NORMAL - The Mount Pulaski High School volleyball team turned Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena into a passing lane Friday morning in the Class 1A state tournament semifinals. | Photo gallery

"Their passing was on the dot every time," marveled Deer Creek-Mackinaw coach Jennifer Mallicoat after the 26-24, 25-21 defeat. "Kills we normally get, they were there to pick up."

Mount Pulaski, in the final four for the ninth time, had to dig deep as the Chiefs, making their state tournament debut, built leads of 20-15 in the first game and 17-13 in the second.

Sophomore Morgan Litterly, a 5-foot-7 outside hitter, sparked the Lady Toppers to a 7-0 run in the first game with three kills and a block to build a 22-20 advantage. She finished with a season-high and match-high 12 kills on .360 hitting.

"Usually I'm pretty nervous, but today I actually wasn't," Litterly said. "The energy is great in this gym."

Mount Pulaski (26-14), which won a state title in 1989, advanced to the final for the seventh time and will face Rockford Keith School (37-4) at 10:30 a.m. today. Keith School began competing in IHSA events in 2003.

Dee-Mack (33-5) takes on Albion Edwards County (34-6) for third at 9:30 a.m.

"Morgan made some really good kills for us," said Mount Pulaski coach Donna Dulle. "She used the block to get some balls to go in. I thought Kassi Schmidt had a ton of kills."

Schmidt weighed in with nine while Christina Stoll added seven and Kaitlyn Kutz six. Stoll slammed three quick sets for kills as Mount Pulaski turned a 19-19 tie in the second game into a 23-20 advantage.

"In the second game, they had a short outside blocker so we were able to run a quick ball and Ellen (Olson) set me at least four balls that were right where I needed it to go over their outside hitter," said the 6-foot Stoll.

Dulle was impressed by Dee-Mack's Haley Thurmond, who managed a team-high five kills on 28 swings, but also had five hitting errors.

"She's a very good player," Dulle said. "We were hoping we could block her a little bit, but she's a very smart hitter and went around us quite a bit and through the block.

"The lefty (Katie Rhoades) is a good player. She's a smart player. They have an extremely good setter (in Kate Poorbaugh). Wherever they passed the ball, she was there to get it."

Rhoades finished with four kills as did Ashli Silverthorn while Poorbaugh had 17 assists. Ketra Hoffman provided 13 of her team's 38 digs. Michael Ely had 11 of Mount Pulaski's 41 digs.

"We just weren't playing our game out there," Mallicoat said. "We came out a little nervous. Mount Pulaski, they were burning us. We were a little hesitant. I think we were playing just a little timid."

That wasn't the case as a Thurmond kill put the Chiefs on top, 18-14, in the first game. Even after Mount Pulaski went ahead, Dee-Mack responded to force ties at 22-22, 23-23 and 24-24. Back-to-back kills by Kutz ended the game.

"I really just think we let up," Poorbaugh said. "Hopefully, tomorrow we will pick it up and do a lot better."

"We were ahead and doing well and we got excited," added Thurmond. "I don't feel we got to play our offense like we normally do. It seemed like we were on defense a lot. They were hitting at us and we were scrambling to get the ball up."

Mount Pulaski had 35 kills and Dee-Mack 23.

"It wasn't a horrible game," Mallicoat said. "They were close scores."

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Other state volleyball game stories:

Rockford Keith story

2A story

3A story

4A story

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Today's finals

AT REDBIRD ARENA

Class 1A

Third place - Deer Creek-Mackinaw (33-5) vs. Albion Edwards County (34-6), 9:30 a.m.

Championship - Mount Pulaski (26-14) vs. Rockford Keith School (37-4), 10:30 a.m.

Class 2A

Third place - Palos Heights Chicago Christian (34-4) vs. Maroa-Forsyth (34-1), 11:30 a.m.

Championship -Hampshire (38-2) vs. Breese Central (32-8), 12:30 p.m.

Class 3A

Third place - Sycamore vs. Belleville Althoff, 4:30 p.m.

Championship - Wheaton St. Francis (38-3) vs. Crystal Lake Central (41-0), 5:30 p.m.

Class 4A

Third place - St. Charles East vs. Libertyville, 6:30 p.m.

Championship - Chicago Mother McAuley vs. Naperville Central, 7:30 p.m.