Volleyball Game Preview: Downers Grove North Trojans vs. Benet Academy Redwings

After both having extra time off, the Downers Grove North Trojans and the Benet Academy Redwings will shake off the rust and duke it out at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Downers Grove North is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Illinois' top teams: Marist, who was ranked first at the time (Downers Grove North was ranked seventh). The Trojans fell 2-0 to the RedHawks last Saturday. The game marked the first time this season in which the Trojans were not able to get on the board.

Downers Grove North was the model of consistency in the loss, scoring 18 points in every single set they played. The final score came out to 25-18, 25-18.

Meanwhile, Benet Academy beat Hinsdale South 2-0 last Thursday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Redwings.

While Benet Academy won a shutout, things came down to the wire in the first set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 27-25, 25-18.

Benet Academy pushed their record up to 2-1 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Downers Grove North, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.

Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Wednesday's contest: Downers Grove North has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 4.3 aces per game. However, it's not like Benet Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.3 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Downers Grove North was able to grind out a solid win over Benet Academy when the teams last played back in May of 2024, winning 2-0. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Redwings have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.