Seniors Lauren Curran and Jayda Dixon hope to be celebrating even more this volleyball season with their Downers Grove South teammates.

In 2024, the Mustangs reached the Class 4A supersectional after winning their first sectional title 2004.

“Were just trying to get one game further, to state this year,” Curran said.

There’s plenty of enthusiasm, especially with five returning starters and 10 seniors, and coach Madisen Babich has provided more.

This year’s motto is “Bridal Party” after Babich and assistant coach Jocelynn Birks both became engaged during the summer.

“Babich was like, ‘If you all make it to state (as a team), then you’re all invited to our wedding,’ ” Dixon said. “It’s just a little inside joke but there’s a little deeper meaning behind it, like a motivation to get to state and get to the goal.”

Otherwise, the Mustangs are all business toward achieving their goals. This season, Babich added a practice rule where the players can’t begin setting up until all 15 have arrived. Practice time starts once all prep work has been completed.

“The group that knew they were returning were hungry from Day One (of tryouts). They’re really holding the (new) juniors accountable so it’ll be exciting,” Babich said. “That’s why their team motto is Bridal Party as kind of a joke but they’re living through us, going through all of the planning and enjoying it. It’s super fun.”

As fourth-year varsity players, Curran and Dixon have seen the Mustangs gradually improve under Babich, who became head coach in 2021. This season, they’re both playing outside hitter and full rotation. They began as freshmen not knowing each other until tryouts.

“I think we kind of bonded over being the only two (varsity) freshmen so we clicked kind of quickly,” Curran said. “(This season) we’re just trying to get one game further. The vibe is just to push hard each day in the gym, just push ourselves to win that super-sectional game this year.”

Unlike 2022, this year’s roster is only seniors and juniors. Other returning starters are seniors Claire Cushing and Keegan O’Keefe and junior Jennifer Curran, Lauren’s sister.

They’re also counting on seniors Niya Mincheva and Ciara Steward and juniors Bridget Bastian and Zoe Grams. Dixon (St. Thomas Texas) and Jennifer Curran (New Hampshire) are committed to play collegiately. Lauren Curran is leaning toward playing beach volleyball but hasn’t ruled out continuing indoors.

“To make the next step we’ve really been focusing on honing in certain skills like serve receive, setting and pushing the ball to the pin,” Lauren Curran said. “I think most of our team has that mindset, like ‘Let’s do this and get at least as far as we did last year.’”

Last season’s success began with the Mustangs’ first West Suburban Conference Gold Division and regional titles since 2019. Downers South lost in the super-sectional to Lockport for the fourth time in four meetings, all in three sets.

“(This season) I’m trying to push my boundaries and be more of a vocal leader on the court,” Dixon said. “I want to be someone people can look up to and trust on the court and I want to keep the energy positive.”

Babich and Birks also former neighbors and standouts for Lyons. Babich graduated in 2016 and Birks in 2011 after being a key component to the Lions’ state championship team.

“We’re both in wedding planning mode and best friends,” Babich said. “She’s always been an older sister to me where I could walk two houses down my entire childhood.”

All-tournament

Senior Bella Potempa was named MVP in helping Timothy Christian win the Evergreen Park Invitational Saturday. Also all-tournament were Timothy senior Ella Rickert and junior Audrey Williams and Fenwick junior Bella Gray.

Other invitational all-tournament players were Glenbard West senior Ella Rowe and junior Farryn Burridge for the Jacobs Invite, St. Francis senior Holly Muisenga for Conant/Fremd and Hinsdale South senior Kotryna Melstrad at downstate Richland County.

First weekend all-tournament honorees included York seniors Amalia Toliopoulos and Katie Day, Downers Grove North senior Kelley Crowley and junior Nicole Liu, Glenbard West junior Cara Herbert, Wheaton North junior Anna Marchis and Glenbard East junior Belle McDonald at Wheaton North, Benet seniors Brooklynne Brass and Ellie Stiernagle, Downers South senior Lauren Curran and Riverside-Brookfield seniors Claire Cameron and junior Mackenzie Sloger at Plainfield North and Lemont senior Olivia Sarno, Montini senior Francesca Lorenzo, junior Moira Quirk and sophomore Hope Garland and Hinsdale South junior Payton Hallman at Metea Valley.