Back at Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena in Normal for the second straight season, Prairie Ridge felt at home.

“We all had a sense of comfort walking in and walking out onto the court,” junior Adeline Grider said. “It’s just a surreal experience for all of us to be here [again].

“And we did all feel comfortable. It was just anxious nerves, I guess.”

Unlike its Class 3A supersectional win Monday, top-seeded Prairie Ridge was unable to mount a comeback against No. 1 Normal University.

The Wolves, despite a match-high 12 kills from Grider, lost to the Pioneers 25-20, 25-18 on Friday in the Class 3A state semifinals. Prairie Ridge (32-8) will play for third place against No. 1 Providence Catholic, which lost to No. 4 Nazareth 25-16, 25-17 in the first semifinal, at 4 p.m. Saturday.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 11

Volleyball: Prairie Ridge vs. Normal University, Class 3A State semifinal Prairie Ridge's Adeline Grider spikes the ball under pressure during the Wolves' loss in two sets, 25-20, 25-18, in the IHSA Class 3A State semifinals on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (Tiffany Blanchette)

The Wolves are making their fifth state appearance in school history and second in a row in 3A. This year’s group is hoping for a repeat of 2024, when they ended the season with a victory to take third.

Prairie Ridge grabbed a 3-1 lead over Normal U-High (37-5) in the first set, receiving kills from Ava Bell and Grider early on, but the lead was short-lived.

Following a sneaky set kill from Wolves senior setter Addi Smith (23 assists, three kills), the Pioneers went on an 8-4 run to take a 20-12 lead. Laney Snow had six of her team-high 11 kills in the first set for the Pioneers, whose tough block gave the Wolves fits.

“Very tall,” Prairie Ridge first-year coach Leah Groat said of facing Normal U-High. “They blocked a lot, and they were super scrappy. They served super deep and aggressive as well, which caught us a little bit off guard, put us on our heels a bit.”

The Wolves again took an early lead in the second set, with senior outside hitter Abby Smith (seven kills) catching fire. Her third kill of the set put Prairie Ridge up 8-5. Later in the set, sophomore Lauren Bruce served one of her two aces to go up 12-7. Grider’s ninth kill of the match then gave the Wolves a 13-9 advantage.

Naturally, Prairie Ridge was feeling good.

“At that point, we were very excited,” Abby Smith said. “Lauren’s a great server, so we love to have her back there in high-pressure moments. We tried to feed off the energy of that ace.”

A Grider kill gave the Wolves their final lead of the set at 16-15. The Pioneers then scored 10 of the final 12 points, winning on a block by 6-foot middle blocker Taylor Penn to claim their spot in the program’s first state title match in 25 years.

“I think we came out a little bit hesitant,” Groat said. “We didn’t adjust as quickly as maybe we have in the past. Regardless of that, we played really, really tough. The scores were close, and I think that this is a very talented group of kids who have made it very far into the season.

“I’m very proud of them.”

Middle blocker Harleigh Serpico and Bell, both seniors, each finished with two kills for the Wolves. Senior libero Tegan Vrbancic led the defense with eight digs, while Grider had seven digs. Sophomore Allie Riley added an ace.

Normal U-High coach Ratasha Thompson was complimentary of the Wolves’ attack.

“I really was impressed by how they don’t like sending free balls,” Thompson said. “They tried to down-ball it, hit anything over the net. ... It’s always coming over a little bit more aggressive than I think we’ve been used to with other competition.”

Prairie Ridge can match last year’s finish with a win Saturday.

Addi Smith, who now has 899 assists on the season, put Friday’s loss in perspective.

“We lost today, but we’ve lost before, and I think that’s important,” she said. " It’s a learning moment. We need to learn from how we played today, so we can go into tomorrow and use that to our advantage – and we’re able to capitalize on the opportunity that we’re given."

The Wolves, as they have been for the last month, were playing without junior outside hitter Maizy Agnello, who injured her ankle in tournament play. The Missouri commit broke the school record with 483 kills last year, and had a match-high 20 kills in last year’s state third-place match.

Up and down the roster, players have stepped up in her absence.

“I think it speaks to the depth of our program, to the talent that we have on our roster,” Groat said. “It’s why you play a full season, why you keep 19 girls on your roster, because unfortunately, at any time something could happen. And the girls that have stepped up have done an amazing job. It’s such a testament to how hard they’ve worked all season, to make sure that we were going to get to this point.”

Vrbancic and the Wolves aren’t taking this weekend for granted.

“It’s awesome. It’s a very big privilege to be here,” Vrbancic said. “Not that many people get the opportunity to walk into a gym and a big stadium. So I think we’re very lucky to be back here, and we’re taking it step by step.”