Mahomet-Seymour Volleyball Advances to Elite Eight, Secures First Sectional Title in 40 Years with Thrilling Win Over Top-Ranked Normal U-High

By Fred Kroner

With two Division I recruits in the lineup, with multiple club players on the roster and with a head coach who has directed two other high schools to state trophies, the Mahomet-Seymour volleyball program had lofty goals for the 2024 season.

M-S has met those expectations and now stands as one of the Elite Eight teams in Class 3A.

The Bulldogs upended former Corn Belt Conference rival Normal University High, 25-19, 20-25, 27-25 on Thursday (Nov. 7) in the IHSA sectional championship match at M-S.

The Bulldogs (36-3) return to the court on Monday (Nov. 11) in the Effingham Super-Sectional at 6 p.m. against Mascoutah (32-7).

U-High (35-4) was state’s the top-ranked team in Class 3A, according to Maxpreps. M-S was ranked fourth and Mascoutah was rated seventh.

The Bulldogs had been ousted by U-High in the last four IHSA postseasons, including twice in three-set matches..

On Thursday, a balanced offensive attack from M-S featured 13 kills by Michigan State recruit Lily Bosworth, 12 kills by Butler recruit Ellie Barker and 12 kills by Ava Yeakel.

Sisters Ellie and Erin Dallas combined to distribute 37 assists, 24 by Ellie.

Addi Eisenmann led the defensive effort with 10 digs. Bosworth finished with four blocks.

M-S has its share of size up front, led by Bosworth (6-foot-4), Barker (6-2) and Yeakel (6-1). Several complementary players are in the 5-10 range.

To prepare for the postseason, M-S’ sixth-year head coach Stan Bergman said, “we tried to make our schedule as tough as we could.”

The Bulldogs have improved as the season has progressed and carry a 16-match winning streak into the super-sectional showdown against Mascoutah, which has won 12 consecutive matches.

The team’s improvement goes beyond the production and camaraderie on the court.

“Consistency, timing and growth as a team,” Bergman cited. “The growth as a team depended on the how the growth was with each other.

“They feel more comfortable playing with one another.”

After the Bulldogs and Pioneers traded wins in the first two sets, M-S carved leads of 6-1, 10-5 and 15-9 in the decisive third set before U-High rallied and went up 24-22 with M-S facing match point.

“They served and we got a sideout on the first swing (by Bosworth),” Bergman said.

That was the first of three successive points for M-S, sending the Bulldogs into a 25-24 advantage.

The next time M-S had a chance to serve for match point – following a kill by Yeakel – the team finished it off.

“They had an overpass to Hannah (Martin) and she swiped the ball down,” Bergman said.

The victory provided the Bulldogs their fourth sectional crown in volleyball, but the first in 40 years. The previous three titles were when M-S was a Class 1A school.

“I’m thrilled they are putting more icing on the cake,” Bergman said.

Mascoutah is seeking its first state appearance in volleyball since the 2015 and 2016 squads both placed third in Class 3A.

M-S is chasing its first-ever state berth in volleyball.

Monday’s winner moves into a state semifinal match at Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena on Friday (Nov. 15) at 4 p.m. against either St. Laurence or Chicago DePaul Prep.

“Mascoutah is pretty athletic,” Bergman said. “They have two outsides who hit well, a middle who jumps well and they block well.

“In 3A, you have to have a balanced offense and a balanced defense to do well.”

M-S’ 36 wins are a single-season school record.

Bergman previously coached in Champaign at Centennial and St. Thomas More. He has a career record of 733-195.