Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week: St. Charles North’s Mia McCall, girls volleyball, junior

Name: Mia McCall

Sport: Girls volleyball

Why she was selected: In the regular-season finale against Geneva, McCall had a season-high 36 assists to go along with six digs, two kills, two blocks and a service ace to help the North Stars win the DuKane Conference title.

McCall was selected the Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week in an online vote.

Here is her Q&A with sports reporter Joel Boenitz.

Boenitz: You finished the game against Geneva with a career-high 36 assists. What were you feeling during the game?

McCall: I feel like the whole game I knew I had options, so I just was able to put the ball up to any of my teammates and they’d be able to do something with the ball. I just felt comfortable the whole game and I was just competitive and ready to win because we were playing a good team. We were able to play our best and still have someone to compete with, so I feel like we’re just having fun out on the court.

Boenitz: You had 77 setups throughout the three sets. Talk about your ability to find teammates for kill options.

McCall: One main thing that we’ve gotten better at this season is running the middle, which creates an open space. So either we get our outside with a one-on-one block or just get it to the middle. A lot of times, when you have someone as good as Haley (Burgdorf) on the outside, the middles will commit with her, so we’ll have an open block in the middle. So it’s really just having an option on every side of the court, which ultimately just makes it easier for everyone else to score.

Boenitz: Twenty-five of your sets resulted in a kill for fellow junior Haley Burgdorf, as well as a 10-kill night for Amber Czerniak, which were both career highs for them. What’s it like playing with them?

McCall: It’s great to be their setter. I always feel like they’re able to do anything with the ball. Not only are they great hitters but they’re also really good at adjusting to my sets.

Boenitz: What was the feeling of getting your second outright DuKane Conference title?

McCall: I think it just gave us a lot of confidence going into the playoffs with that being our last regular-season game. It just showed us how good we really are, and that if we play as a team, we can beat any team.

Boenitz: You’ve already recorded more than 1,000 career assists in less than two full seasons on varsity. What do you think has been helping you find success so quickly?

McCall: Probably just my teammates and coaches. I always have options on the court and (assistant coach) Henry (Graack) and (head coach Lindsey) Hawkins are just great coaches. Throughout the high school season, I get so much better with their constant feedback. A big part of it is the leadership on the court that I’ve learned through Hawkins. She’s telling me to be a great leader, which overall just affects my setting and how I run my offense.

Boenitz: Do you have any superstitions?

McCall: I always pepper with Meg Kalenowski at the same spot on the court. She also braids my hair before each game.