Once upon a time, Mother McAuley’s Reagan Kemps was actually bracing for the worst.
At age 6, Kemps tried softball and basketball and found out she didn’t have a natural feel for those sports. But then some of her Mount Greenwood friends suggested she join them to play volleyball.
“I was like, ‘Here we go, we’re going to do another sport that I’m going to be bad at,'” Kemps said with a smile. “But I realized I loved it and wanted to work at it.”
That work paid off Thursday night. The senior right-side hitter entered the starting lineup and led the Mighty Macs to a 25-21, 25-21 nonconference win over host Lincoln-Way East in Frankfort.
Coastal Carolina recruit Peyton Heatherly had 11 assists and 11 digs for McAuley (8-0), while Chyla Jukes added four kills and two blocks. Youngstown State commit Ava Calle contributed seven digs.
The 6-foot Kemps was called into duty after junior outside hitter Katelyn Beirne dislocated her kneecap chasing down a ball and colliding with a pole in Tuesday’s 25-15, 25-12 GCAC Red win over Montini.
“The kneecap came out of joint — it popped right back in,” said McAuley coach Jen DeJarld, who remained hopeful that Beirne could sidelined for only 3-6 weeks. “She had an MRI and nothing is torn. She needed the swelling to go down and will rehab it.”
Lincoln-Way East (6-3), meanwhile, was paced Thursday by Illinois recruit Kolby Ross with nine kills. Chloe Prainito added six kills and Ashlee Palmer chipped in with two block assists.
Kemps, meanwhile, was excited to be a starter, but she tried her best to keep a cool head in the hot, humid gym.
“Coach DeJarld always says that when you come in off the bench, it’s not your job to be the hero and it’s not your job to save the day,” Kemps said. “We’re told to stay calm and do your role and that was my goal going in.
“I was just going to bring positive energy for my team and control what I can control.”
Heatherly, who spread the wealth around with her sets, was happy that Kemps came through for the Mighty Macs. Heatherly had been seeing some good things from her in practice.
“I have trust in everyone, but I know I can trust Reagan and she’ll put the ball down,” Heatherly said. “She has stepped up after Katelyn went down.”
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DeJarld pointed out what she likes about Kemps, noting that she’s is a centered player who doesn’t make many errors.
“Reagan is one of our captains and a good leader on the floor,” DeJarld said. “She’s a solid, smart player who makes good choices.”
One choice that Kemps made is she won’t pursue volleyball in college. She’s interested in pursuing a business degree, with an eye on sales.
But volleyball has been good to her over the years. She confirmed it was her dream to play for Mother McAuley since attending a McAuley-Marist match in 2016, the year the Mighty Macs were named national champions by USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association.
The sport has helped her build a bond with younger sister Natalie, who is in eighth grade at St. Christina.
“Volleyball is something that’s brought us together,” Kemps said. “She’s going to be a future Mac.”
Yes, there’s a bit of an age difference, but volleyball has allowed them to close that gap.
“We share a room, so we were forced to be close,” Reagan said with a smile. “But with volleyball, she’s a super hard worker and she pushes me hard.
“We love to push each other and cheer each other on and that ultimately made us closer.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.