Mahomet-Seymour Volleyball Makes History: Bulldogs Clinch First-Ever State Berth with Thrilling Super-Sectional Win
By FRED KRONER
Stan Bergman had just one word to say to his record-setting Mahomet-Seymour volleyball team on Monday (Nov.11) following a Class 3A super-sectional victory.
“Congratulations,” he said.
What more could he add to a team that was already feeling its best after playing one of its best matches?
“Everybody was smiling so much, there wasn’t much else to say,” Bergman said.
The Bulldogs topped Mascoutah, 25-17, 25-27, 25-18 in the Elite Eight match at Effingham High School.
The win catapulted M-S into its first-ever state appearance in volleyball. The Bulldogs are assured of a top-four trophy when the two-day event at Illinois State University, in Normal, ends on Saturday (Nov. 16).
The Bulldogs (37-3) open with another 37-3 opponent in Chicago DePaul Prep at 4 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 15) at CEFCU Arena.
“It’s all surreal,” said Bergman, who has now guided three different Champaign County high schools to state trophies in the past 13 years.
“With Centennial (2012), we knew we had something special and nothing was going to hold us back. At St. Thomas More (2017 and 2018), we knew we could follow the state championship run.
“This year, it’s a different feeling. This is like an unexpected surprise in a great way. It’s a complete surprise.”
Coming off a sectional championship victory (on Thursday Oct. 31) over the state’s top-ranked Class 3A team, Normal University High, the Bulldog Express was picking up steam.
“Knowing we had beaten them, we felt we could beat anybody,” Bergman said.
Against Mascoutah, the Bulldogs relied on strong serving to forge an early 9-1 lead in the opening set.
After Mascoutah evened the match with a two-point second-set triumph, the Bulldogs locked down their historic state advancement by returning to their first-set strategy.
“We took more risks with our serves, trying to get them out of system,” Bergman said. “We had a couple of aces, but mostly it was good placements.
“They were pushing the ball to the outside (in the second set) and we were having a hard time getting touches on it.”
Erin Dallas,who shares the setting duties with her sister, Ellie, was one of the catalysts.
“Erin’s serving helped separate us from the other team,” Bergman said.
Ellie Dallas, distributed 20 assists and, Bergman said, “ran a clean offense.”
Ellie Barker pounded 12 kills and Lily Bosworth added 11 kills to go with six blocks.
Her final block accounted for match point and guaranteed the Bulldogs of a state berth.
Not to be overlooked was the key role played by Ava Yeakel.
“They were targeting her on serve-receive and she took everything and passed what they served at her,” Bergman said.
Erin Dallas and Addi Eisenmann both served aces.
M-S carries a 17-match winning streak into the state semifinals. Ironically, the school’s last loss was on the same court where they earned the super-sectional victory on Monday.
M-S dropped a decision to Effingham on Oct. 17.
“We have been putting together good first sets and grinding out the matches,” said Bergman, whose squad is 7-1 this season in three-set matches. “
A season of firsts continues for the Bulldogs. The 37 wins are a single-season school record.
The advancement to state is a first for M-S in volleyball, which will become the school’s third girls’ sport with a state trophy following track and field (three state titles and a third-place finish) and softball (a fourth-place finish).
Including the boys’ programs, the Bulldogs will sport state trophies in nine sports, including bass fishing, after this weekend.
“Once we got the regional (title), we felt like we could build from there,” Bergman said.
The M-S state roster features five seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen.
The seniors are Ellie Barker, Ellie Dallas, Addi Eisenmann, Kennedy Kimball and Annika McNaught.
The juniors are Lily Bosworth, Erin Dallas, Addy Reigart, Anna Streicher and Ava Yeakel.
The sophomores are Hannah Martin and Emma Scott.
The freshmen are Penelope Bird, Pfeifer Manuel and Charlotte Sinclair.
The team leaders in kills through 40 matches are Barker (330), Bosworth (315) and Yeakel (272).
The leaders in blocks are Bosworth (105), Reigart (38) and Martin (36).
The leaders in digs are Eisenmann (375), Barker (213) and Yeakel (191).
The leaders in service aces are Yeakel (44), Barker (41) and Ellie Dallas (33).
The leaders in assists are Ellie Dallas (493), Erin Dallas (394) and Eisenmann (60).
Besides Bergman, the Bulldogs’ coaching staff also includes Angela Allen, Lindsay Brown and Leah Rippy.
The other Class 3A semifinal will match Bartonville Limestone (31-9) against Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge (27-13) at 5:30 on Friday. M-S has played Limestone twice this season and won both matches. Limestone has won seven in a row since its last loss, which came against M-S, on Oct. 19.
Prairie Ridge is the only one of the four Class 3A finalists that has qualified for state previously in volleyball. Its last state appearance (2018) was in Class 4A.
In the final Maxpreps state rankings for 3A, M-S was fourth and DePaul Prep – which has won 24 of its last 25 matches – was fifth. Prairie Ridge was ranked ninth in the last state 3A poll and Limestone was ranked 11th.
