Shannon Leftridge’s raspy voice betrayed her condition.
After practice on Aug. 29, Leftridge drove to an urgent care facility, where she was diagnosed with an ear infection and strep throat. Despite her condition, she was contemplating going to practice the next day.
“The more I think about it, the more I think I’ll go,” she said.
Leftridge fell ill the day after the St. Pius X volleyball team she coaches was beaten 25-19, 25-22 by O’Fallon (Ill.) Township High, the winners of six straight Class 4A regional championships. Prior to the Lancers’ home-opening loss to the Panthers, they played 12 sets at Windsor’s tournament on Aug. 25. St. Pius has won the Windsor tourney at least five years in a row.
Since 2011, the Lancers have won three Class 2 state titles, including the last two. Three different coaches – Karrie Hermann (2011), Dustin Cutts (2016) and Leftridge (2017) – have led St. Pius to those crowns. The Lancers graduated nine of the 12 players from last year’s state championship team.
St. Pius had an early opening on their home schedule and Leftridge was eager to see how her mostly new team stacked up against an Illinois powerhouse.
“Watching them warmup, their JV looked like a varsity team,” Leftridge said of O’Fallon. “I told the girls they’d love to win their first home match. We were a bit outmatched and we kept up well, but it showed our setters and middle connection needs work.”
That’s because Carley Nicholson graduated this spring and took four years of setting experience and almost 1,000 assists her senior year with her. In Nicholson’s place, Leftridge has had four players trying to recreate the offensive juice the Lancers squeezed from their middles so effectively.
“Carley was so consistent. The ball was in the same place every time,” Leftridge said.
Juniors Molly Bange, Caly Otec and Isabella Rixford and freshman Kennedy Lane have all taken turns setting this season. Otec is an experienced outside hitter who most likely will stay in that role as the other three players build varsity experience. In the meantime, look for the Lancers to switch from 6-1 to 5-2 sets routinely.
It’s vital that St. Pius settles on a setter soon to take advantage of one of the top middle hitters in Class 2 in senior Kaylee Portell. At 6-0, Portell plays the game with zeal and loves to win.
Last season, she led the Lancers with 55 blocks and had eight kills in the three games against Strafford in the championship.
“We’re not having as many middle attacks, but we know to go to state we’ve got to utilize the middle attack with her,” Leftridge said.
Portell plays club volleyball year-round and her coach said she is a natural leader.
The Lancers have had two of the best front row players in the state the last two years in graduates Emma Grimshaw (2018) and Jena Otec (2017).
“Kaylee’s come in this year with a different mindset of being a team leader,” Leftridge said. “It’s a whole different ballgame when we had Carley Nicholson setting. We’ve had to train new setters. A middle-setter has to be specific. It doesn’t just happen.”
Senior Haley Lewis is the other returning starter. Lewis hits from the right side and she’s working on back-row play.
“This year she’s earned the six rotations,” Leftridge said.
Caly Otec, a junior, has been on the varsity for three years. Otec made just 13 errors in 199 services and had 22 aces last season. She was one of three Lancers to have more than 200 kills.
“She has adapted well,” Leftridge said. “She’s bigger and stronger and hitting the ball harder. She’s very consistent on serve-receive and defense. She’s very reliable on the court. She’s a quiet type of leader. Caly gets everyone fired up.”
Lane has earned a starting spot on the varsity after years of playing for club ball. Like many of her teammates, Lane played volleyball at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Imperial.
“Their lives are volleyball and we benefit from that,” Leftridge said.
Freshman Summer Meyer played libero at the Windsor Tournament, but she’s likely going to settle in the back row as a defensive specialist. Summer is third and last in line from the Meyer family after sisters Shelby and Samantha played for St. Pius. Summer’s quirky jump serve should give opponents fits. Leftridge said she might not use a libero this season.
“Summer knows the game and works hard every day in the gym,” Leftridge said.
Senior Becca Althoff was on the JV last year and is a back-row player. Juniors Avery Frimml, Madison Kurzweil and Gabrielle Werner are all defensive players.
Leftridge had 10 days to get healthy as the Lancers resume their schedule Friday at Lutheran South, which won 30 matches and finished second in Class 3 last season.
Leftridge said the match against Lutheran South will be similar to the one against O’Fallon.
“It feels like we’ve been in the gym forever,” she said. “These matches show us how much we need to work on. We have girls with college aspirations. Just when you think everything’s going great, you run into an O’Fallon and they show you what you need to work on.”