Not long ago, Libertyville’s Avery Maddux wanted to become a basketball star.
Several signs pointed to another sport. Among them, Maddux’s mother, Sarah, played volleyball at Loyola Chicago.
“My mom always wanted me to play volleyball, but I thought I wouldn’t like it,” Maddux said. “I grew up playing basketball. I thought I was going to play basketball for the rest of my life. I never gave volleyball a chance until eighth grade. I just assumed I wouldn’t like it.”
But just three years later, Maddux has become one of the top volleyball players in Lake County. The 6-foot-2 junior middle hitter had 94 kills and 51 blocks for the senior-dominated Wildcats last season, when she made the all-tournament team at Effingham’s Crossroads Classic and was named an honorable mention in the North Suburban Conference.
“She’s still raw in her development and still growing in the game and figuring it out,” Libertyville girls volleyball coach Greg Loika said. “She’s a super dynamic player. I haven’t had a player with her physicality in a long time. We’re building around her. I’m excited to see her blossom in the latter part of her career.”
The Wildcats (30-10, 6-1) are coming off one of their most successful seasons in recent years. They won the conference title for the fifth consecutive season and advanced to a Class 4A supersectional.
Loika said Maddux, one of just three players returning this season along with sophomore libero Charlie Fleegle and senior middle hitter Grace Coughlin, was instrumental in that success.
“Her growth from the start to the finish of last season was amazing,” Loika said. “Something clicked with her a third or halfway through the season. She was a real force in our offensive flow, and when we were able to get the ball in the middle, she was lethal. She’s super strong as an attacker and a blocker.”
Sarah Maddux said she’s proud of the progress Avery has made in the sport.
“She’s extremely athletic, but the mental game in volleyball is just as important as the physical,” Sarah Maddux said. “She just needed to understand and love the dynamics of the sport. When it clicked, it clicked, so she was hooked.”
Maddux, who was a reserve on the girls basketball team that also played in a 4A supersectional last season, said she slowly started leaning toward volleyball in high school.
“In eighth grade, I had a lot of my friends playing volleyball,” Maddux said. “I thought it might be fun, so I joined the team. It was the COVID year, so it was still kind of weird and minimal volleyball. But I had fun. I decided to join the high school team.”
Maddux said she won’t play AAU basketball in the spring for the first time since fifth grade. Loika anticipates her volleyball career will take off as she devotes more time to the sport.
“She’s touching over 10 feet and blocking really high and moving really quick laterally and developing a good rapport with our setters,” Loika said. “The sky is the limit. She was balancing two sports for a super long time, but found a love, skill and passion for volleyball, which is really unique.”
Libertyville girls basketball coach Greg Pedersen said Maddux will still make an impact for his team.
“Avery is a great athlete, and the athleticism she possesses gives her a chance to be a multifaceted force on the basketball court,” Pedersen said. “I think she can become a lockdown defender and provide the team with a strong rebounding presence. She’s been working on her ballhandling and dribble-drive attack.”
For now, Maddux said she’s motivated to be a leader for a young but talented volleyball team this fall. The Wildcats start the season Monday with a match at home against New Trier.
“I feel I have some big shoes to fill because there were so many leaders on the team last year,” Maddux said. “I just want to have a lot of fun, especially playing with Charlie. … I can’t wait to see what this season brings us.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
