Copyright Chicago Tribune
Marist’s Cassidy Cage hopes to play professional volleyball in the future. When she finishes up with her college career at Mississippi State, she figures there will be more opportunities. But if volleyball doesn’t work out, the senior middle hitter is looking to major in business. Or … “I have a creative mind,” she said. “I would like to do something creative.” Cage and her teammates were creative Monday night as the defending Class 4A state champions rolled to a 25-8, 25-21 win over Normal Community at the Bradley-Bourbonnais Supersectional. Trailing 11-6 in the second game, the RedHawks (33-5) used five tips for points in a 14-4 burst that helped them take a 20-15 lead. Cage, who totaled 12 kills, contributed two tip kills during that run. Michigan recruit Maggie Kurpeikis put away kills on the other three tips. “We saw an opening and we tried to get our team back into our rhythm,” Cage said of the tips. “Throwing in a couple of those really helped us get the momentum.” Kurpeikis ended up with eight kills and Tessa Dowling added six for the RedHawks, who play Fremd (31-7) at 8:30 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals at CEFCU Arena in Normal. Savanah Weathers also came through with four blocks for Marist, while Haven Enselman chalked up 20 assists and Elayna Davidson made five digs. Michigan State recruit Alana Whitfield led Normal Community (34-6) with nine kills, including eight in the second game and two from the back row. The 6-foot-2 Cage was a volleyball and softball player growing up but concentrated on volleyball after her freshman year. However, while still in grade school, she took the sports seriously enough to join a club. The bad news is that her first year was messed up due to the pandemic. The good news? “I shot up during COVID,” Cage said of her height. “I shot up like three inches. I was always tall, but after that growth spurt, I was up to 6-foot.” Marist coach Jordan Vidovic has watched her grow in several other ways, especially with her play on the court. “She’s worked really hard to be a bigger factor than ever on both sides of the ball and her ability to take over the net,” Vidovic said of Cage. “She also put in a lot of work with a brand-new setter who was very young who she never played with before. “The middle connection is a personal one. You just don’t throw the ball up to somebody. You have to be in tune. They are full speed. They worked hard to get cleaner and cleaner.” Dowling, a senior middle hitter heading to Costal Carolina to play lacrosse, delivered five of her kills in the first game. She said that she looks up to Cage. “I try to get all my feedback from Cassidy,” Dowling said. “She’s amazing. She’s a great player. It’s easier for me to understand coming from a middle hitter’s point of view. “She’s always helping to bring everybody up on the team and making sure that our defense and our offense is locked down.” Dowling is the twin sister of Mount Carmel quarterback Emmett Dowling. Tessa is two matches away from a potential state championship, while Emmett is three games away. “We sort of talk about it,” Tessa said. “It’s definitely like a big thing for us, but we try to keep it one game at a time. But we do talk about it. We both want to win it.” Cage, meanwhile, likes the sound of winning another state title. “Our team connection is so strong,” she said. “A lot of us played together last year. We have some new members this year who have done a good job joining our team and we have a strong bond. “We’re really fluid on the court together.” Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
