After Hinsdale South freshman Mia Lombardo blocked Hornets senior outside hitter Emily Drenth three times in practice one day, Lombardo essentially called it her best day on a volleyball court.
Drenth’s reaction to Lombardo’s comment was to roll her eyes.
“I think that’s an example of my competitiveness,” Drenth said. “I did not want that to ever happen again.”
When Hinsdale South coach Lisa Tazelaar saw Drenth react with disdain at being blocked by a freshman in practice, she had to interject.
“I told Emily, ‘Don’t roll your eyes. She’s just commenting on how good you are,'” Tazelaar said. “I told her to pat herself on the back. But don’t let it happen again.
“She just wants to win, no matter what we’re doing. If we’re doing sprints in practice, she wants to win. Whatever it is, she wants to win. I love that mentality.”
After missing last season due to a stress fracture in her lower leg, Drenth is back to hitting full-time for the Hornets.
Drenth’s teammate and best friend since they were preschoolers is senior middle hitter Amanda Pultorak, who had to carry a heavier load with Drenth and a few other starters out with injuries last year.
Pultorak, who plans to play for Nova Southeastern University in Florida next year, earned team MVP and All-West Suburban Gold honors in 2015.
“I saw what a good leader she was last year,” Drenth said. “She definitely came through for us.”
Pultorak missed her friend.
“It was difficult last year to hold the team accountable and lead the team,” Pultorak said. “It was especially hard without Emily because whenever either of us messes up, we look to each other for re-assurance.”
While her competitive mentality may be what most defines her, Drenth’s volleyball journey from setter to right side to outside hitter illustrates her exceptional athleticism.
“I was a setter in seventh grade, and in eighth grade I moved to the right side,” Drenth said. “It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I started playing outside, and I love it. That’s where I want to play in college.”
The Hornets lost 25-17, 25-20 to York on Wednesday, Sept. 28. The Dukes have one of the state’s best setters in senior Sarah Rose, whom Drenth played club volleyball with for 1st Alliance Volleyball Club.
“She’s a great hitter,” Rose said of Drenth. “She’s awesome, and she improved a lot over the years. … She knows where the defense isn’t, and she can put the ball there.”
Drenth shines as a hitter when her power and athleticism are on display, but she said she began the year playing too much of a finesse game.
She credited Tazelaar for bringing her back to her strengths.
“She said ‘I want old Emily back,'” Drenth said. “Freshman year, when I didn’t know what I was doing as much, I would just swing away at every ball. That was my mentality. I learned that there’s a time for finesse, but there’s also a time to swing away at the ball.”
While Drenth wants to be a hitter in college, she hasn’t ruled out playing elsewhere on the court. Either way, Tazelaar sees a bright college career ahead.
“It’s my prediction that Emily’s best volleyball will be played in her sophomore, junior and senior years in college,” Tazelaar said. “She missed an entire high school season, and she only recently became a full-time hitter for us.
“She’s got a great skill set, and every game I see her getting it a little bit more.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
