her sixth kill of the game gave Benet a match point at 24-17. "Adrenaline can keep you going in a match like this," Benet coach Brad Baker said. "It's how you feel the next day is what we're concerned with with her. But she looked good." Benet advanced to its ninth straight sectional final, and a two-game win over Sandburg in September suggested Tuesday's win would come easy. The Eagles, though, proved no easy foil. Slow-starting Benet trailed 7-6 early in Game 1 after a kill by Sandburg's Caroline Stefanon. After a Benet sideout, middle Lina Lietkuvninkas put down a kill, setter Sara Nielsen dropped in one, then set up Lauren Berta for a quick-set kill. Another Berta quick-set kill finished off the 8-0 run, and Benet was home free in the first game, up 16-8. "People are going to have runs in these kinds of matches. We're going to have runs, they're going to have runs," Baker said. "It's how you react to other people's runs."

Benet again trailed early in Game 2 at 10-9, but that didn't last long. After a timeout, Gretchen Rudel crushed a back-row attempt, and Snelling whistled a shot down the line. Clark and Snelling kills broke an 11-11 deadlock. "We always know any team we are going to play will come out with a ton of energy. We have to match that," Snelling said. "Second game, we had to clean things up. We knew what we needed to fix." Lauren Barnes had 14 digs, Clark 13 and Nielsen 24 assists for Benet, which can now turn its attention to an opponent it knows well. Benet beat McAuley in an epic 27-25, 37-35 supersectional last year en route to the 4A championship, but lost to the Mighty Macs 28-26, 25-11 in the Autumnfest final in October. Snelling, though, missed that match with her back injury. "We know what to expect," Snelling said. "We're going to come out with a lot of energy and play hard. We like playing in those big matches. We're going to be ready."