NORMAL — Warriors never go down quietly.
Not the ones with big hearts, anyway.
To that end, Joliet Catholic senior Ava Neuschwander certainly felt hers pounding as the second game of Friday’s Class 3A state semifinal match was slipping away.
“I just felt a wave come over me like, ‘No, this isn’t happening,'” Neuschwander said. “I wanted to do as much as I could for my team to get points on the board.
“I felt the sense of urgency.”
More Top Picks Best Drip Irrigation Kits For Raised Beds
No one could question the Carthage recruit’s effort after the Angels lost 25-17, 25-22 to archrival Wheaton St. Francis at Illinois State’s Redbird Arena.
Neuschwander finished with a team-high eight kills for Joliet Catholic (23-18). Olivia Chovanec contributed six kills, while Ellie Blotnik added four kills and eight digs. Jessica Horn had 21 assists and Allie Wuestenfeld made 10 digs.
Addy Horner led Wheaton St. Francis (29-12) with 13 kills. KK Dumpit dished out 12 assists, while Anna Paquette had nine digs.
Joliet Catholic will play Taylorville (30-10-1) at 4 p.m. Saturday in the third-place match. Taylorville lost 25-19, 25-13 to Nazareth in the other semifinal.
Neuschwander, a 5-foot-11 middle hitter, is finishing her two-year varsity career with a flourish. Her eight kills pushed her to 176 for the season.
The last three were pretty dramatic.
The Angels trailed 22-16 in the second game when Neuschwander earned the side out with a slice for the kill. Blotnik followed with another before Neuschwander went back-to-back with beautifully placed tips.
“Well, I had a lot of motivation,” Neuschwander said. “Knowing this was my second-to-last high school match, I just fought for the team and to contribute whatever I could.”
Blotnik’s clutch kill wasn’t surprising, either. She has learned from a warrior.
“Ava has always been a role model — someone I could look up to,” Blotnik said. “I want to be just as strong as her when I’m a senior. I want to have just as much leadership as her.
“I knew that no matter what we played like, what we started like, I knew the minute she stepped on the court, she wanted it. I expected nothing less.”
Neither did Joliet Catholic’s supporters.
Early in the match, Neuschwander had four quick kills, prompting the student section to chant, “You can’t stop her.”
It was far from the first time she had heard it.
“It’s great,” Neuschwander said, laughing. “I’m very fortunate to go to a school that’s so supportive for every game.
“It definitely motivated me a lot. It helped me realize that I’m not just playing for myself, but I’m playing for my team and my school.”
Joliet Catholic coach Kisha Cameron called Neuschwander “steady as rain.”
More Top Picks Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet
“I know that Ava is going to come out and do what she can for the team,” Cameron said. “It’s been incredible for me to coach Ava for all four years at JCA.
“To see her go from where she started as a freshman to where she is as a senior blows my mind sometimes. To see her demanding the ball and putting it down, and yelling ‘Let’s go’ in the huddle, has been a lot of fun.”
So would taking home a third-place medal.
“It would be massive, the size of this building,” said Cameron, whose Angels lost 25-20, 26-24 to Normal West last year and finished fourth. “This team is better than what we played like here. They have worked so hard, and I know that this wasn’t the way they wanted this match to go.
“I’m hopeful they can recover from this game because it didn’t define their season. I don’t want a repeat. I want them to feel better about it. I’m proud of the progress they’ve made. And they can do better.”