As the only senior on the girls volleyball team, Kelsey O’Connor has taken on a leadership role during her final season. After defeating Newark in the super-sectional, the team advanced to the state tournament, reaching a goal it had worked toward throughout the season.
Kelsey O’Connor, the only senior on the girls volleyball team, led her team to a win in the supersectionals against Newark High School on the night of Monday, Nov. 9. Due to their victory in the supersectionals, the team is advancing to the state tournament and will play Athens at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, at the CEFCU Arena on the Illinois State University campus.
O’Connor has played on varsity for three years now and is a co-captain. She said the team’s postseason success can be attributed to the team’s shared goal of going to state and their support of each other.
“I would probably say our drive this year and just wanting, all having that same common goal of wanting to go to state,” O’Connor said. “We’ve all worked together to help each other achieve that goal.”
Since O’Connor is the only senior, her team is composed of players younger than her, which has made this season especially meaningful.
“I’m just so glad that I got to play with them all this year,” O’Connor said. “There’s so much talent on the team this year.”
Coach Quincy Thompson said O’Connor has been a dependable and trustworthy player throughout her volleyball career.
“Kelsey has always been a player that you can count on,” Thompson said. “Even from her freshman year, she is just one of those players who knows her role and rises to the challenge.”
O’Connor has also been extremely flexible while in the volleyball program.
“She has quite literally played every position as a tiger,” Thompson said. “Early in her JV years, Kelsey was a setter and an outside hitter. She came out her junior year and had to be a middle hitter/blocker for us to fill a need on the court. Even though she is not the tallest one on the court, she embraced that challenge with a smile. This year she transitioned over to become a right side hitter and has done a remarkable job.”
Her teammates describe her as a source of encouragement during practices and games.
“She always puts a smile on our face, and she’s the person we go to when we’re down and need someone to pick us up,” Maddy S. said.
Emerson E., another teammate, said that O’Connor is the first teammate to give encouragement after a mistake.
“When we make a bad pass, she’s the first person to come over and say, ‘Hey, it’s OK. You’ll get to it in the next one,’” Emerson said.
Thompson said O’Connor’s calm spirit and encouragement have played an important role in the team’s success.
“Kelsey is our calm spirit on the court,” Thompson said. “She is always composed, even in the most stressful moments. We can always count on Kels to have just the right words to light us up in a tough moment.”
Thompson also mentioned O’Connor’s performance in their supersectional win over Newark.
“Kelsey was instrumental in our win over Newark on Monday night,” Thompson said. “She kept the momentum alive with an incredible dig against one of their powerful hitters and even earned match point with a fantastic ACE.”
Over her three years of experience on varsity, O’Connor said one of the most important lessons that she has learned is to focus on playing her best rather than worrying about the opponent.
“Just don’t count yourself out,” O’Connor said. “As long as you’re doing what you know to do, that’s all you can really do, and you should just do your best no matter who you’re playing.”
Thompson said O’Connor has also become a role model for the younger players, both through her performance on the court and the relationships she has built with her teammates.
“Kelsey is most definitely someone the younger girls can aspire to be,” Thompson said. “As a unanimous team captain, she has taken on the role of guiding her teammates both on and off the floor.”
She said O’Connor’s leadership extends beyond just the volleyball court, pointing to the connections that she has made with the other players.
“She leads both outwardly on the court by setting the standard of effort and skill, but she also leads silently off the court by interacting with her teammates,” Thompson said. “Through friendships, long bus rides, or just getting out on the court, every team needs a ‘Kelsey.’”
As the team prepares for the state tournament, O’Connor said she hopes that the players can play their best and enjoy the experience while continuing to work toward their goal.
“I just want us to play our best game,” O’Connor said. “And hopefully that will allow us to get to state.”
For Thompson, O’Connor’s departure will leave a noticeable impact on the program beyond her contributions on the court.
“There are so many things and reasons we will miss Kelsey next season,” Thompson said. “However, the biggest thing we are going to miss is her smile and her positive energy!”
For O’Connor, the state tournament will mark the final chapter of her high school volleyball career.
“I’m feeling so excited and proud of all of the girls for putting in the work to get here this season,” O’Connor said. “It’s so crazy that this is my senior year and we’ve made it this far. I just want to soak it up, and all I want is for us to do our very best and feel like we left everything out on the court.”
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