Volleyball notebook: Alaina Wasilewski, Mallory Endress glad to have each other during rehab

It’s a club neither of them wanted to be in and neither one asked to join.

But if they had to do it, they were glad they had each other.

Bureau Valley seniors Alaina Wasilewski and Mallory Endress have made it back to the volleyball court this season after missing out their juniors years with knee injuries.

Wasilewski went down in April, 2021 of her sophomore year, tearing her ACL and other ligaments.

“It was a huge mess,” she said. “It took about a year to recover.”

Endress hurt her knee in the first night of the summer league of her junior year (2021), suffering a full tear of her ACL.

They spent the next year rehabbing together and really bonded through their trials and tribulations.

“I couldn’t have done it without her,” Wasilewski said. “It was really great to have someone who knew how I felt all the time and lend a shoulder to cry on honestly and be supportive through the whole thing. We used to practice and play volleyball together at physical therapy and I still feel that same bond with her when we play together.”

“It was nice to have her with me. We can relate and know how each other feels,” Endress said.

Both are excited to make it back to the court for their senior year.

“It’s so much better and I’m just excited to play again,” said Endress, a back row specialist. “I had a little hesitancy, but I got over it real quick. It’s been fun.”

The 6-1 Wasilewski has provided the Storm with more height at the net and is happy to make up for lost time.

“I’m feeling great. It’s just refreshing to be back and just a huge relief,” she said.

Also a member of her dad’s Storm basketball team, Wasilewski said she had no idea how much she missed playing sports.

“Oh my gosh, no,” she said. “It was horrible. Being back on the court, I’m just thankful. I don’t care if we win or lose, I’m just thankful to be playing my senior year.”

Storm coach Caitlyn DeMay is glad to have them back and serve as leaders for the young Storm squad, which is junior dominated.

“It has been real nice,” she said. “(They help give) a little bit of confidence with the younger kids and gives them camaraderie with a little bit of leadership. (They’re) a year older, I mean, age talks a lot.”

Hall alums meet

Two former Hall standouts met on opposite benches Tuesday night. Carolyn Bryant, who graduated from Hall in 1999, is in her first year as head coach at her alma mater. Their guests for the night were the Mendota Spikers, who are coached by Hall alum, Nicci (Borisek) Gibson (’91).

Gibson, who teaches at L-P, became the first female athlete from Hall to play Division I in volleyball at Georgia Southern. Her daughter, Taylor, is her assistant coach at Mendota.

Mendota won the match 25-16, 25-10.

Other Hall alums in the coaching ranks include Trish (Linnig) Samolini (2000), who directed Montini to last year’s IHSA Class 2A State championship, and Erin Polte (2009), who has been head coach at IVCC since 2014 where her mom, ex-Hall coach Laurie, was before.

Hall alum, Meredith Rounds, is coaching this year’s Hall sophomore squad. She played for Gibson when she coached at IVCC.

Two other Hall grads have recently come back as head coach at their alma mater — Bernadette (Bryant) Savitch, Carolyn’s sister, and Amanda (Pinter) Coutts.