Copyright Chicago Tribune
MCC Academy senior Nisreen Khellil recalls trying multiple sports as a kid in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. She discovered volleyball eventually. “I grew up playing so many different sports — karate, soccer or dance — but in most cases, I played them for about a year and just dropped them because I couldn’t find the emotional commitment,” Khellil said. “I started playing volleyball in seventh grade. I knew right away I found something that put my competitiveness in place.” The MCC Academy girls volleyball team is all the better for it. In fact, the Crescents have made history with Khellil as a captain, becoming the first team from an Islamic school to advance to an Illinois High School Association sectional in the sport. A 5-foot-9 middle hitter, Khellil had five kills, two blocks and two aces in top-seeded MCC’s 25-19, 25-13 loss to 10th-seeded Marian Central in the Class 1A Chicago Sectional semifinals at Lycée Français de Chicago on Tuesday. “I think the main thing that motivated us was being an Islamic school that represents Islam, wearing the hijab, the headscarf,” Khellil said. “We wanted to represent our community in the best way possible.” Located in Morton Grove, MCC has a high school enrollment of 95 students and fields girls teams in basketball and volleyball. Coach Wajeeha Shuttari started the volleyball program three years ago. The Crescents (19-4), who beat Chicago Horizon Southwest to win a regional title on Oct. 30, have thrived despite logistical obstacles. “We don’t have a gym at the high school right now because it was demolished in August, and it is under construction,” Shuttari said. “We play at the elementary school campus on a nonregulation court, which doesn’t have room to practice serving, and the nets are being held up with outdoor umbrella poles.” A shared love for the sport has united the players. “All the hardships and difficulties, like not playing in a real gym, just made us stronger,” MCC junior outside hitter Dalia Sarsour said. “I’m so grateful for how far we got.” Sarsour tried to put MCC’s achievement in perspective. “It’s not just about us,” she said. “It’s about the future generations. I think we showed it’s possible to go that far as an Islamic school. “I also wanted to show that you can still be a good Muslim while doing what you love. Volleyball is what I love. I’m still doing it in accordance with my faith.” MCC junior middle hitter Mariam Sepanik, who served back-to-back aces in the second game against Marian Central, offered a similar view. “Today was bigger than us,” Sepanik said. “My family came here in the 1990s, and I’ve been coming here since preschool. I watched my brothers play sports. “I watched this school come up from literally nothing. We just started going into the regionals a couple of years ago. Even though today didn’t go our way, it was still an amazing achievement that we got this far.” Sarsour and Sepanik will be back next season. Khellil played her final match for the Crescents. “I’m not sure about playing in college because I want to focus on academics and school,” she said. “I also don’t want to just remove volleyball from my life. “My style is very intentional, and everything I do has a purpose. The sport kept me going, and tonight was the reminder of how all of my hard work has led me to where I am today. This sport keeps me going.” Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter.
