Naperville Central senior middle hitter Ashlyn Jurcich watched her block land for a point, causing her teammates to erupt in glee.
Jurcich turned to them and gestured as if it say she didn’t know how she had done it.
But the 6-foot Jurcich knows exactly how to make an impact for the Redhawks. She did it numerous times against Waubonsie Valley on Tuesday.
“It’s not surprise,” Jurcich said of her reaction. “It’s just like, ‘Got ‘em,’ like that kind of thing. It’s just something I do. I’d say it’s my own personal thing.”
Jurcich did it often enough to put a personal stamp on Naperville Central’s 25-21, 27-25 DuPage Valley Conference victory in Aurora. She had three blocks in the first set, including one that put the Redhawks ahead to stay at 20-19.
But Jurcich’s performance was even more impressive in the second set. She had all four of her kills and kept several other rallies alive with key scrambles as Naperville Central rallied from deficits of 11-4, 19-12 and 23-20.
Jurcich finished with four blocks, each of which was followed by her signature gesture.
How did the Redhawks prevail?
“Honestly, just pride,” Jurcich said. “We really wanted to come out and give all of our effort tonight.
“Coach tells us every single day that if we’re not improving, then it’s a waste of time, so we’re all coming in, giving it our all. We all want to win DVC so bad.”
That’s not as farfetched as it sounded when the inexperienced Redhawks (11-9, 3-2) began the season. They are currently in a three-way tie for second with the Warriors (11-9, 3-2) and Neuqua Valley (17-12, 3-2), one game behind Naperville North (14-6, 4-1).
“Being down 11-4 is a really tough place to be, and I challenged all the girls,” Naperville Central coach Eric Kaisling said. “I told them, ‘You need to find a way to contribute. It could be with a pass, it could be with a set, it could be with a hit, it could be with a block — or a dig, or your voice.’ A lot of people stepped up at different times.”
Indeed, senior outside hitter Sophie Riddell led all players with five kills, while Jurcich, senior outside hitter Caroline Impey and junior middle Annabelle Kritzer each had four kills. Senior right-side hitter Sophia Svingen added three kills to go with eight service points and three aces, and junior setter Alexa Novak had 18 assists.
Jurcich’s play wasn’t surprising to Kaisling.
“Ashlyn was one of my captains last year on JV,” Kaisling said. “I knew what she brought. I know what type of intensity she has.
“I saw Ashlyn hitting in warmups today. I looked at Todd (Holmberg), the assistant coach, and I said, ‘I like what Ashlyn’s bringing right now. We’re going to roll with her today.’ She made the most of that opportunity tonight.”
It was a long time coming for Jurcich, who began playing volleyball in seventh grade and didn’t make the varsity team until this season. Her methodical rise through the ranks mirrors her approach to the sport.
“Volleyball is one of those sports where if you make a mistake, some people get in their head, and some people take it with a grain of salt,” Jurcich said. “So being open to improvement every single day, building off mistakes, that makes a really good volleyball player.”
Not to mention a good teammate.
“She’s been working really hard in practice,” Kritzer said. “She’s a great teammate, and I think she’s really improved on her blocking, getting her hands up and really pressing it over.
“They had some really great hitters on the other team, and she was able to shut them down.”
Kritzer also likes seeing Jurcich’s celebrations.
“She gets super excited,” Kritzer said. “That’s what I love about her. It’s been great to have her on the team. This is my first year playing with her, but I love it.”
Jurcich is loving her first and only varsity season. She won’t play volleyball in college, but she may return to the Redhawks in the future.
“I’m looking to come back to Naperville Central and be a P.E. teacher,” Jurcich said. “I’d love to come back and coach this program. I love this program so much. I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.