MENDOTA – The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to celebrate the 50th editions of both its Girls’ Volleyball State Finals and Football State Championship games in November of 2024.
Both milestone events will occur on the campus of Illinois State University (ISU) in Normal, as ISU’s CEFCU Arena will host the 2024 IHSA Girls’ Volleyball State Finals on Nov. 15-16, and the eight state championship football games will unfold at Hancock Stadium on Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 29-30).
To help commemorate the past 50 years, the IHSA will release the Top 50 Volleyball Programs and Top 50 Football Programs from the State Series era (1974-2024) for both sports throughout the fall. A group of current and former high school coaches, administrators, officials, and media members from around the state served on the committees to select the Top 50 programs in each sport. Fans can follow the Top 50 lists as they are revealed at IHSA.org/Top50Volleyball and IHSA.org/Top50Football, respectively.
On Sept. 11, Mendota High School was revealed as No. 37 among the top 50 volleyball programs in the state. During that 50-year span, the Spikers have won 20 regional titles, six district titles, 13 sectional titles and have claimed eight state final trophies. Mendota has appeared in the state final championship match twice, losing to Elmhurst Immaculate Conception in 1981 and falling to Wheaton St. Francis in 1992.
State final coaches for the Spikers are Renee Guenther (1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982) and Mary Stephenitch (1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993).
A frequent qualifier in the early years of the state tournament, Mendota became long on accomplishments (with 11 Elite Eight berths), but short on titles (zero). The Lady Trojans made four state trips between 1975 and 1981.
Mendota’s 27-2 squad of 1981 lost to Elmhurst Immaculate Conception in the Class A final, 15-12, 15-11. Leading coach Renee Guenther’s team was 5-foot-9 hitter Tracy Stroyan, a unanimous all-tournament team selection who went on to play at Illinois State University.
“I’d give anything to have all Tracy Stroyans on my team,” said Guenther, who advanced four other teams to the state tourney including the 30-7 fourth-place squad of 1982. Guenther’s 19-2 state third-placer of 1975 suffered its only losses to LaSalle-Peru and Barrington.
“We’re basically an offensive team,” she said. “Spiking and keeping the ball moving are the keys to our game. We use a 4-2 offense and we work well as a team. We like to do a lot of spiking with that four-girl front and that’s what wins it for us.”
Another Mendota mentor taking five teams to state was Mary Stephenitch, whose most accomplished squad was the 37-5 Class A state runner-up crew of 1992. Those Lady Trojans lost to Wheaton St. Francis in the final, 17-15, 15-12.
“They were able to do things at crunch time and we weren’t,” said Stephenitch, whose team got five kills from Beth Davis and four from 6-foot, 1-inch Jackee Doran in the final. “We weren’t quick enough to take care of their tips and dinks. They were able to capitalize on our mistakes.”
Stephenitch also coached Mendota’s 33-4 third-place team of 1987, its 28-13 fourth-place squad of 1990, and its 32-11 fourth-place unit of 1993. Among the Spikers’ biggest feats in 1987 was notching 33 blocks, the third most in state history, against eventual state runner-up Riverton. In the 1987 third-place match, the Lady Trojans dispatched Normal University High, 9-15, 15-8, 15-6.
“We were too tentative at first,” Stephenitch told the media. “We finally got things together and started playing offense in the second game.”
The last of Mendota’s 20 regional titles came in 2011.
“Releasing the Top 50 Programs is a celebration of the rich history and tradition of high school girls’ volleyball and football in the state of Illinois,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “It will be a fun way to remember many of the great teams, players, and coaches who have helped make high school sports in Illinois so special.”
Prior to the passage of Title IX in 1972, high school sports for girls in Illinois were conducted by the Illinois League of High School Girls Athletic Associations (commonly referred to as the GAA). Most GAA competitions were non-traditional in comparison to current IHSA formats, as they generally consisted of “festivals” where multiple area schools would gather to play contests in several sports.
