Marist’s Christian Teresi wasn’t going to argue with his coach.
Jordan Vidovic proclaimed that the RedHawks are the best team in Illinois to ever play the sport. After they won their second straight state title, the Ohio State-bound Teresi quickly agreed.
“Of course I want to stay humble,” Teresi said. “But I’m going to agree with him 100% on that. We went to California and beat the No. 1 team in the nation (Mira Costa).
“I feel like that was a big accomplishment for an Illinois high school. And now we won the state championship again. It’s awesome.”
Teresi continued his role as an awesome do-it-all player Saturday.
The senior setter/right-side hitter produced 14 kills on a .619 hitting percentage to lead Marist to a 25-20, 25-20 victory over Glenbard West in the boys volleyball state championship match at Hoffman Estates.
While Teresi added 15 assist and seven digs for the RedHawks (40-2), MIT recruit Nathen Toth tallied 11 kills, Jacob Finley notched 18 assists and Rorey Donnelly delivered 11 digs.
Charlie Clifford led the Hilltoppers (36-6) with eight kills in a match that featured 21 ties and four lead changes. But the several times Marist needed a big play, Teresi usually provided it.
“I was telling Jacob, our setter, to keep setting me because they were not stopping me at all,” Teresi said. “I was just going on a roll and I wanted to keep getting set.
“These are the games where I really want to stand out. There are a lot of people watching. I know we played Glenbard twice during the season, but we knew coming into this game, this was going to be a brand-new team.”
It’s the second straight state title in boys volleyball, third overall for the boys and third straight for Vidovic, who won in 2024 with the boys in the spring and then the girls team in the fall.
Earlier in the day, Marist beat Lane Tech 25-15, 25-19 in the semifinals.
Toth totaled six kills and five aces to lead the RedHawks, while Teresi chipped in with four kills and eight assists. Finley recorded eight assists and Donnelly had seven digs against Lane (35-7).
Marist then put an exclamation point on a season in which the RedHawks went 30-0 against Illinois teams and dropped just one set — Friday against Lake Park in the state quarterfinals.
That had Vidovic excited about placing this team at the top of the state’s history list.
“There is no doubt in my mind because we went out and did it,” he said. “Everybody else is hypothetical and we went out and played the best of the best. We went toe-to-toe with the most stacked high school volleyball teams … probably ever.
“I’ve been around some great Illinois teams as a player, as a spectator, as a sibling, as a coach, and I’ve seen some phenomenal teams, but the way the game is played right now, the speed and the way the ball is travelling, there was nothing like that back then.”
Teresi closed a four-year varsity career with one more big match under his belt as a goodbye.
“I’ve never seen a player as compete as Christian — not at all,” Toth said. “He can do everything. He’s super athletic. He’s got a wicked arm swing. I really don’t know what this kid can’t do.
“I don’t know how you can go up there on the block and stop him.”
About the only thing Saturday night that could almost stop Teresi was a question about if this year’s title felt better than a year ago. It was almost like asking a parent who the favorite child is.
“I don’t know … I think this year was more exciting for our team,” Teresi said. “Well, actually I think last year was more exciting because it was our first one.
“But this was better because of us winning last year.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
