Lakes junior outside hitter Adey Martin had plenty of positive support heading into her first varsity season in volleyball.
Coach Sarah Yeager and senior setter Katie Mercure were among the people in the program who knew Martin was ready to make an impact this season.
Martin might have been the only one with a few doubts.
“I’m confident in my abilities because I have worked hard to get where I’m at during my club seasons,” she said. “But you don’t really know until you start playing to see where you land.”
As the Northern Lake County Conference champion Eagles (22-9) head into the postseason, Martin has landed at the top of their balanced attack with a team-high 155 kills, and she ranks second with 201 digs. Her all-around play has helped Lakes bounce back from a 12-win season in 2022 and win the conference title for the first time since 2019.
Martin, a multisport athlete, noted that she isn’t Lakes’ only offensive weapon. Seniors Jillian Ellenwood and Kylie Ledyard and junior Riley Bell-Nance each has more than 100 kills.
“I think it helps that we have a lot of good hitters because teams can’t key on just one player to block,” Martin said. “I’m just glad I have been able to help this team be successful.”
Yeager was one of Martin’s club coaches with Wisconsin Juniors this past offseason and got a good look at Martin’s continuing development.
“I knew Adey was going to help us out big-time because you can just see her grow with confidence with each practice and match,” Yeager said. “She stepped up her game and has really made herself into a six-rotation player.”
Martin’s importance to the Eagles goes beyond the numbers.
“Adey just has so much energy that it’s contagious,” Yeager said. “You need those type of players to keep each other up, so when you are struggling, you can find ways to battle back.”
Mercure, who leads the Eagles with 616 assists, agrees with Yeager.
“Adey is so fun to play with because of her energy,” Mercure said. “She doesn’t get down on anyone. It’s the exact opposite. She picks everyone up.
“I could see last year when she was on JV that she had a lot of potential. I’m glad she has kept improving her game to contribute big-time for us.”
Lakes is the top-seeded team in the Class 3A Woodstock North Sectional and opens the postseason with a match against either Cary-Grove or North Chicago in a Carmel Regional semifinal on Tuesday. The Eagles are pursuing their second regional title in three seasons.
“We want to finish the season strong for our seniors who have done so much for our program,” Martin said. “We do have a lot of underclassmen who also contribute this season, like me, but it’s the seniors who really lead us and make us go.”
The 5-foot-6 Martin, who isn’t big for an outside hitter, helps make the offense go by taking advantage of her jumping ability and smarts at the net.
“I’m working on my explosiveness to help my jumping,” she said. “I also play basketball, so being a better jumper should help in that sport too.”
Martin, already a significant varsity contributor in softball, is looking forward to her first varsity season in basketball in the weeks ahead.
“I hope I can have the success in basketball that I’m having in volleyball,” she said.
Darren Day is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.