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The 2011 IHSA Girls Volleyball State Finals will unfold on Friday and  Saturday, November 11-12 at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University. The 38th annual state tournament will crown champions in Class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A. The 2011 edition marks the 22nd season that Redbird Arena will serve as the host and the fifth year of the four-class system. The 16-team field features a pair of defending state champions (Chicago Christian-2A, Mater Dei-3A), five other teams who were state qualifiers a year ago (Springfield Lutheran-1A, St. Teresa-2A, Breese Central-2A, Marian Central Catholic-3A, Cary-Grove-4A), a pair of first-time qualifiers (Gibault-1A, Marist-4A) and two of the most successful programs in state history (Mt. Pulaski-1A, St. Francis-3A). All eight matches on both days of the tournament will be webcast live with full video and audio free of charge on IHSA.tv, as Jon Versteeg and Scott Slocum bring viewers the play-by-play from Normal. Carrie Proseck will join the broadcast booth on Saturday to provide analysis of the state championship matches.
CLASS 1A
GIBAULT CATHOLIC LADY HAWKS (30-8) vs.
DAKOTA LADY INDIANS (39-1)
SPRINGFIELD LUTHERAN CRUSADERS (35-3) vs.
MT. PULASKI LADY TOPPERS (25-15)
Gibault has cruised through the postseason en route to its first state final appearance, winning all five State Series matches in two games, with its stiffest challenge coming during a 25-21 game two victory in the Regional Semifinals. Awaiting the Lady Hawks is a Dakota squad that has won 19 straight matches overall and had its lone loss of the season come against a 3A squad. The other half of the bracket features a Springfield Lutheran squad making its second straight state final trip after placing third in Class 1A a year ago. Mt. Pulaski rounds out the Class 1A field, as the Lady Toppers vie for their third state title in the school’s 13th trip to state, all of which have come under the watch of revered coach Donna Dulle, who is closing in on becoming the third coach in state history to win 1,000 career matches.
CLASS 2A
ST. TERESA BULLDOGS (33-3) vs.
QUINCY NOTRE DAME RAIDERS (26-9)
CHICAGO CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS (22-18) vs.
BREESE CENTRAL COUGARS (32-8)
St. Teresa made its first state final a trip a year ago, pushing eventual state champ Chicago Christian to three games in the semifinals, and returns with nearly its entire squad from 2010 intact. Quincy Notre Dame has three girls volleyball state championships in its trophy case, but is making its first state final trip since 2003. Six of the current Raiders were a part of the school’s girl’s basketball team that won a state title at Redbird Arena last February. Chicago Christian has reloaded to make its third state trip in a row and is back to defend its crown, as the Knights rugged conference schedule has prepared it for the postseason grind once again. Breese Central fell to Chicago Christian in three games in the title match a year ago and will look to avenge the defeat in the semis behind a veteran lineup that starts four seniors.
CLASS 3A
MATER DEI LADY KNIGHTS (37-3) vs.
ST. FRANCIS SPARTANS (34-6)
MARIAN CENTRAL CATHOLIC HURRICANES (34-6) vs.
MARIAN CATHOLIC SPARTANS (24-16)
Had this matchup occurred a year ago, it would have featured the two winningest coaches in state history going head-to-head. St. Francis coach Peg Kopec, the first in state history to win 1,000 matches, brings the Spartans to state for the 16th time and looks for her ninth state championship. Fred Rakers, who reached 1,000 career wins shortly after Kopec, retired after leading Mater Dei to the Class 3A state crown last year, but son Chad has taken the coaching reigns and guided the program back to state for a 21st time in 2011. The other half of the bracket could be dubbed the namesake bowl, as an all-Marian matchup will unfold. Woodstock Marian Central Catholic is building a tradition of its own, as the Hurricanes return to state for the second straight year after taking home the third-place trophy in 2010. Meanwhile, Chicago Heights Marian Catholic has gotten hot late under a first-year coach, winning 12 of its last 13 matches, en route to the school’s second state trip and first since 2002.
CLASS 4A
BENET ACADEMY REDWINGS (37-3) vs.
ST. CHARLES EAST FIGHTING SAINTS (34-6)
CARY-GROVE TROJANS (35-4) vs.
MARIST REDHAWKS (34-6)
The first Class 4A semifinal is a rematch of the 2008 state championship match, when St. Charles East pulled off an upset of unbeaten and nationally ranked Benet Academy. It appears a repeat in 2011 would be another upset, as three of the Fighting Saints losses this season have come to the Redwings. Benet has been nearly as dominate as its 2008 team, as the 2011 Redwings enter on an 18-match winning streak and have been pushed to three games just once in the last month. Speaking of upsets, Cary-Grove was ranked No. 1 in the nation a year ago when the team suffered its first defeat of the year in a monumental state championship match against Lyons. The Trojans are making their third state final trip in a row and are in search of their second state championship in that timeframe. Marist started a streak of 27 wins or more per season in 2003 and after knocking on the door repeatedly since that time, has pushed through for the school’s first-ever state final trip in 2011.
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SITE
Redbird Arena (Normal)
Directions
SCHEDULE
Friday, November 11
Session 1
Class 1A Semifinals
Gibault Catholic vs.
Dakota - 9:00 a.m.
Springfield Lutheran vs.
Mt. Pulaski - after match 1
Class 2A Semifinals
St. Teresa vs. Quincy Notre Dame - after match 2
Chicago Christian vs.
Breese Central-after match 3
Session 2
Class 3A Semifinals
Mater Dei vs.
St. Francis - 4:30 p.m.
Woodstock Marian vs. Chicago Heights Marian-after match 5
Class 4A Semifinals
St. Charles East vs.
Benet - after match 6
Cary-Gove vs.
Marist - after match 7
Saturday, November 11
Session 3
Class 1A Finals
Third-Place - 9:00 a.m.
Championship - after 3rd place match
Class 2A Finals
Third-Place - after championship match
Championship - after 3rd place match
Session 4
Class 3A Finals
Third-Place - 4:30 p.m.
Championship - after 3rd place match
Class 4A Finals
Third-Place - after championship match
Championship - after 3rd place match
WATCH
All matches available live on www.IHSA.tv
LISTEN
WCXO 96.7 FM (Carlyle)
Breese Central & Mater Dei
WZUS 100.9 FM (Decatur)
St. Teresa
Internet Broadcast
WTAD 930 AM (Quincy)
Quincy Notre Dame
Internet Broadcast
SportsTown (Chicagoland)
Chicago Christian, all 3A/4A matches
Internet Only Broadcast
RESULTS & LIVE STATS
IHSA Girls Volleyball Page
TICKETS
$8 per session
INTERACT
Chat
Photos
Video
HISTORY & RECORDS
2011 State Series Results
Past Champions
Record Book
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