Girls Volleyball: Saige Avery, Ella Bourque team up to help Yorkville top Plainfield Central in three sets

YORKVILLE – Ella Bourque and Saige Avery afford a luxury that any volleyball coach would welcome.

Both Yorkville girls can hit at a high level, and both can set.

The best part? They’re only juniors.

“It’s a game-changer for us, for sure,” Yorkville coach Lisa Molek said. “They’re both top leaders in regards that they can both get kills for the team and they are both quality setters. Definitely them being juniors is awesome for me.”

The future is indeed bright for the Foxes as they look ahead to a fall season that will arrive soon enough. The present is just fine in Yorkville, too, after Tuesday’s 25-21, 23-25, 25-19 win over visiting Plainfield Central.

Avery and Bourque played huge roles in the Foxes’ second straight win. Avery had 11 kills, 13 assists and two aces, and Bourque had eight kills and 13 assists. Sophomore Keelyn Muell added 10 digs and five kills and junior Grace Lindgren 12 digs and the ace at match point for Yorkville (2-3). Junior Alexandria Patch had nine kills and sophomore Kinsey Bakhaus 16 assists and 14 digs for Plainfield Central (2-1).

The chemistry is evident between Avery and Bourque, and they’re usually at the center of good things for Yorkville on the court.

In the third set Tuesday Bourque’s clever setter dump shot started a 7-1 decisive run that Avery finished off with an ace and 21-16 Foxes’ lead after a Plainfield Central attack error.

“I love playing with Ella,” Avery said. “She’s such a great player. I’ve been playing with her since middle school. We really connect well on the court. She knows me as a player and I know her. It’s easy setting her.”

Plainfield Central, meanwhile looks a lot different on the court these days, and not just because the Wildcats are playing volleyball in the spring.

Taylor Landfair, a former Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, is now a freshman at Minnesota, and her 6-foot-5 presence is missed. But the Wildcats showed persistence Tuesday. Down a set, they trailed 10-6, 17-14 and 21-18 in the second set.

But they tied it at 21-21 on a Grace Syron block, took a 24-23 lead on a Kerrigan Candra kill and got set point on Hannah O’Brien’s ace.

That resilience is nothing new for Plainfield Central coach Robert Richardson, whose team recently had a player clear concussion protocols.

“It’s been a constant adjustment this spring between facility space, what we can do, what we can’t do. It’s constant changes,” Richardson said. “They were able to right the ship tonight. They’re really good about battling back.”

Yorkville overcame its share of adversity as well. The Foxes trailed early in the third set 10-7, and dealt with a couple questionable calls before Bourque’s kill tied it at 10-10.

“The one thing that we’re really working on is trying to rebound faster and recover faster,” Molek said. “I think that they did tonight.”

With girls playing bigger roles and others new to the team, Molek is working to build on what the Foxes established last season in a tough conference for volleyball.

Avery and Bourque provide a solid foundation to build on.

Avery, Yorkville’s most experienced player, has been on varsity since she was a freshman. The lefty right-side hitter is now adding setting to her responsibilities.

“Last year I never really set; I played six rotations as a right side,” Avery said. “I’ve definitely been working out on my own, setting and working at club has helped me improve. With Covid I’ve been working on my setting a lot at home.”

Both Bourque and Avery have been around the Yorkville program for a long time. Both had older sisters, Maddy Bourque and Sydnei Avery, who starred for the Foxes before going on to play collegiately.

“We’ve been close for forever,” Avery said. “When our sisters played together we’d come to watch them after our middle or elementary school match.”

Bourque, interestingly enough, switched jersey numbers this season to the No. 2 her older sister wore. But she’s finding her own place on the Foxes.

“I think her wearing No. 2 just shows the relationship that she and her sister have and how much she has learned,” Molek said. “But she’s really grown into her own person. She is finding her own voice and fulfilling her leadership role as Ella, not just Maddy’s sister.”