Volleyball: Ava Carpenter stepping into leadership role for Sycamore

SYCAMORE – The Sycamore volleyball team had to wait eight years between regional championships until winning one last season.

Senior outside hitter Ava Carpenter said the experience has the Spartans hoping for a second consecutive trip to sectionals, something the team hasn’t accomplished since 2009-10.

“It was definitely cool playing the teams we did. It’s such a higher level of play,” Carpenter said. “Regional title, everybody wants that. And I think it motivates me more to get it this year.”

Carpenter and opposite hitter Kylie Walsh are the only two starters back for the Spartans, who lost 11 players from last year’s team - 10 seniors and a foreign exchange student.

Carpenter was a second-team selection on the 2023 Daily Chronicle All-Area team after the Spartans finished the season 22-15 and 7-3 in the Interstate 8 Conference.

They came back against Burlington Central on the road for a 14-25, 25-14, 25-18 victory to make the sectional, losing to host and eventual Class 3A state champ St. Francis in a semifinal.

This year, Carpenter said the goal isn’t just a regional crown, but knocking off Kaneland for an Interstate 8 title, as well.

“I think we can easily do it,” Carpenter said. “I am really hoping we can get another regional title like we did last year.”

Ninth-year coach Jennifer Charles said she’s expecting big things from Carpenter and Walsh this year.

Playing with senior leaders last year such as Laci Neece and Reese Morgan has helped the two take over as this year’s senior leaders.

“I think they were able to learn ... how to be that teammate, how to be that supportive teammate, how to motivate and push the kids,” Charles said. “The good thing is that Ava was able to play [varsity] the last three years because we moved her up during her freshman year.”

Charles said she’s been impressed with Carpenter’s improvement on and off the court. She has worked on becoming a six-rotation player.

She also bring a sense of calm to the court, Charles said.

“She’s not going to be that teammate that - she’s not a yeller,” Charles said. “She’s more about encouragement, she plays loose, and I think by the way the girls see how loose she actually plays, it should bring everyone a sense of calmness.”

Charles said she has noticed how motivated the team is for a run that doesn’t just end with a regional title.

“At the end of the season, we kind of all sat down and their goal is to still win conference this year but also win regional,” Charles said. “We want to make a run in sectionals. And I think the fact this group of girls was able to see that last year and see what it takes, I feel we have a very good chance of doing a repeat.”

Carpenter said she’s thrilled with how the Spartans have looked throughout summer workouts.

When it comes to being one of the few seniors on the team, she said she just thinks back to what it was like when she was a freshman on the varsity team.

“Obviously, I have to step up and be a leader with everyone,” Carpenter said. “Looking back when I was a freshman or sophomore, I was always really scared, and those seniors would make me feel welcome. That always made me feel better. So I want to make sure I do that to everyone and help everyone not feel so nervous.”