Joliet Catholic outlasts Providence for regional crown

Perfect timing and devastating execution.

It was a 1-2 punch that lifted Joliet Catholic past Providence 25-23, 27-25 in Thursday night’s Class 3A Providence Regional title match.

The puncher? An Angel named Mary.

“I just really wanted to do it for my team,” Joliet Catholic senior Mary Murphy said. “It’s the seniors’ last year, it’s my last year.

“I’ve been waiting for this ever since I was four years old. I’d do anything for this team. I think everybody feels that way.”

Murphy not only led the Angels with 11 kills, she produced the final two points in each game, the final blow a service ace that completed a dramatic comeback from what was a 22-18 deficit.

Megan Melone added 16 assists, Megan Cladis nine digs, Murphy eight digs and Nicole Witmer five kills as Joliet Catholic (21-16) advanced to Tuesday’s Prairie Central Sectional vs. Champaign Central.

Providence (22-15) was led by Liza Ellingson (five kills, three blocks, 11 assists), Morgan VanderWey (11 service points, nine assists), Cory Griffith (14 digs), Katie Compagno (five kills, three blocks), Emily Boggetto (five kills) and Mary Poulos (five kills).

The perfect timing involved Murphy, the Angels’ most prolific hitter, being in the front row when each game was on the line. At payoff time, she was Melone’s favorite setting target.

Tied at 23 in Game 1, Murphy rifled a shot that landed inches inside the back line and followed with a blast off a Providence blocker.

Before that, Witmer had two critical kills for the Angels that prevented the Celtics from seizing a firm advantage in what was a point-for-point game.

“I was a little rusty in the beginning and I got worried,” Witmer said. “As the game went on everybody kept saying, ‘It’s all right. You can do it.’ I was building off of my team’s energy.”

The Celtics, playing without injured setter Rachel Alles, broke away from a tight Game 2 and were poised to close it out after a kill by Boggetto gave them a 22-18 lead.

Poise, however, wasn’t there on four of the next five points, but instead unforced errors. Murphy, who had rotated to the front row, added a kill for Joliet Catholic during the 5-0 run that made it 23-22.

Providence did scrap back into ties at 23, 24 and 25, the last on a beautifully placed kill to the back line by Poulos. Murphy, however, had the final say for the Angels, banging down a kill from the right side, then going to the service line, from where she ripped a liner off a Celtics defender.

“It was such a great match, such a very even match,” Celtics coach Rachel Ellingson said. “We did exceptionally well without Rachel (Alles). Bringing up a sophomore setter (VanderWey) at the end of the season isn’t always the easiest thing to do. I thought she did a good job for us.

“We made too many errors right at the end, obviously, but it was a well-played match. I was very proud of our girls.”