Benet sophomore point guard Ava Mersinger understands why many people overlook her and some underestimate her. It doesn’t bother Mersinger, who is listed as 5 feet, 7 inches, but said she’s 5-5. “I always say it is heart over height,” she said. “It definitely means not being intimidated by anyone, just do my best, because Benet is a team of great athletes. “Everyone is beneficial, and I just do what benefits my team the most.” Which is basically anything that is needed. On a team full of elite athletes, Mersinger is emerging as the linchpin. She’s a traditional pass-first floor leader who knows how to slice up a defense and is a tenacious defender who can give anyone problems. “She’s the tip of the spear for everything we do on offense and defense,” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. “She gets our press going, she gets our break going, she gets all of our half-court stuff going. “There’s very few kids that can have that much impact on a game without scoring points. Kathleen (Doyle) used to be able do that. Ava can do that. It’s a real skill.” One which Mersinger demonstrated Saturday in front of a crowd of former players who turned out to celebrate the program’s history. During a halftime ceremony, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association presented Benet a plaque for becoming only the 11th Illinois team to reach 1,000 wins. Emily Schramek, second from left, and Emily Eshoo carry Benet’s 2015 Class 4A state championship trophy alongside former teammates Kendal Schramek, left, Emma Hlavin, second from right, and Sydney Stephens, right, during halftime of an East Suburban Catholic Conference game against St. Viator in Lisle on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun) The Redwings, who have an all-time record of 1,026-367 over 48 seasons, also commemorated the 10th anniversary of their first state championship team. Five players from that team — Emily Schramek, Kendal Schramek, Emily Eshoo, Emma Hlavin and Sydney Stephens — were in attendance. They watched the Redwings beat St. Viator 68-37 in a key East Suburban Catholic Conference game in Lisle. Mersinger scored only one point and attempted three shots, but she had four assists, two steals and two rebounds for Benet (15-1, 4-0). Her impact began on the game’s first possession, when she assisted on a 3-pointer by senior guard Aria Mazza. “She’s a beast,” Mazza said. “She’s very crucial to our success. Her ability to guard people no matter how tall they are is something that is really great for our team.” Kilbride even had Mersinger guard 6-1 senior Ella Todd at times during the championship game of the Montini Christmas Tournament. The height differential looked almost comical. Benet’s Ava Mersinger (4) guards St. Viator’s Ava Garcia during an East Suburban Catholic Conference game in Lisle on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun) The Utah-bound Todd scored 22 points but missed seven of her first 10 shots and her last one, a 3-point try over Mersinger at the buzzer of Benet’s 67-64 win. “She’s insane,” Mersinger said. “You can’t stop great players, but you can definitely try to limit them in some ways.” Mersinger, who is averaging 5.0 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals against 1.5 turnovers, made several great plays against St. Viator. During one sequence, she made a steal and passed to Mazza for a 3-point try. The shot missed, but Mersinger came flying across the lane to grab the rebound and fed senior guard Lindsay Harzich at the top of the key. Harzich, who scored a game-high 17 points, buried the 3-pointer. “Ava is absolutely amazing,” Harzich said. “She came in freshman year off the bench, and she was a total stud. “Sometimes it’s not all about the stats because Ava totally brings us all together. She’s the best point guard I’ve ever played with. I don’t know what we would do without her.” Mazza said Mersinger is faster than any other player. Mersinger attributes that to the strength and agility training she began when she was 6, two years after she first picked up a basketball. Mersinger comes from an athletic family. Her late grandfather Ross pitched in the minor leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs over five seasons, and her father, Chris, played baseball at LSU. Mersinger has a brother, Aiden, who is a senior on Benet’s baseball team. Benet’s Ava Mersinger, center, prevents the ball from going out of bounds during an East Suburban Catholic Conference game against St. Viator in Lisle on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun) But Mersinger is the first to star in basketball, which she chose to be her focus after she also played soccer and softball when she was younger. “I’ve always loved the sport and always have had fun coming to practice, playing games,” she said. “I just love it.” So much so that she wants to play basketball at the Division I level. Nobody doubts Mersinger, who grew 2 inches over the summer and thinks she still has a few inches left to gain, can do it. “She’s definitely a DI player,” Harzich said. “The sky is the limit.” Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.