Madisen Babich grew up cheering for Lyons’ girls volleyball team, so expect to see plenty of mixed emotions as the senior’s season winds down.
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Babich is a varsity veteran in her first year as the starting libero for Lyons, which finished second in the Maine West Pumpkin tournament after losing to Libertyville in the final on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Babich’s mother, Carmie (Mendolia) Babich, played defensive specialist for Lyons’ 1975 championship team in the second year of the state tournament. Carmie Mendolia was a teammate of current Lyons coach Joann Pyritz.
Madisen Babich’s older sister, Kaley, was a member of Lyons’ 2009 state runner-up team and a reserve defensive specialist in 2010 when Lyons won the Class 4A state championship.
“I remember going down with the state team,” Madisen Babich said. “I used to paint my face yellow and blue. I could hear my mom cheering (at Redbird Arena).”
The 5-foot-5 Western Springs resident was a defensive specialist during her previous three years with Lyons. She moved full-time to libero after the graduation of longtime fixture Toni Saracco after the 2014 season.
“Madisen has been an important part of our program for four years,” Pyritz said. “It was a natural transition to take over the libero role and she has done an excellent job of leading her teammates.”
Madisen Babich plans on playing for the Western Springs 1st Alliance 18U Silver this upcoming club season and last month she committed to play college volleyball at Cal State Fullerton. The entire Titans roster is comprised of players from California, but Babich was willing to travel. She also considered Southern Illinois, Villanova, Eastern Michigan, Manhattan and Maryland.
Madisen Babich said she started playing volleyball at age 8 for the Lions Jrs. club and began attending Lyons’ summer camps at age 12. Madisen Babich and Pyritz have known each other for so long that Pyritz is like an aunt and a coach to Babich.
“I grew up with the program,” Madisen Babich said. “With Coach P, I always give her a hard time. She is always picking on me.”
Much like Saracco did for her, Madisen Babich is now grooming her successor in junior Abby Vulich, who is playing defensive specialist this season alongside senior Meg Kern.
Lyons (17-11, 3-2 West Suburban Silver) ends its regular season Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24, by hosting its own tournament in Western Springs. Eighth-seeded Lyons then opens the Class 4A playoffs against ninth-seeded Hinsdale Central at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 in the Benet Regional semifinals.
“I’m a little sad the season went by so fast,” Madisen Babich said. “I guess everything has to come to an end. I really appreciate Coach P. She has a sense of humor, but she’ll hold it back a bit. When she gets down to business, she knows how to act serious.”
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