University High School held a ceremony Friday celebrating its volleyball team for winning the IHSA Class 3A State Championship.
The Pioneers beat Nazareth Academy [LaGrange Park] in two sets to earn the state title Saturday at CEFCU Arena in Normal. It was the school’s first championship since 2000.
Performances from the pep band, speeches from several players and an appearance from the trophy itself wrapped up a week of celebration for U-High.
“It was really cool to have everyone there, just like at the actual [title game], we had so many supporters, so many students there, which was really cool,” said senior Ava Crabtree, outside hitter.
U-High won each of its final 30 matches of the season to finish the year with a 38-4 record. This included wins over nearby teams like Central Catholic, Normal West and Community, Bloomington High School and Tri-Valley.
“We had a lot of talent,” said Ratasha Thompson, head coach. “But we also really tried to focus more on the mental toughness side this year, doing hard things in practice, so that when games got tough, we had already practiced that grit and that resilience, and I think that's what led to a state championship.”
The 2025 season was Thompson’s first as head coach. She took over in an interim role last season, which ended in a loss in the regional semifinals. She played four seasons with Illinois Stave volleyball from 2013-16.
The Pioneers roster featured nine seniors. Thompson said during the ceremony that the senior class helped to change the culture of the program and acted as leaders for the younger players.
“It's been really fun to have some underclassmen on this team getting to experience what it's like to win a state championship and understand all of the work that goes into getting to this point. And so I hope it's only up from here,” Thompson said.
The matchup with Nazareth Academy also occurred in 2019, with the Pioneers losing in two sets to finish 4th in the state.
Leading the team in both digs and service aces, Thompson said Crabtree was a key contributor to the Pioneer offense. She plans to continue playing volleyball in college, but has not yet decided where.
“Her swings are more powerful than you would ever assume, coming from such a gentle person, but she's just a fantastic leader. We can always rely on her on the court.”
Crabtree said the team around her made the opportunity to play in a championship match even more special.
“We all know that if we make a mistake, we'll pick each other up. And so we were able to, like, play as hard as we can, because we know that we'll be supported no matter what.”
