El Paso-Gridley stood tall in an uber-competitive Heart of Illinois Conference season.
The Titans stood tall among every other team in program history, playing at the IHSA State Finals for the first time.
Their effort stood tall against reigning state champion Breese Mater Dei, a team who treats the state finals as the expectation, rather than a privilege.
But the Titans weren’t quite tall enough to take down the Knights and their three six-footers, led by 6-foot-5 middle blocker Alyssa Koerkenmeier, in a 16-25, 17-25 loss in Friday’s Class 2A State Semifinals at CEFCU Arena.