Oswego native Hadley Engler decided to give Benet a try as a freshman. After a year of commuting to Lisle, however, Engler decided over the summer to transfer.
Anybody who has had to make that drive on a daily basis can relate with her choice
“I’d say I just wanted to get back home,” Engler said. “It had a lot to do with the commute.
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“It’s been good so far. I definitely feel welcomed.”
The sophomore middle hitter made her volleyball debut Tuesday night for the Panthers in their season opener against Waubonsie Valley. And she also made an immediate impact.
Despite focusing most of her attention on basketball in the offseason — and coming to a new school — Engler looked like a seasoned vet in Oswego’s 25-19, 25-19 nonconference win.
All four times Engler was set in the middle she put down the kill, giving the Panthers (1-0) another threat to go along with Dayton-bound senior outside hitter Hannah Herrick and junior outside hitter Sarah Gilio, each of whom put down seven kills apiece Tuesday.
Ava Edozien led Waubonsie (0-1) with five kills. Anna Axelsen and Belle Black each had three.
The extent of Engler’s offseason volleyball work, meanwhile, comes on the sand. She played sand volleyball two days a week and tried to get into the gym for extra work when she could.
“I thought I would have to shake a lot of rust off,” Oswego coach Gary Mosley said of Engler. “No, she was ready to go from day one. It’s amazing. She doesn’t play club.
“She comes in here and reps with us from tryouts on, no summer camp with us or anything. Finding the rhythm that she did right away, we wanted to set that tone. She did that for us.”
It helps that Engler knows most of the team since she grew up in town. Her year away didn’t slow down their chemistry.
“I think that a lot of it is my teammates,” Engler said. “They’ve been really welcoming to me. They’re just really nice. It’s been really nice to connect with them.”
Engler earned the start in her Oswego debut. She only plays the front row, but she made a difference right away. Her first kill gave the Panthers a 12-6 lead in the first game.
“It felt really nice,” Engler said. “My teammates have been so good to me. I have a great connection with my setter (Elaina Massie).”
After dropping the first game, Waubonsie forced a 17-17 tie in the second game. A series of errors and a pair of kills from Gilio, however, helped Oswego pull away.
“They fought all the way,” Waubonsie coach Noel Soto said. “They never gave up. Our problem was we didn’t execute when we needed to execute. We knew what we needed to do.”
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Mosley pointed out that Engler couldn’t have fit in better, either.
“The energy is so cool,” Mosley said. “She fits right in. I’m glad she’s so outgoing because that’s the whole squad. She fits right in with her bubbly personality — really good vibe with her.”
That’s a big part of it. There are also physical attributes she possesses that can’t be coached.
“The athleticism is the first thing you see,” Mosley said. “When she came in, the first thing I saw on the first day was her bounce. Pin to pin, she’s amazing. We’re trying to get her footwork fine-tuned.
“She’ll figure that out because she has the bounce to move. For a kid that doesn’t play the sport like the rest of them do, it’s very natural and it’s just awesome.”
After seeing how dangerous Oswego can be in the front row against an opponent, Engler is looking forward to what the Panthers can achieve.
“I definitely think we’ll be really good,” Engler said. “I know we will. I’m really excited for us.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.