It’s a mighty impressive sight when junior middle hitter McKenna Rake skies for a perfect quick set and slams it straight down for a kill to lead St. Laurence.
It’s more fun, however, to watch how she reacts when the quick set isn’t so perfect.
The girl can twist and turn with the best of them.
So it went against Thursday night when Rake had her right arm cranked and ready against Homewood-Flossmoor, only to have the ball drift to her left. Without hesitation, she pivoted, reached out with her left hand and tipped it over the net for the point.
She smiled then, and later.
“Oh yeah, I just know I can work with every set I get,” Rake said. “I make it a point to mess up the other side, no matter what, even if it’s not perfect. Those are the rewarding ones because you don’t expect it.”
Rake was worth her weight in St. Laurence gold during a 25-14, 25-16 victory in Burbank.
Kayla Birmingham tallied 11 kills for St. Laurence (10-3). Aubrey Martinez added five kills and three aces, while Vianne Villa contributed 19 assists and Natalie Martinez made 16 digs.
LaDonna Trantham had four kills for H-F (7-3). Skylar Skinner added eight assists and Camille Brooms chipped in with nine digs.
The 5-foot-9 Rake finished with five kills and two blocks for St. Laurence. She had no errors on 10 swings. All five of her kills came in the second game as the Vikings rallied from an early deficit.
At one point, Villa went to her with back-to-back sets.
“It’s awesome setting her,” Villa said. “I can trust McKenna any time. Even when I’m off the net, I’ll still set her because she knows where to put the ball.
“She goes hard for every single ball. That’s what I just love about here. She’ll always be ready to put our team in the best position.”
Rake is a two-sport athlete at St. Laurence. She’s in her third season playing volleyball. Last spring, she made her track debut and qualified for state in the 800 relay.
She made track coach Darrell Reed seem like a genius.
“Coach Reed was my leadership teacher my freshman year,” Rake said. “I was outside one day, and he asked me if I would come out and try it. I started training in February and ran in the indoor season and outdoor season.”
Rake started making her varsity impact in volleyball as a sophomore. She began the season as a part-time participant during matches but an all-out worker at practice.
St. Laurence coach Ellen Yopchick noticed.
“She just kind of kept grinding,” Yopchick said of Rake. “She worked really hard on the second side, challenging our attackers and really just pushed through.”
Rake opened up some eyes at the Oak Lawn Invitational.
“We were playing against some of the Lincoln-Ways, and she kind of threw her shoulders back and got after it,” Yopchick said. “McKenna always finds a way to be available. That’s what we’re looking for in our middles — being able to get them the ball any time in system.”
Rake is a perfect complement to the hitting combo of Birmingham and Aubrey Martinez. According to Birmingham, Rake also is the perfect teammate.
“She’s always hustling to get a touch on the ball, and that’s what middle hitters are all about,” Birmingham said. “But it’s not just her skills. She is one of my closest friends on the team. She’s a great person to be around.
“McKenna is always going to cheer for you, even when you’re up or when you’re down. Her smile makes you smile.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
