Oak Lawn junior Sinead Conroy gets a kick out of it when people ask her what position she plays.
“They’re surprised when I tell them I’m a middle,” Conroy said. “They think I’m a setter or something.”
Why? It has to do with her being 5-foot-6. It’s a fact she wasn’t even aware of until they pulled out a tape measure at the beginning of the season.
“I thought I was 5-8,” Conroy said, laughing. “It’s the jumping. It makes me feel big.”
Conroy played big Tuesday night for the Spartans during a 25-18, 23-25, 25-19 victory over host Tinley Park in a South Suburban Conference crossover.
Hailey Wierzgac was a powerhouse for Oak Lawn (25-5, 9-3 SSC Red) with 14 kills and six blocks. Conroy added eight kills, while Maeve Hassett contributed 31 assists and Emma McAuliffe had 22 digs.
Megan Piotrowski and Lana Lomalie each tallied 10 kills for Tinley Park (18-6, 9-3 SSC Blue). Raeley Mungcal added 22 digs and five kills.
Conroy’s biggest clutch contributions came during the third game. The Titans whittled down a 18-13 deficit to 18-17 before she blasted a set from Hassett to the back line for a kill. Conroy then served for a second point.
Earlier in the game, Conroy earned the Spartans a side out with a kill and served for four straight points. One of them came on an ace.
“I loved it,” Conroy said. “Serving is something I struggled with last season, so I’m just trying to get through it. I feel like I’ve evolved from last season.”
One thing Conroy hasn’t struggled with is hitting. Including Tuesday’s match, she leads the Spartans with 166 kills. That’s rare for most middles, to say the least one who stands 5-6.
“It sure is,” Conroy said, smiling. “When I go up against big competition, it’s all about playing smart. It’s more about playing smart than just overdoing it, you know?”
Conroy kept the Titans guessing with a mixture of tips and fierce spikes. She and Wierzgac — who also plays in the middle — are Hassett’s favorite targets.
“Our middles are our strongest hitters,” Hassett said. “I just try to run them as much as I can. With Sinead, I just have trust in her that she’ll be able to get the kill and she does.
“What’s great about her is she hits smart shots. She’s very loud and aggressive, and she’s quick to get over things. She doesn’t overthink things. She just plays the game.”
Conroy is in her second full varsity season. She made her varsity debut, however, as a freshman during a regional semifinal.
“When coach (Kathleen Miller) called my name as part of the lineup, I thought, ‘Did I hear that right? Was that me?'” Conroy recalled. “And she did. So I was like, ‘OK, I have to go out there and give it my best as much as I can.”
And she did. Conroy finished her first varsity match with five solo blocks.
“Ha-ha … we didn’t tell her she was starting until 30 seconds before the game started,” Miller said. “We didn’t want her freaking out about it. But we had an injury and an illness, and she was next one up.
“Last season, she was solid on the court for us. She was energetic but had consistency issues. In the summer, we just kept seeing her really work hard. Her vocals came out. She started leading with effort, her voice and her example.”
Call it a total evolution.
“I used to be really shy,” Conroy said. “Freshman year, I was really shy. But I’ve adapted. I’m comfortable now. I need to give it all I have.”
No one knows that better than Hassett.
“She wants the ball,” Hassett said. “She’s the most aggressive person on the court. She helps us.”
