The block was one of the biggest of the match. It was totally clean and went straight down.
Stone cold, straight down.
The reaction of Mother McAuley junior Cayla Prohaska was a curious one.
There was no leap. No clap. No yell. No smile. Just a look that was as stone cold as the kill itself. Funny thing was, she had the sweetest laugh when she talked about it later.
“I was just feeling some empowerment,” Prohaska said. “You’ve got to have some attitude. But it was a moment to feel really good.”
It wasn’t Prohaska’s only big moment Thursday night for the Mighty Macs during a 26-24, 25-23 nonconference victory over host Marist in front of a full house in Mount Greenwood.
Sydney Buchanan led the way with 11 kills and seven digs for McAuley (16-2). Mary Claire Deacy added five kills, while Abbey Williams contributed four kills and seven digs, Peyton Heatherly dished out 19 assists and Lucy Maloney made 12 digs.
Savanah Weathers paced Marist (16-4) with eight kills and five blocks. Cassidy Cage added five kills and five blocks. Maggie Kurpeikis chipped in with five kills and two blocks, while Maddie Berry had 19 assists.
Prohaska, a 5-foot-11 middle hitter, contributed two kills, three blocks and an ace for the victorious Mighty Macs. All seemingly came at important times.
The block that went straight down put her team in front 23-22 in the first game. McAuley coach Jen DeJarld was impressed by the play — and shocked by the reaction.
“I never saw that face before,” DeJarld said, smiling. “And I liked it. I never saw her block so well like she did (Thursday night). She’s really understanding the middle position, what it takes.
“Blocking is one of the toughest positions, and she did an amazing job.”
Prohaska also showed her serving savvy with two aces in the second game, including a laser that froze two Marist players and landed between them in the back row to make it 23-20.
After that one, she did flash a smile.
“I trust my training, I trust my serving,” Prohaska said. “We serve a lot during practice, and I trusted that I would serve right to that zone. When it went through that zone, I was like, ‘Yeah. I should be able to make that serve.’”
For the season, Prohaska has 56 kills, 53 blocks and 27 aces. She and her sister Jayce, a sophomore, have both made the switch from pin positions to the middle.
DeJarld wasn’t wasting the talent.
“It was like with Ellie White,” DeJarld said of the Michigan recruit. “She was an amazing athlete, and I used her as a six-rotation hitter because I felt like that’s what we needed out of her rather than setting.
“It was the same with Cayla. She could sit behind Sydney and Abbey like she did last season or I could get her on the floor and make her into a new position. It worked out.”
Prohaska was happy to grab the reins.
“It was a rough transition at the start,” she said. “But as soon as we got into practice, we started working on it and got a lot better. Peyton and I started connecting, and everything got better from there.”
Heatherly loves her new connection in the middle.
“At the beginning of the season, everyone was wondering who our middles were going to be,” Heatherly said. “And Cayla and Jayce both stepped into the role so well and so fast.
“Cayla really cares about the team. And she is the sweetest person outside of volleyball, too. It’s just really easy to work with her because we have such a great connection on and off the court.”
She certainly opened little sister’s eyes against Marist.
“Oh, she had great blocks and great plays,” Jayce said. “It really adds up to a lot, and affects the energy of the game. And with her transitioning over to the middle just this season, it’s crazy how many blocks she’s getting.
“I’m extremely proud of her. She’s a leader on and off the court. And even at home, she’s the best.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
