When the Oak Lawn Community High School girls volleyball team opened the season by winning the Fenton Bison Blast Off tournament, the team was riding a wave of success and six straight victories. Since then, they have continued to play solid volleyball as the South Suburban Conference season is under way.
It is a strong group of juniors leading the attack and the statistics. Sinead Conroy has put away 65 kills to lead the team while Hailey Wiergac has 41 kills. Amina Maali has collected 32 kills, 48 digs, and 22 aces, and Kaitlyn Berkery has 35 kills, 42 digs, and 19 aces. Libero Emma McAuliffe has 99 digs through Monday.
In addition to this group of juniors, the deep bench and a senior setter in Maeve Hassett really give the Spartans a lot of options on the court.
“We are successful when everyone on the team is focused and understands their responsibilities,” said head coach Kathleen Miller. We always discuss how everyone has a role, and that role can always change from day to day. We have the luxury of depth from our bench this year, so we have relied on every single player at various times throughout the season in order to be successful.
“Our goal is always to play simple, composed volleyball, and when we execute that goal, we have a great connection on the court and are hard to beat. The players have been reflective on their successes and setbacks, using our wins and losses to learn and improve every day.”
This weekend, the Spartans host the Spartan Classic tournament at Oak Lawn. There is tough competition like Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way West, Romeoville, Providence, and De La Salle, but the Spartans want to continue their winning way.
“We are looking to have a winning record in the Classic and want to prove that we are a competitive, tough team,” said Miller. “There is great competition in the tournament, and we are looking forward to challenging ourselves, shaping more of our identity as a team, and improving during each match.”