The Times Athlete of the Week: Ottawa girls volleyball’s Addison Duggan

Five hundred one votes were cast in the online vote to select the first Times Athlete of the Week of the 2024-25 school year, and in a landslide with 390 of the votes the winner was Ottawa girls volleyball’s Addison Duggan.

The Pirates’ senior middle led the attack in a win against archrival Streator with five kills, then put down six winners in the third-place match of the Ottawa Invitational.

Also on the ballot were runner-up Chandler Creedon (Ottawa boys golf), Piper Stenzel (Seneca girls golf) and Sundara Weber (Sandwich girls cross country).

Weekly ballots go online Monday mornings and are accessible via Facebook (The Times Sports) and Twitter (@jtpedelty), with voting going through midday Wednesday.

Here is a Q&A with this week’s winner:

Do you have any nicknames?

Duggan: Rose, Duggan.

How old were you when you started playing volleyball? What made you want to try the sport?

Duggan: I was in seventh grade when I started playing. I wanted to try something different and wanted to stay in shape.

The team earned a nice early-season rivalry win over Streator, a match in which you excelled. Is the energy a little higher for those rivalry matches?

Duggan: Yes, playing in rivalry matches makes everyone excited and want to win.

What goals does the team have this season, and what will it take to reach them?

Duggan: To win regionals, to play well as a team and to work hard during practices.

What’s your favorite subject in school?

Duggan: Co-op is my favorite class because I like my job.

You and the team are going out to dinner to celebrate a big win. Where do you go, and what do you order?

Duggan: Jersey Mike’s, turkey with American cheese and mayo on white bread.

If you could see any musical artist in concert anywhere in the world tomorrow night, all expenses paid, who would you choose and where would you see them?

Duggan: Zach Bryan in Hawaii.

What is your favorite book now? How about your favorite when you were a child?

Duggan: The “Embassy Row” series (by Ally Carter) and any graphic novels.

How does it feel to call Kingman Gym – voted the best high school gym in Illinois a couple of years back in an online poll – home?

Duggan: Kingman Gym is fun to play in. I like how big and open it is. It makes playing more exciting.

Is there a fact about you that might surprise people who only know you through sports?

Duggan: I used to play the guitar.

Do you have any college plans, and if so, do they involve sports?

Duggan: My plan right now is to go to a two-year college to play volleyball.