NORMAL — Be a superstar? Senior libero Sam Falk would rather be on a super team for Mother McAuley.

The mere mention of competing in three straight state championship matches brought a huge grin to her face.

“That’s incredible,” Falk said. “That’s all I’ve dreamed of.”

Falk will get that chance after helping lead the Mighty Macs to a 25-19, 25-12 victory Friday over Barrington in a Class 4A semifinal match at Illinois State’s CEFCU Arena.

Michigan recruit Ellie White led the way for McAuley (37-4) with 10 kills and 10 digs. Alabama commit Ellery Rees added five kills and two blocks. Sydney Buchanan contributed four kills, while Falk made nine digs and Peyton Heatherly had 18 assists.

Jenna Meitzler tallied eight kills for Barrington (35-6). Whitney Mall added seven kills, while Gwen Adler chipped in with 16 assists.

McAuley will play Benet (39-2) at 8:55 p.m. Saturday in a title rematch from last season. The Red Wings defeated Willowbrook 25-19, 24-26, 25-16 in the other semifinal.

On Oct. 14, Benet beat McAuley 25-22, 25-22 in the Auumnfest Tournament championship match. White, for one, is ready to get even.

“Going downstate three years in a row, I think we have a lot of experience,” White said. “We know what it feels like to win a championship. We want to finish the job as seniors, going out on a strong note.

“It feels great. We’re all excited.”

For the Loyola-bound Falk, it has been a senior season like no other.

It was her first as the starting libero. During her two previous seasons, she was a defensive specialist behind Northwestern recruit Gigi Navarrete.

Navarrete had 613 digs as a senior at McAuley. She had a reputation for tenacity and flair. And she had a style that would be hard to replace.

But Falk was up to the task.

After Friday’s match, she has 590 digs for the season. Her ability to roam the back row like a tiger and take whatever floor burns come her way has been noticeable.

It’s not a stretch to guess Navarrete would be proud.

“She definitely was a great role model for me to look up to,” Falk said. “I think she led me through the two years I had with her on varsity. She had a big impact on making me the player I am today.”

Mighty Macs coach Jen DeJarld appreciates Falk’s patience as much as she admires her production.

“She could have been our libero last year,” DeJarld said. “She could have been our libero her sophomore year. But Gigi was a great player. Sam knew that, and respected that. She still chose to come to McAuley knowing Gigi was ahead of her.

“Sometimes, people will go another way because they want to take that spotlight. She wanted to be with a great program with a great tradition. She just accepted every role, no matter what that role may be.”

Competing with the best of the best won out.

“I knew about the traditions,” Falk said. “My cousin (Jessica) had also been there beforehand. I didn’t care about being the star of the team. I just wanted to get better every day in the gym.”

White saw it. She smiled when talking about it.

“Sam is a hard worker,” White said. “That’s all I can say about her. Every day in practice, she came in with the mindset of just getting one percent better. She worked so hard, even knowing that Gigi would be playing ahead of her. She earned the position of a defensive specialist.

“She throws her body. She’s everywhere. She will not let the ball drop. This season she earned the position of libero. It’s well deserved.”