She can laugh now about it.
But Oak Lawn junior Maryam Hussein shed some tears in sixth grade when she tried out for her school’s volleyball team and didn’t make the cut.
“There is no doubt about it, I was heartbroken,” Hussein said. “I just wanted to get involved in something.”
Then, the pandemic cut short her plans to try again in seventh grade. A year later, she finally got to play the sport she would soon fall in love with.
Hussein was a star of the show Wednesday as Oak Lawn posted a 25-23, 25-10 nonconference win over host Stagg in Palos Hills.
Hussein, a 5-foot-8 middle hitter, had seven kills for Oak Lawn (2-0). Amina Maali and Hailey Wierzgac added three kills apiece. Kasey Thompson contributed 16 assists and three aces, while Emma McAuliffe made 11 digs and Sinead Conroy had five.
Lily Henning notched three kills for Stagg (0-2). Amelia Kadamus added a pair of kills, while Ella DeBow tallied six digs.
Hussein made a major impact near the end of the first game. The Spartans trailed 22-21 when she tooled the block to get down a kill and tie the score. She followed with a block of her own before also tipping for a kill.
She looked dominant. And confident.
“Every time I step on the floor, I know what I’m capable of,” Hussein said, smiling. “So I go out there thinking that, even if I’m not the best player on the floor, I can play to that level.”
During one stretch in the second game, everything she touched seemed to turn to gold.
Over four straight points, she had three kills and an assist. One of the kills came on a backhand flip while her back was facing the net.
It brought the Spartans’ bench to their feet. It also left Oak Lawn coach Kathleen Miller with quite a look on her face.
“Yeah, that backhand,” Miller said. “I’ve never been left speechless before. That one left me speechless. Maryam is very competitive, very intense, every single day at practice.
“She likes trying different things and focusing on being athletic. It’s a real joy coaching her.”
Hussein has gone through myriad changes during her volleyball career.
She started out in eighth grade as an outside hitter. Last season, she played on the right side for the Spartans, while the 5-6 Conroy stood as tall as she could in the middle.
In February, Hussein was playing outside for her club team when she stepped on another player’s foot under the net and broke her left ankle. When she returned in April, she began a switch to the middle.
When Oak Lawn got back together for preseason practice, it was the first time she and Thompson worked together as a middle-and-setter combo.
Thompson was now setting somebody in the middle who was two inches taller.
“Yeah, that height difference was pretty exciting,” Thompson said, laughing. “And Maryam is really fast — comes in so quick. I had to get used to that tempo.”
Conroy, meanwhile, embraced the switch to the right side.
“Oh, I was fine with it,” Conroy said. “Maryam is looking great in the middle. She’s fierce. She has the confidence out there. She has the big block, too, which really helps with our defensive game.”
Outside. Right side. Middle. Hussein has played them all.
She’s pretty clear about her ultimate favorite.
“Oh, it’s middle,” Hussein said. “One of the best parts of playing it is you get an opportunity to block every ball that comes over the net. I still love blocking on the right side, but I love the middle attention more.”
As for that coach in sixth grade? Hey, she understands.
“Haha … OK, I was really bad in sixth grade,” Hussein said. “So I get why they cut me.”
It only made her stronger.
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
