Libertyville’s Claire Evans has grown in more ways than one this season.
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The 5-foot-11 junior outside hitter not only gained nearly 3 inches since the summer, but also made the leap from the sophomore team to varsity and has become a go-to option for the Wildcats.
“All of a sudden, with her little hops, she’s getting up there and really whipping the ball,” Libertyville coach Greg Loika said. “She wasn’t even a JV player last year.”
Evans has noticed the difference too.
“I can reach higher and block higher,” she said. “It’s been great.”
On Tuesday night, Hampshire became the latest team to see the new-and-improved Evans, who recorded personal bests with 12 kills and seven aces and also had four digs and two blocks in the Class 4A McHenry Sectional semifinals.
Evans’ impressive performance powered top-seeded Libertyville’s thrilling 21-25, 25-15, 25-23 comeback victory against the second-seeded Whip-Purs.
“She’s stoic no matter what happens,” Loika said. “That building of confidence for her is huge. That’s a full day’s work for that girl.
“I think Claire came into her own in a way that was up and down this season. Today, she was unflappable and just ready for the next ball. In the second and into the third set, she was on a roll, and we were trying to find her in all the spaces we could.”
Senior outside hitter Molly Lyon added six kills and three digs for the Wildcats (26-12), who will play Huntley (30-8), the other No. 1 seed, in the sectional championship match at 6 p.m. Thursday. Sophomore libero Charlie Fleegle had 19 digs.
Evans’ all-around effort helped the Wildcats overcome Hampshire junior outside hitter Liz King, who had 15 kills and five aces.
“I think I really stayed focused, and knowing where I was on the court but also knowing where to place the ball was important for me tonight,” Evans said.
“Also, having the team support me was big for me. After that first set, we really came together. For me, once the team started playing well, I started feeling more confident. I felt great.”
Indeed, Evans, who has 226 kills, 64 aces, 35 blocks and 117 digs this season, rose to the occasion after the Whip-Purs cruised in the first set. Senior setter Makenzie Tyrrell kept feeding her the ball, and even after Evans made a hitting error late in the third set, Tyrrell showed trust in her teammate. Evans closed out the match with two kills off sets from Tyrrell.
“When she’s on, she’s on, so I knew I could give her the ball, and I trusted her with the ball,” Tyrrell said. “She jumps insanely high, so she gets over the block.”
Junior middle hitter Avery Maddux said Evans is a multidimensional force on the court.
“I’ve always known she can play,” Maddux said. “We have such a powerhouse (volleyball) school, but once some upperclassmen graduated, she really took a step up and grabbed that leadership position and that outside position.
“Her serving is so unstoppable, and she does a great job. When she’s on, you can’t stop her. She has everything in the books.”
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Evans, who said she has played volleyball for five years, was on a typical track in her first two seasons at Libertyville, playing on the freshman team and then moving to the sophomore team.
“Over the summer, playing with the all the girls helped me get better,” Evans said. “But once I started to get the feel for what it’s like playing on the varsity, that’s when it clicked for me. It’s been a great season, and I’m having so much fun.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.