Jendryk leads Benet to title

Updated: September 17, 2011 8:56PM

Jenna Jendryk insisted she wasn’t thinking about Benet’s excrutiating three-set loss to Hinsdale South in last year’s sectional championship when the two teams meet Saturday in the championship of the Wheaton Classic at Wheaton Warrenville South.

She was adamant that Saturday’s Homecoming dance at her high school wasn’t a factor either, although most of the Redwings’ seniors ran out of the gym and headed to the showers moments after the match concluded.

No, this was just another match, Jendryk said.

“I tried to avoid thinking about last year just because they are bad memories and I wouldn’t be able to play well tonight,” she said. “I was just trying to think that it’s the championship match and I want to play well.”

No matter what Jendryk was thinking Saturday, she played as if the match was the only thing on her mind.

Jendryk, named the tournament MVP, had nine kills, two aces and two blocks and four other players had at least three kills each as No. 1 Benet defeated Hinsdale South 25-16, 25-22 to win the prestigious 24-team tournament.

“I think as a team we played well tonight, and hopefully it continues,” Jendryk said. “I think as the season goes on we’re getting better and better.”

Jendryk’s aces were part of a 5-0 run in Game 1 that helped Benet (14-1) extend a 16-12 lead. Sophomore Maddie Haggerty and Jendryk each had three kills in the first game and sophomore Brittany Pavich chipped in with two kills and two blocks.

“We came out as a team in the first game and focused really hard,” Haggerty said. “But we knew the first game wasn’t (Hinsdale South’s) best game and we were ready for them to play even harder in Game 2.”

In Game 2, Hinsdale South (10-5) grabbed an early 6-3 lead and were still within 12-10 on a dump kill by setter Sharon Anderson before Benet eased to an 18-14 lead on a slam off the block by the Virginia Tech-bound Jendryk.

The Hornets closed to within 24-22 on another dump by Anderson and a kill by Rachel Kent, but Jendryk’s block on match point stifled the comeback.

“You know the other team is going to have some extra motivation after you beat them in the first game, and you’ve got to make sure you can match that or get above that in the second game,” Benet coach Brad Baker said.

“It’s easy to think things are going to be easy like it was in the first game,” he added. “You have to get your energy up. I thought our energy was good in the second game. We were able to maintain that after a long day and played well.”

Maddie Haggerty and Nora Young each had five kills and Meghan Haggerty had three kills and three blocks for Benet, which advanced to the finals by beating Hinsdale Central 25-19, 25-17 and Naperville North 25-12, 25-23.

Jessica Brezwyn and Rachel Kent each had six kills for Hinsdale South, which defeated Sandburg 25-20, 25-20 in the semifinals after the Eagles stunned previously unbeaten Marist 25-20, 25-21 in their first match of the day.

“(The season is) a marathon,” Hinsdale South coach Lisa Martinez said. “We’re still running and we’re going to keep running. Unforced errors (aren’t good), they are the nature of volleyball, but unforced errors are fixable.

“Benet is always going to be bigger than us, more athletic than us, they’re always going to have those things over us,” she added. “But if we eliminate some of the things were doing, it’s going to be different match. I’m not saying a different outcome, but different scores.”

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