Junior outside hitter Aubrey Deverick likes to let her play do the talking for Sandburg.
Deverick said she’s not a good singer. But for senior night Monday, she had a microphone and the underclassmen gathered around her to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“We had the idea watching the other games and seeing another team singing the national anthem,” Deverick said. “We thought we should do it. I’m not a good singer but the others are OK.”
They were more than OK, according to Eagles coach David Vales.
More Top Picks What Is Orton Gillingham And How Does It Help Dyslexia
“They said they sing all the time and that they can do it,” Vales said of allowing his players to handle the pregame ceremony. “I said they had to take it seriously and honor the country. They said they would.
“Without hearing them practice, I thought they nailed it.”
Deverick and Sandburg also nailed it on the court. She had four kills and an ace in a 25-12, 25-21 SouthWest Suburban Conference victory over Bradley-Bourbonnais in Orland Park.
Bella Maras led the Eagles (10-17, 1-5) with nine kills and three blocks, while Mya Slowikowski came up with six kills and Ellery Dyra had five.
Harper Yuska ended up with four kills for Bradley (12-15, 0-7). Olivia Woolman added three.
Sandburg, meanwhile, saw a 21-12 lead in the second game melt down to 22-21 before Deverick produced a kill to give the Eagles some breathing room and momentum to finish off the match.
“I feel that was good because our team came out strong for senior night and there was a lot of emotion,” Deverick said. “It got close but we executed, so that was good.”
The 5-foot-10 Deverick was promoted to the varsity as a sophomore and played on the right side, but she moved to outside hitter for this season.
“She’s an important player for us,” Vales said of Deverick. “Obviously, we know Bella is going to take a lot of heat and take a lot of swings, but Aubrey as a secondary outside does exactly what she’s supposed to do — control the game, make good shots, put the ball down when we need it.”
Two years ago, Vales liked Deverick’s game but opted to have her play on the freshman team rather than move her up to sophomores or varsity.
“You learn how to be a leader when you stay on your level,” Vales said. “Sometimes, you can bring a player up too soon and they never learn that leadership role because they are always being led by someone.
“If you stay on the level you are supposed to be, you really learn how to lead, and I think that was really important.”
Maras, who is leaning toward playing sand volleyball in college but is also getting noticed by indoor teams, praised Deverick’s energy afterward.
“She brings a good vibe to the team,” Maras said of Deverick. “It’s just so fun to be around her and all the other girls every day.”’
It’s not fun to lose, however, and it’s been a rough season for the Eagles. Vales was hoping for a better record, but there’s a little bit of time in the regular season to try to pick up some wins.
“There are some matches we wish we can have back,” Vales said. “But we’re playing some of the best teams in the state and a couple against the best teams in the nation.
“We want the girls to learn resiliency, and that’s what they are learning.”
Deverick pointed out that the Eagles are ready to start making some noise.
More Top Picks Fl 41 Vs Blue Light Glasses Which Do You Need
“I think that we need to get over this bump and just push through,” she said.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.