Benet upend tough Joliet Catholic squad

Updated: October 13, 2011 9:07PM

It’s tough enough being outsized by a team like Benet, but with 5-foot-11 senior outside hitter Kelly Feigh sidelined by back spasms, Joliet Catholic was also outmanned Thursday in Lisle.

However, the Angels got no sympathy from the Redwings.

No. 4 Benet (25-3, 6-2 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference) got eight kills and two blocks from 6-3 middle Meghan Haggerty, six kills and a block from 6-2 sophomore middle Brittany Pavich, and seven kills and three blocks from 6-foot outside Jenna Jendryk to defeat Joliet Catholic 25-15, 25-19.

“Both of our middles were big tonight,” Benet coach Brad Baker said. “They hit a combined .600. They were big. One of our goals is to get our middles involved because it makes it easier for everyone else. If you give our outsides and our pin players one-on-ones, there aren’t too many teams that can stop them.

“We need to get our middles going, and if we get them going and they just keep going, then we just keep going, too,” he added. “Until the other team proves they can stop them, then we spread the ball to someone else.”

Pavich had a block and a kill early in Game One as Benet raced to an 8-2 lead. She also had a kill and a block as part of a 10-2 run in Game Two that allowed Benet to erase an 8-6 deficit.

“Brittany has found her niche,” Baker said. “She hits a couple of shots very well, and we use her on those types of shots over and over and over again. But they knew it was coming and they still had trouble stopping it.

“That’s the thing,” the coach said. “Even when people know and you can still score, you know you’re doing things right.”

Pavich downplayed her role in Thursday’s win, but said the match was important to help Benet maintain the momentum it gained last weekend at the St. Charles East tournament.

“Hannah (junior setter Kaminsky) was giving us some great sets, and it ended up working,” Pavich said. “It was good to come out and beat them. We’re going to be in a tournament with them this weekend and it gives us a lot of confidence going in coming off a win.”

On the other side of the court, Benet’s size and the absence of Feigh were the least of the Angels’ problems, said Joliet Catholic coach Christine Scheibe.

“When you can’t pass the ball to target to run your own offense, and the rest of the balls we were getting in the air weren’t good, so when you can’t run an offense and put pressure on a team like that and they can just run their offense at will, you’re not going to win against a team like that,” she said.

“We were definitely outsized, then to have 200 of my kills (Feigh) sitting on the bench, it makes it for a rough night,” Scheibe added.

The loss dropped Joliet Catholic to 24-4 overall and 7-1 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference with one match remaining against Marist. Benet won despite playing without 6-3 middle Gabby Pethokoukis, who fell ill at practice Wednesday.

But Benet got no sympathy from Scheibe.

“That doesn’t count,” Scheibe said. “When you’re talking about Benet, that doesn’t count. We were counting the other night. Benet has eight girls 6-foot or taller on their roster, so I started counting. I haven’t had eight in my career at Joliet Catholic. Seriously, I’ve only had seven girls in my whole career.

“So when you have that to compete with, it’s kind of difficult sometimes,” she added.

Morgan Reardon led the Angels with seven kills, Emily Schoenstedt had 10 assists, Haley Pennington had five kills and three blocks and Jill Hickey added nine digs.

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