I was the first day of girls volleyball tryouts in August when Hinsdale Central senior Meg Irvin realized just how big of a rebuilding season awaited the Red Devils.
“It’s been crazy. It’s a whole new team,” Irvin said. “Everything is different. We had seven to eight seniors last year. We’re a rebuilding team and developing chemistry. We’re starting from the beginning.”
The 5-foot-10 outside hitter is Hinsdale Central’s only returning starter. Irvin is back as a captain along with senior libero Nora Stack and senior defensive specialist Maggie Schwartz, who have added those new duties.
Four other players — senior Ashley Pelton and juniors Gillian Lal, Stephanie Davis and Jasmine Mrozek — were members of the varsity last season.
This year’s Hinsdale Central roster includes freshmen middle hitter Zoe Smith and setter Lindsay Knutson.
Irvin is learning that many of the team’s new players look to her as their leader this season.
A three-year member of the varsity, she is one of the Red Devils’ most experienced players, along with Stack. Irvin is the last of three sisters who played volleyball at Hinsdale Central, following Taylor (2006 graduate) and Kylie (2014).
Irvin and her captains already had some chemistry, going back to playing volleyball together at Clarendon Hills Middle School.
“Meg and I are both super-easy-going people,” Stack said. “(Coach Mike) Konrad has made it an easy transition with the girls as much as possible. Both of us have been on the varsity a long time.”
Meg Irvin helped organize the team pasta parties in the preseason and run team bonding exercises.When she wanted to try a new drill with her teammates, she consulted assistant coach Stephanie Sagat, a former college coach at Illinois-Springfield.Sagat suggested A-B-C, a game where players divide into groups and search throughout the school for items starting with a different letter of the alphabet, in order.
“You just go through the alphabet like looking for an apple (first),” Meg Irvin said. “It’s goofy.”
The point of the exercise is to get new teammates to interact with each other outside of practice.
Meg Irvin is the Devils’ kills leader and also leads on the court, where Hinsdale Central (2-6) is off to a slow start. She and Stack were named to the all-tournament team at the eight-team Benet Invitational Aug. 29 after the Devils finished fourth, losing to Neuqua Valley 25-11, 25-16 in the third-place match.
“We’re young, but I think it will take a little bit to hit our stride,” said Konrad, who was promoted from assistant when Kelly Stapleton stepped down after giving birth in the offseason. “As our lone returnee, Meg is a leader who has stepped up in the captain’s position and in a leadership position. The girls look to her, especially in tight moments.It’s nice that our one returning starter can do everything.”
Meg Irvin said she believed a lack of chemistry hurt last year’s team, which lost to Marist in a Class 4A regional final. She asked her older sister, Taylor, for leadership advice during the preseason. Taylor Irvin, a former Red Devils captain, is a club volleyball coach in Florida and flew home to watch Meg play at the Benet Invitational.
Meg Irvin said her sister told her she should be available for the younger players and be familiar with drills.
The goal, Meg Irvin said, is to be a better team at the end of the season.
“Many of us already have volleyball skills. A big problem last year was chemistry. I’m trying to fix that this year with more team chemistry on the court,” Meg Irvin said. “I’m really big on trying to help each other. It’s been really fun. It’s an exciting new experience.”
@geomwilcox
