# Lyons ended McAuley's 135-match reign

> A 4-4 Lyons team shocked Mother McAuley in 1983 and stopped Illinois volleyball's greatest winning streak.
- Title: Lyons ended McAuley's 135-match reign · High School On SI
- Summary: A 4-4 Lyons team shocked Mother McAuley in 1983 and stopped Illinois volleyball's greatest winning streak. Even the most dominant streaks can turn on one…
- Keywords: mother mcauley, lyons township, illinois volleyball, 135-match winning streak, marge mckee, nancy wichgers pedersen, glenbard west, megan o'connell, grant sherman, jamison imhoff, jennifer brelage, nfhs
- Source: High School On SI — https://si.com/high-school/national/this-week-in-high-school-history-unlikely-challenger-ends-mcauley-s-135-match-winning-streak-01m2jzagx3m9
- Published: 2026-09-15T19:44:10+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: mother mcauley, lyons township, illinois volleyball, 135-match winning streak, marge mckee, nancy wichgers pedersen, glenbard west, megan o'connell, grant sherman, jamison imhoff, jennifer brelage, nfhs
## History nearly vanished
High school sports leaves behind big moments that can slip out of memory. This week looks back at one Illinois volleyball upset that still holds weight.

> The details might be lost to history, but the outcome remains unforgettable.
## A tie became history
On Sept. 20, 1983, Lyons Township broke a 13-13 third-set tie and took the last two points from Mother McAuley.
## The streak stopped
That finish ended McAuley's 135-match winning streak, the longest in Illinois high school girls volleyball history.
## Lyons was stunned too
Lyons coach Marge McKee knew her team had just done something hard to process. The Lions had beaten a machine.

> We can’t believe that we did it.
## An unlikely challenger
Lyons entered the match 4-4. McAuley looked in control early, winning the first set 15-5.
## The Lions answered
Lyons took the second set 15-10 to force a deciding third. Momentum shifted toward the bigger, sharper blocking team.

> They got momentum
## McAuley's run began earlier
McAuley's streak started Nov. 18, 1979. It reached 135 wins on Sept. 16, 1983, just four days before Lyons ended it.
## A true powerhouse
During the streak, McAuley won three straight Illinois state titles and became a state and national volleyball force.
## The loss did not last
McAuley still reached the 1983 state final, losing to Glenbard West. The next season began another stretch of dominance.
## The record still towers
McAuley's 135-match streak now ranks No. 7 nationally. In Illinois, it remains nearly three times longer than any other girls volleyball streak.
## More records that week
The same history roundup notes Megan O'Connell's 45 kills in 1996 and Grant Sherman's 684 passing yards in 2012.
## Soccer marks fell too
Jamison Imhoff had hat tricks in nine straight boys soccer games in 2008. Jennifer Brelage scored a national-record 18 goals in 2002.
## Built from records
Sheldon Shealer compiled the roundup using newspaper accounts, school and state records, historical sources, archives and NFHS records.
## Key takeaway

Even the most dominant streaks can turn on one tight finish, and Lyons owned the final two points when history was waiting.