The 2008 Season is getting underway!  Tryouts are completed, with spirits and expectations high for another great and memorable year.

Coach Jennifer DeJarld begins her fourth season as Head Coach along with Assistant Coach Meg Griffin. 

The Mighty Macs concluded their 2007 with a 2nd Place Finish in the first ever Class 4A State Tournament.  This years team will be setting their goals once again for a chance to win the schools 14th State Title.

This website will provide you with all of the schedules, results, highlights and pictures throughout the season. 
See complete season schedule on both our Schedule page or the Calendar!

Tryouts are over and the teams have been selected.  Congratulations to all of the players who have been selected to represent Mother McAuley High School in the 2008 Season.  The selection process was once again a trying experience for all.  There are so many great volleyball players to choose from but not all could be selected. 

2008 Varsity Mighty Macs

Desiree Aramburu	Senior		Kailey Scott	Soph
Ellen Carberry	Junior		Kelly Stack	Junior
Mary Collier	Senior		Marykate Styler	Soph
Jessica Falk	Junior		Elizabeth "Boo" Sweeney	Senior
Jessica Galotta	Junior		Dolores Wildner	Senior
Allie Gardner	Senior		Catherine Wildner	Senior
Kelly Griffin	Senior		Maura Duffy	Manager
Sue Hayes	Senior		Jen DeJarld	Head Coach
Paulina Sambor	Junior		Meg Griffin	Asst. Coach

2008 JV Team		2008 Frosh A Team		2008 Frosh B Team
Dominique Aramburu		Peggy Clemens		Jacqueline Aird
Ryann Arundel		Katie Flynn		Madeline Boukal
Moria Brennan		Tiffany Fortune		Nicole Brettman
Colleen Gardner		Veronica Garcia		MaryKate Carberry
Lauren Grady		Morgan Miller		Erin Carlson
Kathryn Ingersoll		Mary Kate Mixan		Theresa Devine
Bridget Lawler		Jessica Mueller		Loryn Downey
Maddie McElroy		Annie Myren		Susan Durkin
Colleen Mulry		Bridget Powell		Casey Janko
Caitlin Ori		Nicole Ramos		Lois Kettering
Lisa Roche		Ashley Rogers		Lauren Knight
Lizzy Scanlon		Taylor Serrano		Jane Littleton
Stephanie Tassone		Lindsey Simon		Emily Moran
Margaret Wildner		Karly Slattery		Sabrina Perrino
Kelly Zielinski		Lindsay Trost		Michelle Samansky
Erica Cahill-Coach		Krystyn Corley-Coach		Emily McGinnis-Coach
Kathleen Mixan-Coach

Congratulations to all of the 2008 Mighty Macs!

Excerpts from Tony Baranek's Southtown article 

The Mighty Macs treated returning Alums, former parents and this years fans to a great night of volleyball as they took on National Powerhouse Assumption from Kentucky in the annual pre-challenge matchup. 

The 1980, 1981 and 1982 State Champ members were honored between the JV and Varsity games.  These teams compiled an unprecedent 135 straight match winning streak and were recently added to the GCAC Hall of Fame in 2008.  Those able to make the match from the spotlight teams were: Therese Boyle, Trish Boyle, Colleen Dalton, Sheila Gniadecki, Jeanne Rowan (Jeanne's daughter proudly wore her mom's actual jersey from the '81 season) and Assistant Coach John Zlabis.  Also on hand for the celebration were 3 generations of McAuley Principal's.  Dr. Christine Melone, Sr. Corine Raven and Sr. Kathleen Cahill.  Sr. Kathleen, Sr. Corine as well as former music teacher Sr. Ellen Marie have been constant team supporters year after year coming to numerous matches each season to cheer the team on.  Other returning alums and former parents in attendance ranged from the 1976 all the way through the 2008 graduating class.  After the match many of the alums and parents enjoyed a socialable evening together at Gillhooly's in true McAuley style!

The night however belonged to the 2008 Mighty Macs!  Both the JV and Varsity squads showed what they were made of...thrilling the fans with great rallies and good sportsmanship.  The JV prevailed in a 3 game match while the Varsity won in two by scores of 25-20 and 28-26.  Kelly Griffin and Catherine Wildner posted seven and six kills, respectively, for host Mother McAuley (14-1) in the nonconference match. Des Aramburu aided the cause for the Mighty Macs with 17 assists and 10 digs.  This was an entire team effort.  After being down 15-20 in game 2 the Macs kept their cool and continued to chip away at the lead.  Assumption had several game point opportunities but the Macs would not back down eventually taking the game and match by the score of 28-26.  If this match is any indication of what fans will see this weekend at the Challenge Tournament they are all in for a great volleyball experience.

Go MACS!! 

Mother McAuley was proud to host the 21st Annual Nike Challenge.  This event is considered one of the premier High School tournaments in the country was home this week to 24 top ranked teams from across the country as well as Illinois.   Congratulations to all of the teams that participated and we hope to see you again next year!

Final Gold Division Finishes

#1. Assumption/KY              #2. St. James/KS
#3. Mother McAuley/IL     #4.  Sacred Heart/KY
#5. Plant/FL                        #6.  Downers Grove South/IL
#7. Newport Harbor/CA   #8.  Wheaton St. Frances/IL

Final Silver Division Finishes

#1. Joliet Catholic/IL          #2. Pius/WI
#3. Lone Peak/UT               #4.  Stagg/IL
#5. Catholic Memorial/WI  #6.  Waupan/WI
#7. Sandburg/IL                #8.  Gross Catholic/NE

Final Bronze Division Finishes

#1.  Marist/IL                     #2.  Crystal Lake South/IL
#3. Downers Grove N/IL   #4.  Wahlert/IA
#5. Bellevue West/NE       #6.  Hononegah/IL
#7. Lincoln Way East/IL    #8.  Lincoln Way Central/IL 

Ghosts, Gouls and Goodie Goblins will be haunting the halls of McAuley in the next several weeks preparing for the annual Volleyball Family Halloween Party!  The gathering has now become a major social event for the whole family and this years party will surely be a huge success once again. 

Start working on your costumes!

BY PHIL BROZYNSKI -Chicago Suntimes

The Angels led 24-20 in Game 1 and 15-10 in Game 3 of the championship match against Mother McAuley, but were unable to close the deal.... The Mighty Macs closed Game 1 against the Angels on a 7-1 run, winning on a kill by Ellen Carberry, then rallied in Game 3 to defeat Joliet Catholic and win the tournament, 27-25, 17-25, 29-27.

“This team has an unbelievable amount of heart,” said McAuley setter Desiree Aramburu, who had 34 assists and seven digs in the title match. “We never give up. The heart we showed today ... it was fun.”

Tournament MVP Kelly Griffin led McAuley (27-2) with 21 kills, Jessica Falk added six kills and Sue Hayes added 17 digs.

“I felt we peaked at the Nike Challenge, then really haven’t been challenged the last two weeks,” McAuley coach Jen DeJarld said. “Today, we were on all cylinders.”

Next up the GCAC Conference Tournament and then starts the State Series!

Go Mighty Macs!

The Mighty Macs completed their GCAC Conference Season with Conference Titles on all 3 Levels.  The Frosh, JV and Varsity Teams went undefeated in Conference play throughout the season and earning top honors across the board.  Congratulations to all of the MIGHTY MACS!

The slates are now all cleared for the start of the State Series so the Mighty Macs now must focus and set their attention and INTENTIONS on one match at a time in order to reach their final Goal- A RETURN TRIP TO NORMAL!

Congratulations to Desiree Aramburu who was named the GCAC Red Division Player of the Year.  But in true McAuley spirit Des contributed this honor back to her teammates by saying "It felt very nice,... but I wouldn't be here without my teammates, so it really goes to them."

Go MIGHTY MACS! 

 BY TONY BARANEK -- SOUTHTOWN STAR

Kelly Griffin, yeah she was a beast.

Boo Sweeney, yeah she was scary.

Desiree Aramburu, yeah she was all over the place.

But if there was one surprising hero in No. 1 Mother McAuley's 25-13, 25-19 victory over No. 2 Marist in Thursday night's Class 4A Andrew Sectional title match, it was junior outside hitter Jessica Falk.

Falk had six kills, including three during a key run in Game 1 that helped the Mighty Macs drain some of the fight out of Marist.

Griffin finished with 10 kills and two blocks, Aramburu 27 assists, eight digs and two kills, Catherine Wildner seven kills and 10 digs, Sweeney 11 digs and Sue Hayes 15 digs for the Mighty Macs (37-2).

Mother McAuley will play Lyons Township in the Shepard Supersectional on Saturday night, the grand prize a trip to the Class 4A state semfinals in Normal.

For Marist (27-12), Jacqueline Lang had five kills, Jessica Marinec four kills, Erin Kelly eight assists and Caroline Niedospial 11 digs.

Griffin came out on fire for Mother McAuley, landing a roll shot for a kill, a shot to the back line for another, a blast off a Marist blocker for a third kill, and also putting down a block kill during a 6-2 start.

Marist, however, showed resilience, and was within 7-6 when McAuley's Falk landed a kill. Falk had two more kills during a 13-2 run that put the game away.

Falk missed a large portion of the season because of a foot injury. It was a slow process even when she returned shortly after the Rich East Invitational.

"I had to work my way back up," Falk said. "It didn't come back right away, but everybody stayed behind me and kept encouraging me."

Game 2 was closer for a lot longer, as the RedHawks didn't allow any major runs by the Mighty Macs. It was 23-19 when Paulina Sambor put down a kill. Aramburu then lined a bullet ace off a Marist defender's fists to close it.

"We got everything we could out of our girls," RedHawks coach Natalie Holder said. "We fought it out in every rally, but you've got to put the ball down. They put the ball down more than we did."

NEXT STOP ON THE JOURNEY... LT at the SUPERSECTIONALS!!!!!! 

BY TONY BARANEK Staff writer

Chalk up another one for Mother McAuley.

Another victory, its 38th of the season.

Another trip downstate, the Mighty Macs' 23rd since they made their first in 1977.

Another state volleyball trophy, which will be the school's 20th. ........

With FOCUSED INTENTIONS throughout the season the Mighty Macs are 2 matches away from realizing their final goal!

Currently the Mighty Macs are ranked 1st in the State and 8th in the National Polls.  But rankings mean nothing to this team.  It's what takes place on the court that matters.  The team will be working hard to prepare for their final 2 matches of the season and will not stop until the last point is scored.

With a season filled with achievements thus far the team should be proud!  But their final destination is still to come.

38-2 record
GCAC Red Divsion Championship
Rich East Championship
Nike Challenge 3rd Place
Glenbard East Championship
State Final Appearance

The Mighty Macs look forward to the last stop on their team journey together- NORMAL!

 MACS RUN IN PACS!

The Mighty Macs may have not gotten that 1st Place finish that they had hoped for BUT they came away with an end of the season victory by defeating Evanston High School to earn a 3rd place finish!  The Macs showed CLASS and GRACE throughout the season and the State Tournament was no exception.   Many life long friendships were made and the memories of this team will last a lifetime!

Congratulations to the players, their families and to the entire McAuley Community.   AMAZING AWAITS!!!!