Of course, she dared to dream for more. Marist’s Savannah Weathers, though, had a realistic attitude heading into her first varsity season. “At the beginning, I thought I would be coming in on that second rotation in a 6-2,” Weathers said of the RedHawks’ offense. “Once I got the opportunity to start, I wanted to do my part to keep my spot in the rotation.” She kept it, all right. Weathers was a standout Monday night, helping to lead Marist to a 28-26, 25-14 victory over Normal West in a Class 4A Rich Township Supersectional match at Rich South in Richton Park. Northwestern recruit Bella Bullington paced Marist (31-9) with 11 kills. Weathers and Maggie Kurpeikis added eight kills apiece, while Cassidy Cage contributed five kills, Maddie Berry dished out 25 assists and Maryland commit Elayna Davidson made eight digs. Ellie Rink led Normal West (36-4) with 11 kills. Eden Hafermann added five kills and three blocks, while Laine Thompson contributed 16 assists. Marist will play at 8:30 p.m. Friday in a state semifinal match at CEFCU Arena in Normal against  Lockport (35-5), which defeated Downers Grove South 23-25, 25-9, 25-22 at Riverside-Brookfield. Marist’s Savannah Weathers (10) and Brooke Conlan, (13) block against Normal West in the Class 4A Rich Township Supersectional match at Rich South in Richton Park on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Vincent Alban / Daily Southtown) Weathers made her biggest splash for Marist during a very intense first game Monday. The 5-foot-8 right-side/outside hitter set the early tone for the RedHawks. She was directly responsible for six of their first 10 strikes, with three kills and three service points. Talk about being on fire. “Going into it I said, ‘This is your first time in a (supersectional),’” Weathers said. “I needed to come out and do what I needed to do and not play with any fear. “My mentality was to get up and smash that ball. And when I got one, that adrenaline just kept building up. I wanted to keep going, keep going.” Marist’s Savannah Weathers (10) serves the ball against Normal West in the Class 4A Rich Township Supersectional match at Rich South in Richton Park on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Vincent Alban / Daily Southtown) Marist trailed 25-24 in the first game when other heroes emerged. Cage had a block and a kill, Taylor Berg served for an ace and Bullington tipped for a kill and the final point. Marist coach Jordan Vidovic couldn’t have drawn it up much better. “Well … we made it interesting, to say the least,” Vidovic said, smiling. “We could have separated further, and when you let a good team hang around, they’re going to make a run at some point. “They certainly did, and we needed to tough out the game. Once we were able to settle in and talk about it, we were much more direct in what we were doing. We gained some traction and rhythm.” Weathers is another in a long list of Marist stars who started young, found role models and took advice from them. In her case, it was Kamryn Chaney, a Princeton recruit and the East Suburban Catholic Conference’s player of the year in 2022. “Kam Chaney was definitely my idol,” Weathers said. “She was one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Marist. I looked up to her a lot. “I went to her matches all the time. She would always tell me, ‘Be yourself. Play with intensity all the time. Don’t be afraid when you step on the court.’” Fear hasn’t been a problem. Neither has been connecting with Berry, a four-year starter at setter. Marist’s Cassidy Cage (23) and Ava Stratton (18) celebrate after beating Normal West in the Class 4A Rich Township Supersectional match at Rich South in Richton Park on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Vincent Alban / Daily Southtown) The main ingredient? “I trust her and she trusts me,” Berry said. “We help each other out. I can give her the ball and she puts it in a good place. And her energy, her talk on the court, really helps us out.” Her overall impact has been immense. “Savannah has literally gotten better by the day,” Vidovic said. “She has taken on more and more responsibility each week. You saw (against Normal West) she was a force at the net. She was putting the ball away. She was fast. “But she was also playing balls in the back row. She had a great ace when we needed it. She ran around and scrambled for the ball when we needed that. She has gained comfort, and the girls have really fired up around her.” Kamryn Chaney would be proud. Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.