Naperville North junior outside hitter Emma Chang is the youngest of four children, but not by much.
Chang is a quadruplet. She and her siblings Annabelle, Grace and Elliott were born a minute apart.
“Growing up, we all had very different interests,” Chang said. “Some are in sports, some aren’t.
“But in school we always challenge each other, so we all take very similar classes, and my parents expect the highest out of us. That sometimes transfers out onto the court, that I need to be the best version of myself.”
Chang’s sisters don’t play sports. Her brother plays golf, although not for the high school team.
So how did Chang choose volleyball?
“Me and my friend, during COVID, were just bored one day, and so we picked up a kickball and a badminton net, and we started playing together,” she said.
That friend is Naperville North junior setter Grace Anderson, who met Chang when they were in second grade. Anderson’s twin sister, Kristen, plays opposite for the Huskies (6-3) and is close friends with two of Chang’s sisters.
Those bonds have helped Chang adapt to varsity volleyball. She practiced with the varsity team last season but played in the junior varsity games.
The 5-foot-9 Chang has taken her game up a notch this season, and her playing time has soared. She’s vying with another varsity newcomer, sophomore Jocelyn Jamrosz, to be the Huskies’ No. 2 outside hitter behind junior star Joelle Pye-Blacknard.
“To start off, I was a little bit nervous, but the girls have made me feel like I belong on the court, so it’s OK to make a mistake,” Chang said. “So I always feel like I push myself and they push me to be better.”
Grace Anderson, who is in her second varsity season, has seen a big improvement in Chang.
“She’s definitely gotten a lot better because her hits have definitely gotten a lot stronger,” Anderson said. “What we’re working on this year is definitely running a faster tempo and making sure that I get a consistent ball to her which she can hit so she has all her shots open to her.”
Chang took plenty of shots against West Aurora on Monday in Naperville. She landed five of her seven kills in the first set on a variety of attacks, including from the back row.
“She’s super effective, and she knows how to tip well,” Anderson said. “So if the ball is a little tight or if it’s off, she’ll tip to the middle of the court or somewhere where it’s open.”
Naperville North coach Nate Bornancin is encouraged by Chang’s ascent.
“She’s grown a lot as a player from last year to this year,” Bornancin said. “Her approach is so much faster and more dynamic.
“One of her goals is to work on her shots this year, so not just swinging at that cross ball but also working down the line, tipping and rolling to the middle off blockers challenging defenders.”
Chang and Pye-Blacknard, who had eight kills, were able to get around West Aurora’s blockers in the first set, but not the second or third. The Huskies struggled defensively in the final two sets, and the Blackhawks rallied to win 22-25, 25-15, 25-13.
“I thought she had a great start,” Bornancin said of Chang. “Then our serve-receive started to fall apart, and then because all the passing was so off the net, their middles were able to close on our outsides. So she was looking at four hands a lot. Both of our outsides were.”
The loss is not going to deter Chang, who is no longer afraid to fail.
“It’s like a mindset thing for me, that it’s OK to make a mistake as long as you come out of it and the next ball you’re better,” she said. “We’re all pushing each other to be the best we can.”
Anderson said the Huskies are fueled by Chang’s energy and positivity, especially after the Huskies get a kill.
That attitude infuses Chang, who has a 4.2 GPA, on and off the court.
“I always push myself harder each day in practice, and if one practice isn’t the best, then the next practice I want to do better,” she said. “I hold myself to a very high standard on the court and in school.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.