Her everyday nickname isn’t MVP.
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But Andrew sophomore Lainey Pranckus heard it over and over from the student section all during Wednesday night’s match against Lincoln-Way West.
“They were just doing that to try and hype me up,” Pranckus said.
She had to admit, she didn’t hate it.
“I have confidence,” Pranckus said, smiling. “I’m pretty good at volleyball and I love the sport. It makes me feel appreciated. It was fun.”
She was unarguably the star of the show for the Thunderbolts in a 19-25, 25-17, 25-22 SouthWest Suburban Conference victory over the Warriors in Tinley Park.
Pranckus led the way with 12 kills, 10 digs and eight aces for Andrew (5-5, 1-0). Erika Wojciak added six kills and five blocks, while Kodi Campbell contributed four kills and Amelia Hoekstra had 12 digs.
Kaylea Armstrong tallied 12 kills for Lincoln-Way West (3-7, 0-1). Anna Casner and Kayla Mahoney added six kills apiece, with Elena Mason recording 10 digs.
Pranckus, a 5-foot-9 outside hitter, did her most important work in helping the Thunderbolts rally from a 16-9 deficit in the third game. In the comeback’s stretch run, she had six kills and an ace.
She was a match changer.
“When we get in those tough situations, I just kind of blank it out,” Pranckus said. “I’m like, ‘All right. We’ve got this. We’re a good team. That other team is good, but we’re better.
“That’s my mentality. I just know that we can do it.”
No one knows her better than Campbell. The two share duties at outside hitter for Andrew and play together in club ball as well.
Her take on Pranckus’ talent is an interesting one.
“Lainey has a lot of energy,” Campbell said. “But she’s best at bettering the ball. She keeps the ball in play when someone makes a mistake. If she gets maybe not the best set, she knows how to make it better in order to keep the team going.”
Confidence isn’t a problem.
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“Oh, she has an attitude,” Campbell said, laughing. “All I have to say is, she knows she’s good.”
Pranckus is at the top of stats chart so far this season for the Thunderbolts with 64 kills, 43 digs and 18 blocks.
The viewpoint of Andrew coach Sean Carls? She checks a lot of boxes.
“Lainey is very smart,” Carls said. “She has confidence. She brings a lot of technique and power along with the technique. She’s versatile, including defense. And she’s a massive threat when she’s serving.
“But beyond that, she brings so much more than an average sophomore. Her intelligence and understanding of the game is much higher than most players her age. Her volleyball IQ is at the level of a senior or beyond.”
After taking over as Andrew’s head coach in 2025, Carls made one of his first big decisions in bringing up Pranckus to the varsity.
“I could see that she was very physical and explosive,” Carls said. “But she also showed that she understood the refined skill sets of strategy and understanding what to do with the ball.
“That shined through.”
Pranckus didn’t disappoint, putting up impressive stats as a freshman that included 157 kills, 111 digs and 48 blocks.
She also came to Andrew with family history on her side. Her brother Jack was a standout libero who went on to play in college at Sienna Heights. Her sister Lexi was also a top player and has coached at Andrew.
“I coached her brother Jack on the boys side,” Carls said. “I coached him from eighth grade in club and also four years here. We’re still very close. It’s like reliving him in a female form.
“They were both super coachable. The coachability is off the charts.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.