Naperville North senior libero Ennette Bednarz still remembers the moment she got called up to the varsity team.
The news came on the day of a notable DuPage Valley Conference match midway through her sophomore season.
“It was during school, and my coach at the time called me and was like, ‘Hey, you’re gong to be moved up today,’” Bednarz said. “I was like, ‘OK, let’s do it.’”
The Huskies’ opponent later that day was crosstown rival Naperville Central. Talk about being thrown into the deep end.
“It was definitely very nerve-wracking, and it kind of just happened suddenly,” Bednarz said. “I wasn’t really prepared for it, but I feel like that’s what helped me because if I had too much time to think about it, I would have just overthought and not played my best.
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“But my mindset wasn’t, ‘Oh, I need to do good.’ My mindset was like, ‘Let’s just play,’ and I feel like I did pretty good that game.”
Naperville North’s coaches felt the same because they made Bednarz the libero for the next match. She has been the starter ever since.
First-year Naperville North coach Nate Bornancin appreciated Bednarz from the beginning for her gritty defensive play.
“When I came in, I wanted to instill this defensive mindset for our all our girls,” Bornancin said. “I’m lucky because she’s always had this mentality of pursuing balls, running them down.
“Ennette will get to a ball that most people don’t think they can get to, but she doesn’t care. She’s going to give whatever she can for this team, and that’s evident on the court and in practice, so she’s an absolutely amazing kid.”
The Huskies lost to Naperville Central in Bednarz’s varsity debut. But two years later, she returned to the same gym and helped Naperville North beat the host Redhawks 27-25, 25-18 in DVC action on Thursday.
Bednarz had a team-high nine digs and six service points for the Huskies (8-3, 2-0), who rallied from deficits of 22-14 and 24-20 to win the first set from the Redhawks (8-8, 0-2), fending off five set points in the process.
Naperville North senior middle blocker Jessica Dickow, a co-captain along with Bednarz and senior libero Elle Smith, said Bednarz displayed the right mentality during the stunning rally.
“She was reminding us that we should play for our seniors, just keeping it lighthearted and making sure no one is in their head,” Dickow said. “She does a really great job of that and also keeping herself out of her head.”
Staying in good headspace is key for Bednarz, who is thinking about majoring in psychology.
“I feel like being in high school, it’s hard just to be yourself, especially with the pressure,” she said. “The most important thing is just to be you to yourself because at the end of the day, what people think about you does not reflect on who you are. The only thing that reflects on who you are is how you respond to that, and that’s something that I’ve always valued.
“If someone thinks something bad about me, then that’s fine, they can do that. I’m going to keep being myself and let them think whatever they want.”
Bednarz credits her mother, Leila, who played college volleyball and basketball at Quincy and Knox, for instilling that mental toughness in her.
“She has had a big impact on my life,” Bednarz said. “She’s always taught me to just not take anything from anyone and be my best self and not care what people think about me.”
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But people think highly of Bednarz’s performance. Her 103 digs and 12 aces lead the team.
“Ennette is a really huge part of this team and who we are,” Dickow said. “Even when she’s not on the court, you can hear her on the bench.
“She’s a huge energy and is a great leader. She’s doing a really great job.”
Bornancin agrees with Dickow.
“She plays a key role in everything we do,” Bornancin said. “She has got a really nice command of the back row, and we’ve seen her numbers jump this year.
“If she’s not taking the first contact, her voice is heard, and then when the ball is coming back, she’s putting herself in position to dig.”
Bednarz would love to play college volleyball, although she’s prioritizing academics during the recruiting process.
“I hope it works out well, and I think it will,” she said. “I have a feeling I’ll end up where I’m supposed to end up.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.