She’s bigger, faster, stronger. And she jumps higher.
Those are just some of the ways that junior setter Peyton Heatherly has changed since her freshman season for Mother McAuley.
However, Heatherly has cut back on one thing. She doesn’t cry so much.
“Ha-ha … yeah, I think my freshman year I was, like, very nervous,” she said. “I would always feel like I wasn’t playing up to my full potential. I was so young and everyone around me was so good.
“Any time coach (Jen DeJarld) would talk to me, I’d get so nervous and I’d start crying.”
That year, Heatherly set from start to finish as the Mighty Macs won the 2023 Class 4A state title.
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Heatherly moved closer to a career milestone Thursday night for host McAuley in a 20-25, 25-23, 25-16 loss to Assumption of Kentucky in Chicago.
Campbell commit Cayla Prohaska led the Mighty Macs (18-2) with 10 kills. Chyla Jukes added three kills and four blocks, while Jayce Prohaska contributed three kills and three blocks. Clemson commit Lucy Maloney made 23 digs, passing the 1,000 mark for her career..
Taylor McKenzie finished with 11 kills for Assumption (22-4). Carle Hooe added seven.
Heatherly, a Coastal Carolina commit, had a huge performance for the Mighty Macs with 23 assists, seven digs and two kills. Soon, she will be reaching the 2,000 mark in career assists.
The crying kid is in full control now.
“Her confidence has grown tremendously,” DeJarld said. “She’s contacting the ball at a higher point. That’s a big deal with setters. She’s a little harder to predict where she’s going to send the ball to, which holds the blockers. She essentially creates holes for our hitters.
“I think the biggest difference in her game is that she’s a lot more offensive than she used to be. She used to be hesitant when she tipped the ball or hit the ball herself. Now she has become a really strong weapon for us offensively with her dumping.”
Heatherly had one of those confidence moments late in the first game against Assumption with a tip for kill that put the Mighty Macs ahead 23-19. That play followed her mini-service run that included an ace.
Her leadership qualities are being noticed — and appreciated — by the older players.
“In so many ways she’s like a senior,” Maloney said. “We’re kind of the bookends. Coach DeJarld always said neither one of us can have an off day. We both have to be always on and always competing. And Peyton has done such a great job.
“I’m more of the yapper. I talk all the time. She’s more the one who leads by example. She knows how to put a ball away as a setter when we need her. She’ll get an ace when we need one. It’s just very special for the other girls to know they have a girl like Peyton to play with.”
Heatherly wasn’t short on guidance as a freshman.
“I had Ellie (White) to help me,” Heatherly said. “She helped me 10 times over. My coaches would help me a lot by telling me more of what to run and what we could do on each service.
“And I’m not gonna lie, I don’t think I lifted a weight until I came to McAuley. Once we started working out with John (Griffin) in the summers, he would push me. And Lucy would make me lift 10 times heavier than I probably could. I would get so mad at her, but it really helped.”
Now it’s Heatherly helping to guide Jukes, a freshman who has made a big impact at middle hitter.
“When we found out she was going to make the team, I texted her right away,” Heatherly said. “I was like, ‘I want you to to know that I’m so proud of you and I’m always here for you.’ I know how it feels to be the young one. Building that relationship off the court translates onto it so well.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
