Milana Moisio was excited about the possibility of making an immediate impact last season for Carmel.
After watching her two older sisters, Giana and Jolina, play for the Corsairs for several years, Moisio started her career by immediately earning a promotion to the varsity team.
But Moisio injured her ankle before the season, and it caused her to miss two weeks.
Moisio, a sophomore libero, is healthy this season. She racked up nine digs in Carmel’s 25-13, 25-18 victory over Lake Zurich on Tuesday. The Corsairs received six kills from Annie Bart, and Kaitlyn Donton had 10 assists.
Paced by Moisio, the Corsairs (2-1) knocked off the Bears (2-4) with a dominant effort. The Corsairs led 11-1 in Game 1 and fought off an early challenge in Game 2 to pull away for the win.
Moisio said she gained a different perspective from her injury that has helped her this season.
“It was scary, and I was nervous to finally get back on the court after missing two weeks,” Moisio said. “When I injured myself, I was a mess. I thought I would never play again. It was only a sprained ankle. Volleyball means so much to me. It was heartbreaking to take two weeks off, especially my first time playing in high school.”
Carmel coach David Pazely said Moisio’s development was accelerated because of her two older sisters.
“Milana has had that experience from them ahead of her to help her grow at a faster rate,” he said. “She was varsity-ready as an eighth grader.
“I know she’s fast and athletic and has great balance and hands and everything else, but how quickly she reads it, she’s always in position. To have someone like that anchor your back row is great because we’re going to be a strong and balanced team.”
Moisio said she cherished being able to play on the varsity during her freshman year, which allowed her to share the court with Jolina during her senior season.
“It was good to actually be on the court as a freshman,” she said. “It was also sad because it was my last year playing with Jolina. We have played together since middle school.”
Senior outside hitter Eileen Tarcha said Moisio’s become an integral part of the program because of her rapid development.
“She has grown so much from last year,” Tarcha said. “She can read the game way better. She’s gotten used to the older hitters and adjusted.”
Lake Zurich entered the nonconference home match coming off an impressive win over Lakes. But the Bears’ youth showed against the talented Corsairs. Lake Zurich is relying on several young players after nine players graduated last season.
“This was our first home game, and I’m not sure if they felt overwhelmed,” Lake Zurich coach Rachel Wiatrowski said. “Six weeks from now, they will be a more focused and consistent team.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
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