Being a freshman on a varsity team can be an intimidating experience.
Shepard senior Sarah Kiwan said she didn’t have that problem three years ago when she played with a talented, but also welcoming group of older teammates.
“I learned so much that year,” Kiwan said. “I didn’t get a lot of playing time on the court, but that I got to practice with them was the biggest impact ever. I was able to find out my weaknesses and set goals for myself.”
The 2014 Astros tied a school record with 30 victories behind the leadership of Kendall Yerkes, Abbey Graham and Caroline Graham.
“They really set the standard for (leadership),” Kiwan said. “They were the best teammates, always there for you, a shoulder to lean on.”
Kiwan is the one doing the leading now for the Astros (17-8, 8-0), who are setting the pace in the South Suburban Red.
For the season, the 6-foot outside hitter leads the team with 253 kills and 26 blocks. She also has 136 digs and 32 aces.
“She brings power,” Shepard coach Brian Zofkie said. “We have a lot of athleticism, but we don’t have a lot of that raw power and height. And at the end of the day she is still the one after a mistake bringing everybody into the middle and keeping everybody up.”
As a junior, Kiwan was thrust into the odd role of being the leader on a team had that six seniors.
“It became evident early on that she was the only one who had played,” Zofkie said. “She was the one experienced kid, and it was up to her to keep everybody positive in the gym and remind them of the light at the end of the tunnel.
“It was like having a coach on the floor. This year she has taken it to another level, taking the freshmen and sophomores under her wing and really being that mentor.”
Spreading the wealth: Senior setter Jordan Dryfhout has a bevy of hitters to work with at Chicago Christian, and she isn’t afraid to use all of them.
“Our front line puts away any ball that they’re given,” Dryfhout said. “We’re really aggressive. Since the first day of tryouts when everyone was a little unsure of themselves we’ve come a long way.
“These girls are like my sisters. It’s really nice to play with all of your best friends. Everyone has the same goal and everyone is reaching for the same thing, so it’s really just fun.”
The Knights (20-3) won the Silver Division championship at Saturday’s Rich East Rocket Invitational, beating Lincoln-Way West 25-19, 25-27, 25-21. Dryfhout had 27 assists, her main targets being senior middle hitter Dani Tyson, sophomore Lia Moore and juniors Brooke Veldman and Kasey Pfister.
“We’ve been working all year on using a variety of sets and not just setting the same person all the time,” Knights coach Karen Van Assen said. “This tournament we really worked on distribution, and Jordan was very consistent. I’m really happy with her.”
Firing up: Providence’s up-and-down season took an upward tick Saturday when the Celtics competed in the Gold Division at the Rich East Rocket Invitational.
The Celtics (16-10) beat Loyola in the third-place match 25-18, 25-17 as Emma Urchell had 12 kills and Keely Tess distributed 17 assists.
“We just try to go out and have fun and play our hardest,” Tess said. “That’s what we do. Sometimes we have some really big girls on these teams we play and we’re a little bit shorter. That’s always hard, but our defense is really good.”
Tess, a 5-11 senior, has been a leader as both a setter and a hitter for new Celtics coach Lisa Muys. Tess and junior Allison Brankin run a 6-2 offense.
“Keely is incredibly intelligent,” Muys said. “She has been making very smart setting decisions. She knows what her hitters need and how to execute the plays.”
Twitter @tbaranek
Top 10
Records included through Sunday, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
1. Marian Catholic 15-3 (4)
2. Mother McAuley 16-2 (1)
3. Marist 16-1 (2)
4. Joliet Catholic 14-4 (3)
5. Lincoln-Way East 10-4 (5)
6. Richards 15-1 (6)
7. Sandburg 14-6 (8)
8. Lincoln-Way Central 13-4 (7)
9. Chicago Christian 20-3 (NR)
10. Providence 16-10 (NR)
Player of the Week: Marian Catholic’s Temitayo Thomas-Ailara had 22 kills in leading the Spartans to an upset of Mother McAuley in the Rich East Rocket Invitational title match. For the week, the junior outside hitter had 85 kills, 14 aces and 40 digs.
