It didn’t take long this summer for Stagg sophomore Elaina Yasin to convince the coaching staff that she deserved a varsity spot as the team’s starting libero.
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It might have taken even less time to convince her teammates, especially sophomore outside hitter Katy Zumerchik.
“During summer league, we all wanted her on the team,” Zumerchik said of Yasin. “She was doing great. She was hustling for every ball, diving on the floor. Already, I trust her so much behind me when I’m in the front row.
“Her energy is so contagious. And she is so sweet. On the court, I love holding her hand, giving her high fives. She has the biggest smile on her face all the time. I love playing with her.”
Yasin wasn’t short on dives or digs Monday as Stagg opened the season with a rousing come-from-behind 14-25, 25-10, 25-20 nonconference victory over host Oak Lawn.
Zumerchik and Kacey Fitzpatrick were the hitting leaders with six kills each for the Chargers (1-0). Amelia Kadamus added four aces and four kills, while Maggie Gasienica-Sobczak contributed 21 assists.
Maryam Hussein led Oak Lawn (0-1) with 14 kills. Kasey Thompson added 19 assists and Maggie Mitchell tallied 15 digs.
Yasin came through with 10 digs for Stagg and was effective from the service line as well with two aces. She got both of them during a service run at the end of the second game.
“This was fun for me and for the whole team,” Yasin said afterward. “All of them, I feel, helped me to get here. I felt really good playing with everybody.”
Yasin is actually a late bloomer in volleyball compared to what she has already accomplished in other sports at Stagg.
Last year, she competed as a freshman at the state finals in both gymnastics and track.
In gymnastics, she was an all-around competitor during the regular season and a vaulter at state on Andrew’s district team that finished sixth.
In track, she qualified as an individual in the 300-meter hurdles, taking second in the sectional.
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“For track, I told myself whatever happens, happens,” Yasin said. “I looked at a time chart and I was pretty up there, so I didn’t think it was impossible.
“And I love coach (Mary) Gaido. I think she really helped me get there. I wasn’t the best at state, but hopefully next year, I’ll do better with her help.”
Her freshman feats begged the obvious question. Why did it take so long to make the varsity in volleyball?
“I don’t know,” Yasin said, smiling. “I guess I wasn’t really there yet freshman year to make it in volleyball. But I worked really hard in this offseason. I also played club, which I really feel helped me to get to this level.
“This summer, I went into it knowing it wasn’t impossible. And Katy was always telling me, ‘You’ve got this. You’ve got this.’ I wanted to be a part of this team. And it all worked out really well for me.”
Stagg coach Peggy Clemens credited Yasin’s jump from the freshman volleyball team to the varsity partially on being a multisport athlete.
“I knew from day one that she was extremely athletic,” Clemens said. “She just needed a little refinement with her volleyball skills. As she went into the other sports, I think she developed a mindset and mental toughness that you learn in a varsity sport.
“I remember her coming into workouts as an incoming freshman. You could tell even then that she had a competitive mindset and a willingness to take constructive criticism and then implement it in what she was doing. She has handled it all really well.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.