2023 NewsTribune Volleyball Player of the Year

Growing up, Maggie Richetta considered softball her main sport.

But when she was called up to the varsity volleyball team as a freshman at Putnam County, that began to change.

“It really boosted my confidence when coach [Amy] Bell pulled me up to varsity as a freshman and I realized if I worked hard, I could be a lot better,” Richetta said.

She did work hard, and she did get a lot better, becoming a strong all-around player.

“When I met Maggie as a freshman, I knew she was athletic, and I knew she was willing to put in the time to be great when she was older, and she really did put in that time,” Bell said. “She has a fire in her eyes, and she is going to do anything to be successful and help make the team successful.

“When she was a freshman and got to play varsity, we talked about just putting up a strong block, and if she got the ball, just do her best to swing. Sophomore and junior years, she really learned that she could hit different shots. She didn’t need to get a perfect kill every time. Junior and senior years, she came full circle, being a really aggressive player all the way around.”

Richetta was dominant in her senior year, ranking second in the area in kills (3.4 per set) and blocks (0.9 per set), third in digs (4.7 per set) – tops among non-liberos – and tied for seventh in aces (0.6 per set).

She led the Panthers to a 23-12-1 overall record, a 7-2 record in the Tri-County Conference, a regional final appearance and was voted the TCC Player of the Year.

For all she accomplished this season, Richetta is the 2023 NewsTribune Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

“Maggie had an amazing season,” Bell said. “She was a huge leader for us all the way around. She led us in the front row. She led us in the back row. She also was extremely positive and knew when somebody needed a pick-me-up. She was able to get that big kill or big block to get us started back in the right direction when we were struggling.”

Richetta is the first Putnam County player to earn the award since Caitlin Egan shared it with La Salle-Peru’s Lisa Esmond in 2000.

Richetta was a strong presence at the net for Putnam County with the ability to attack the opponent in a variety of ways.

“I feel like I do a good job of seeing the court and where the players are on the other side of the net,” Richetta said. “If I see there’s an open spot, then I’ll do my best to put the ball there. I know now that every kill doesn’t need to be slammed down, but a tip that’s placed correctly is just as good.”

That’s a mentality she developed throughout her career.

“I would get frustrated when I wouldn’t be able to slam a ball down, but my coaches explained to me that it looks the same on the stats even if it’s just a tip placed correctly,” Richetta said. “I think at the end of last year I really figured that out. I started off this season with that mentality, and that really helped me.”

With Richetta dominating the middle of the net, it opened up the outsides for the Panthers.

“That was huge for us,” Bell said. “Her presence in the middle and her ability to run a quick offense allowed our outsides to be successful as well. She was very successful getting huge kills all the time, but she also drew a block because she was such a presence for us. Teams had to keep a blocker with her, and then it allowed our outsides, Ava [Hatton] and Avery [Moutray], to get one-on-one situations also.”

Richetta was more than a net presence for the Panthers. Unlike many middles, Richetta was able to play all six rotations, providing strong serves and solid serve receive and defense.

“She played all the way around last year for the first time, but I think this year she did such a good job of reading what she really took a lot away from other teams offensively,” Bell said. “She was much more comfortable in the back row, so she took a lot more balls and allowed our middle backs to go play the ball down the line or go play a ball in the middle of the court because she was such a presence in the back row.”

Richetta said she enjoys playing all the way around.

“I think my momentum is better when I’m staying on the court the whole game instead of getting subbed out for a libero and coming back in and getting back into it,” Richetta said.

Now with an all-around game and a successful high school career under her belt, Richetta is going from someone who was always “more of a softball girl” to playing college volleyball. She is committed to Sauk Valley Community College, which qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament this season.

“It’s really exciting that I’m going to be a part of that team next year. I hope we can do the same thing next year when I’m there,” Richetta said. “I’m hoping I can get a lot of kills and be aggressive at the net. I’ll work on getting a lot of blocks and getting better. I know college is a lot quicker, so that’s something I’ll have to keep up with. It’ll be a challenge, but it’ll be good.”