Friday’s girls volleyball state semifinal between powerful Benet and Mother McAuley was expected to produce the Class 4A champion.

 But somebody forgot to tell St. Charles East.

 The Saints (38-4) defied the odds in Saturday’s title match against Benet, overcoming a close loss in the first set and late deficits in each of the last two sets to defeat the Redwings 23-25, 25-22, 25-19 at Redbird Arena in Normal.

 The state title was the second in St. Charles East history, with the other coming in 2001. The second-place finish marked the best ever for a Benet program that had never advanced past sectionals until this season.

Ariana Mankus led Benet with 17 kills, including a strong finish to a first set that seemed to put Benet in control. The Redwings trailed 19-18 in the first set before a Mankus kill and  two serves by Paige Vargas put them ahead 21-19. Mankus also had kills for Redwing points 22 and 24 in the first set.

Benet also led 18-16 in the second set, but St. Charles East turned the momentum on a kill by Caroline Niski. Setter Laura Homann then reeled off three service points in a row to put the Saints ahead for good at 20-18.

Niski later served three consecutive points of her own as St. Charles East built a 24-19 lead, and even after two straight aces by Benet's Natalie Patzin drew the Redwings within 24-22, a kill by the Saints' Jacqui Seidel for set point forced the match to the three-set limit.

The Saints jumped to a 9-5 lead in the third set, but Benet (40-2, with its lone previous loss coming to Class 3A champion Joliet Catholic) seemed to find its footing with a 10-4 run that propelled the Redwings in front 15-13.

 But the Saints answered that challenge emphatically. Niski (16 kills in the match) powered two straight kills through Benet’s blockers to tie the score at 15, then another Niski kills moments later put St. Charles East up 17-16.

 Just as she had done in the second set, Homann stepped to the service line and really turned the momentum. This time, the senior’s pinpoint serves to the back line produced six points in a row. Homann had an ace and Niski, Seidel and Olivia Desormey all recorded kills in the run that put the Saints in command with a 23-16 lead.

 Seidel (eight kills) smashed a kill off the block for a 24-17 lead moments later, and when an attack by Benet sailed wide for match point, the exclamation point was added to the Saints’ title.
 St. Charles East had defeated Evanston 26-24, 25-20 in Friday’s semifinals, rallying from a 20-15 first game deficit and never looking back.

 “For some reason we like to come from behind,” Saints’ coach Jennifer Kull said. “We’ve done it so much we don’t get nervous anymore.”

Saturday’s season-capping comeback against the elite Redwings’ squad proved that.