Girls volleyball: Naomi Dowd, Waubonsie Valley rise past Oswego East in season opener

OSWEGO – To Naomi Dowd, the hops really are in the genes.

Waubonsie Valley’s 5-foot-9 junior right-side hitter possesses explosive leaping ability, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Youngest of three volleyball-playing sisters, her older siblings Jada and Mikaila both starred at Metea Valley and went on to play collegiately at Xavier and Georgia Tech, respectively. As for Naomi’s skills?

“A lot of training and genetics,” Dowd said.

Her older sisters are done playing, but Dowd is carrying on the family tradition. Dowd’s four early kills Wednesday sparked visiting Waubonsie Valley, who went on to a 25-21, 25-19 win over Oswego East in the season opener both teams.

Ava Bellafiore had six kills, Kaitlyn Reinhard and Naisha Khanna five each for Waubonsie. Ava Stiller and Mia Stanley each had three kills, Grace Milas and Malia Takiguchi seven digs, and Jessica Lavigne 17 assists for Oswego East.

The postgame smiles and laughs were a welcome sight to Waubonsie, which only has a combined 17 wins over the last three seasons. Dowd is one of four starters back from last year’s team that finished 10-24, but did take eventual conference and regional champ Oswego East to three sets in the 2022 season opener.

“It feels honestly amazing. So proud of my team,” Dowd said. “We just pushed through so much. There wasn’t a single point that we were doubting ourselves or giving up. We came here to win, our goal was to win, and we did it.”

Much thanks to Dowd, who set the tone with all four of her kills in the first half of the first set. Her tip kill, followed by a slam from the back row, gave the Warriors a 14-9 lead.

“Honestly, I’m just doing whatever I can to help my team,” Dowd said. “Even if people make mistakes, just focus on the next point.”

Dowd indeed had a few spikes thrown back her way by Oswego East’s blockers, which was to be expected by Waubonsie Valley coach Kari Galen. Dowd was a special mention all-conference pick as a sophomore, the most established hitter on a team that played two sophomores and a freshman Wednesday with all new setters.

On set point in the first set, Oswego East blocked a Dowd hit, but Khanna followed it up with a quick-set kill from the middle of the first row.

“Naomi is definitely one of our go-to hitters, and we want to get her the ball frequently,” Galen said, “but we also have to be aware that other teams are going to key in on that, and we have to make sure that we are covering. That is where we have to make sure that we thread the ball around.”

And what makes Dowd special as a hitter? It doesn’t take a sage volleyball mind to figure it out, but Galen offered an explanation.

“She jumps higher than any player in this gym, she’s quick, and she’s just dynamic,” Galen said. “You can have a group of kids, but when you have someone that’s naturally dynamic, it means good things.”

Oswego East coach Dina Beamon is familiar with those kinds of good things.

Her team last season shattered the program win record set the year before and won the school’s first-ever conference and regional titles.

But this is a new team after eight seniors graduated, and it showed at times Wednesday. On multiple occasions, a Waubonsie spike or serve dropped between multiple Wolves. Oswego East kept the first set close throughout, but never led after scoring the first two points of the match.

“I liked what I saw with their hustle, and I like that they’re trying to figure it out, but they’re a new team, and a young team,” Beamon said. “A lot of elements we’re still working on; we’re still trying to find a starting lineup. I have 14 kids and just three seniors. They just have to start believing in themselves.

“There is a lot of potential, but rebuilding years are always tough.”

Indeed, Beamon’s Wolves showed plenty of fight even after the match looked in hand. After Waubonsie surged out to a 16-6 lead in the first set, Oswego East came all the way back to within 23-19 on an ace by Paige Nottke. A Khanna kill and double-contact violation finally turned away the Wolves.

“There are a lot of things we need to work on, but I have high hopes for this team. They’re very scrappy,” Beamon said. “We had a big year last year, these girls have a lot to prove, but they also just have to realize that this is our team.”