After an early growth spurt, Oswego East’s Alison Coy acknowledged that it has taken some time for her to grow into her 6-foot-2 frame.
The junior outside hitter is putting it all together, however, at the right time for the Wolves.
“I really sprouted when I was younger, so I’ve always had problems with jumping and moving around,” Coy said of her development. “I’ve kind of been like a baby giraffe for a while.
“Now, I’m finally growing into my body and I’m using that to my advantage.”
Coy, who has emerged as a key contributor this season, delivered a dominant effort Thursday in a 17-25, 25-17, 25-22 Southwest Prairie Conference win at Yorkville to wrap up the regular season.
To wit, Coy put down a match-high 12 kills for Oswego East (11-18, 4-6). Mia Stanley added seven kills, while Gia Sylvestre chipped in with five blocks and Jessica Lavigne had 19 assists.
Charlee Young led Yorkville (16-18, 6-5) with 10 kills and six aces on her senior night. Courtney Clabough added seven kills.
Oswego East lost the first game and trailed 4-0 in the second when the comeback began. Coy had seven of her kills in the second game as the Wolves roared back to force a third.
“We just had that fire,” Coy said. “We lost really badly in the first set. Having that fire to come back was great because it’s our last game before regionals.
“When you get that big kill, it motivates not just yourself but the whole team.”
Oswego East coach Dina Beamon has been impressed with the steps forward Coy has taken.
“She’s really coming into her own and really understanding how to use her body,” Beamon said. “She is using that to be an attacker, and I’m excited to see what she’s going to do.
“She’s a junior, so we’ve got another year. The last two years, we’ve been working on being in control of herself, and it’s happening for her now.”
One of the main things that’s come with Coy’s improved body control is making things happen out of system. She was always strong in system, but when things went haywire, it was hard to adjust.
Now that she has added that skill to her game, she’s starting to blossom.
“This year, I had a main goal of getting those out-of-system kills and being really powerful and an all-around player, playing all six rotations,” Coy said. “I’m just looking to be the best I can.”
Yorkville usually only starts one senior in Young.
But on senior night, coach Ryan Donato decided to let all the seniors see extended playing time. After Yorkville’s impressive win in the first game, he said serve receive become an issue.
“We wanted to show them the respect for their hard work the past four years,” Donato said. “I was the JV coach when they were sophomores, so I’ve been with the same group for a few years.
“I’ve never had a group of kids that just genuinely enjoyed each other more than the group of kids I have right now. I’m just so grateful to have kids that have really bought into me as a coach.”
Oswego East plays Tuesday night against Romeoville — the Wolves lost to in two games to the Spartans this season — in the Class 4A Joliet West Regional semifinals.
“The word of the day is upset,” Beamon said. “Sometimes, it doesn’t matter what you did in the season. You can come out and change everything.”
And Coy is ready for the challenge.
“That growth from a baby giraffe to getting 12 kills in a game is really what’s driving me,” Coy said.
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
