Mater Dei can't slow Joliet Catholic

Joliet Catholic's Gina Vera (right) attempts to block a spike from Morgan Dall of Mater Dei.
(Patrick Gleason/For the Sun-Times News Group)

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NORMAL -- Even when its leading hitter is fighting a cold, a migraine and a mighty block, Joliet Catholic is difficult to beat.

Four Angels not named Annemarie Hickey had at least four kills and Joliet Catholic rallied from a 19-14 deficit in Game 2 to defeat Breese Mater Dei 25-19, 25-23 Friday at Redbird Arena and advance to today’s 5:30 p.m. Class 3A championship game.

Hickey, who had 18 kills in the supersectional against St. Francis, had just seven kills against Mater Dei and struggled hitting into the Breese block.

“(Getting blocked) kind of stinks,” Hickey said. “But I rely on my team a lot. Lainey (Wyman), Claire (Randich), my sister Katie (Hickey) ... even though I was struggling a little bit, I knew they would pull me through.”

Hickey’s hitting error gave Breese (35-6) a 19-14 lead in Game 2. But that’s when Joliet Catholic setter Gina Vera rallied the troops.

“I had flashbacks to games where we trailed like 20-12 and came back to win,” Vera said. “I just told everyone that they can do it, that I needed them in this game. We have a great opportunity and I didn’t want it to slip away.”

A pair of kills by Annemarie Hickey narrowed Breese’s lead to 21-19, a kill by Alyssa Warren (four kills) got Joliet Catholic even at 22-22, and kills by Wyman (five kills) and Warren sent the Angels into the title match.

“We got into a little bit of a passing funk in Game 2,” Joliet Catholic coach Chris Scheibe said. “But I was only slightly worried because this team has the ability to come back. We settled down and started passing better, and slowly but surely got back into it.”

Laura Thole led Mater Dei with five kills and Morgan Dall added four kills. Vera had 21 assists for Joliet Catholic (38-3), and Katie Hickey added four kills.