The jitters that come with being the new kid on the block didn’t last long for Naperville North sophomore Joelle Pye-Blacknard.
The 5-foot-9 outside hitter was welcomed with open arms this summer after transferring from Yorkville.
“It was hard at first, but the people on this team just really helped me get used to it,” Pye-Blacknard said. “At first, I was like, ‘Oh, no.’ I was scared, and they really helped me.”
Senior setter Paige Selman made sure Pye-Blacknard felt comfortable.
“She was with us for camp and weightlifting over the summer,” Selman said. “All of us gave her advice on what’s to come with the teachers and what our school is and what we stand for.
“We gave her the gist of that. She took our advice, and she loves it here. It’s a good spot for her — bigger team, bigger environment.”
Pye-Blacknard was a big fish in a small pond at Yorkville, where she started as a freshman. She’s in a bigger pond at Naperville North but still doing big things.
“Joelle has been a breath of fresh air in the gym,” Naperville North coach Jennifer Urban said. “She is only a sophomore, and she is already contributing in so many ways.
“She plays six rotations. She leads our team in kills, she’s one of our top passers and she is starting to communicate more and make connections with girls on the team. So it’s been really fun to watch her.”
Pye-Blacknard displayed her talents again Thursday, when she led all players with 10 kills as the host Huskies rallied to beat Batavia 21-25, 25-23, 25-22.
Five of Pye-Blacknard’s kills came in the third set, including three straight during a crucial 7-0 run for the Huskies (5-4). Batavia (7-8) led 13-11 before Naperville North senior outside hitter Bella Fleurima spiked a kill and then served six consecutive points. Pye-Blacknard smashed kills on the first three points, including the game-tying and go-ahead scores, all off assists from Selman.
“I had been looking for her throughout the game,” Selman said. “Even though we went through a little bit of a tough patch, she pulled through, and she played a really good game.”
That’s been a common occurrence lately. The Huskies have won five of their last six matches as they have jelled with Pye-Blacknard.
“She’s a new light to our team,” Selman said. “She brings a lot of energy to the court.
“She works every single day in practice to get better and find a way that she can do amazing in games. She’s brought up our team with friendships, and she’s just all-around a really good person and a great teammate.”
Pye-Blacknard feels similarly about her new teammates and said the team bonding over the summer helped her adjust.
“It was good because I got to know everybody before volleyball (season),” she said. “I got to meet everybody and (got to know) their personalities and see how dedicated they are. They are very dedicated people.”
Pye-Blacknard is dedicated to improving on and off the court, following in the footsteps of her 20-year-old sister, Janelle, who is a junior outside hitter and libero at Quincy.
“My sister is the reason I started volleyball, and she’s kind of my inspiration,” Pye-Blacknard said. “That’s why I work hard every day to get better.
“Janelle is a very driven person, so I always want to be driven. She works so hard, so I want to work hard because my goal is to be better than her someday.”
Pye-Blacknard is already a better player than many of her peers and is setting the tone for the Huskies.
“She plays at a really high level in club, so she’s used to being around great competition,” Urban said. “She has a lot of varsity experience coming into this, which is great.
“We have a lot of new people, so she’s actually one of the more veteran players on our squad. She’s super coachable, a hard worker and always has a smile on her face.”
Indeed, Pye-Blacknard was smiling when she was asked about her goals in the sport. She said she wants to play at her dream school, Pepperdine, and become a psychiatrist.
Those are lofty goals, but she’s getting plenty of assistance from the Huskies.
“I feel like I’m playing pretty good, but I know I can play better,” Pye-Blacknard said. “Paige trusts me and gives me really good sets, and that’s helping me get better and better.
“Bella is always bringing me up and telling me positive things. That really helps.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
