Macander, McAuley sweeps Marist
Caroline Macander spent her sophomore season at Mother McAuley sitting on the bench.
That didn’t bother her. Not when she could watch — and learn from two of the best.
“I was just really happy to have the opportunity to train under some amazing setters,” Macander said. “I was ready this season when I came in because of how I was trained last year.”
She was more than ready on Monday as the Mighty Macs beat Marist 25-21, 25-21.
Macander had 28 assists, eight digs and two kills for McAuley (5-0). Abby Sarich added 10 kills and five blocks, Gigi Navarrete contributed 17 digs, Molly Boyd had six kills and five blocks, Connie LeBel had five kills and seven digs and Molly McDermott also had five kills.
Ewelina Gacek had 11 kills and eight digs for Marist (3-2). Kamryn Chaney added eight kills, while Nikki Jones contributed 28 assists and five kills.
Macander started for the junior varsity team as a freshman. She found herself in watching mode on the varsity as a sophomore behind Devyn Petrowski and Emily Weber.
It was not unexpected. McAuley coach Jen DeJarld laid it all out for her before the season.
“It was super tough to sit, but I knew my role on the team was to prepare for this year,” Macander said. “Coach told me that I would be training to play a big role on the team.
“I’m happy to take on the responsibility. I definitely have big shoes to fill. But I’m ready to work for it and get the team going.”
Macander’s go-to against Marist was Sarich. She set the 5-foot-9 senior middle hitter several times. It went down way more often than not.
In Game 1, Marist made a late rally and closed within 22-21 when Macander found Sarich with a quick set. They worked the same play in Game 2 with the Mighty Macs clinging to a 16-14 lead.
“It’s so much fun to set Abby,” Macander said. “She’s always up screaming for the ball, and I can always trust her to put a ball away no matter what.”
They are proving to be a winning combination.
“We definitely are,” Sarich said. “Since we’ve been playing since October, I have felt our connection was there. Even though Caroline wasn’t playing as much last season, I always felt that we had a connection.
“I just go for it, no matter what. If the set is tight, or far off, I’ll still get that. Hopefully they trust me enough.”
Sarich is getting her chances, and she’s making good on them.
“Absolutely,” DeJarld said. “Abby had 14 kills in the Loyola match, and I didn’t realize that until I looked at the stats. She’s a dominating force. She didn’t hold back.
“Abby has been starting since she was a sophomore. So has Molly McDermott. A lot of these kids have been starting since sophomore year. So we’ve got a lot of experience.” Macander, however, is a different story. “Last season was a learning year for her,” DeJarld said. “She had a lot of growth and learning to do from practice and experience. Caroline knew coming into this season that she would be our 5-1 setter.
“Each day and each match I see Caroline grow as a player. She’s getting more confident in her tipping. She’s getting more confident in connecting with the middles. She does a great job with her tempos. And in this match her defense was the best.”
Marist played shorthanded due to various issues. The RedHawks still hit the ball hard, while Jones surprised the Mighty Macs with five kills.
“We knew we didn’t have some things that we normally have,” Marist coach Jordan Vidovic said. “We had to take some risks, knowing that there was no guarantee they would work. But why not? That’s the fun of it.”