Hannah Herrick’s transition to Oswego’s go-hitter this season did not start the way she’d hoped.

Little, in fact, has gone as planned around Oswego.

Herrick, a junior outside hitter and Dayton recruit, rolled her ankle on a recruiting visit to Syracuse at the end of July, just before fall practice.

It kept Herrick out a month, and she missed Oswego’s first three nonconference matches and first tournament.

“It took a little bit of time to get into rhythm,” Herrick said. “But at practice we work hard every single match. It’s getting better.”

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Girls Volleyball: Romeoville at Oswego Oswego's Hannah Herrick (7) celebrates a kill during volleyball match between Romeoville at Oswego. Oct 16, 2025. (Gary E Duncan Sr)

Herrick indeed looks on her game now. It’s her show now.

A show-stopper Thursday, Herrick smashed a match-high 14 kills as Oswego rolled to a 25-12, 25-19 win over visiting Romeoville in the Southwest Prairie Conference.

Oswego (18-10, 6-3), which won for the fifth time in six matches, closed things out with a 7-0 run, on Herrick’s serve.

Her 14th kill put Herrick on the service line, where she served three aces, including back-to-back aces to end the match.

Herrick also had seven digs, Abigail Lundstrom seven kills, Maya Norlin four kills, Kimberly Reichard 24 assists, Amelia Mosley 15 digs and Avery Borowski nine digs for Oswego.

Herrick had it rolling in the first set. She smashed four consecutive kills from the left pin during Oswego’s 6-0 run for a 16-4 lead.

“She was super rusty at first, but she looks great now and I tell you right now the tempo our setter Kimmy is starting to push is a difference-maker. They’re starting to find their timing,” Oswego coach Gary Mosley said. “It’s just taken a while with everything that’s happened, us having to adjust practices.

“Kimmy is starting to find a groove, her and Hannah really starting to connect is awesome to see. Their tempo tonight was on the money.”

Herrick, a natural pin hitter, made the transition to middle last year during Oswego’s historic season in which the Panthers won their first conference title, set a program win record and reached a sectional final.

Mosley couldn’t say enough good things about how Herrick took to that complementary role last season, and how she’s now carrying this new-look Oswego team.

“Even freshman year she practiced with us and played with JV, accepted that role. Last year she knew she was not going to be a pin, she took to that and kept begging for advice. Her and Maya were 1 and 1A in the middle,” Mosley said.

“Now this is her time, and she’s taken to it. She’s put this team on her back. She’s not a captain, but she leads us like a captain every single day.”

Herrick needs to be on her game as a hitter even more so now, with Oswego’s No. 2 hitter Sara Gilio lost for the season with a foot injury a week ago.

Just more adversity for the Panthers, who have played all season in the school’s auxiliary gym with the main gym closed after flooding in August damaged the gym floor, then played without their best player early.

“You come in with a plan, how it’s going to be, real good vibe and that plan is out the door,” Mosley said. “Testament to these girls. They have trust in us as a staff. If you look at our record, what we have dealt with, I’m ecstatic. They just keep persevering.”

Herrick, for her part, has adjusted quite well to a new team, and the new surroundings.

“It’s a little weird, everybody is so close to us but I think it’s fun. It’s loud but it’s definitely a change,” Herrick said. “I’ve been playing with these girls since JV. We’ve been practicing since freshman year. We have that bond.”

Romeoville (7-23, 2-7) had little answer for Herrick in the first set, but put up much more resistance in the second.

The Spartans helped force Herrick into four hitting errors in the second, and led 12-6 at one point. Oswego went ahead 16-14 with six straight points, but back came Romeoville, taking an 18-17 lead on a kill by junior middle Arianna Thomas.

“If we have solid passing and are able to run our middle, our middles are formidable,” Romeoville coach Shelby Pemble said. “We were able to do that early on in that second set, which changed the pace of the match until the end there.”

Thomas had five kills and sophomore setter Aubree Westerfield four in the second set for Romeoville. Westerfield is one of six sophomores on a Spartans’ team that doesn’t play any seniors.

“Arianna has been on varsity longer, she’s steady, we know what to expect from her consistently. She was pulled up to varsity freshman year for postseason and has been a starter for two years,” Pemble said. “Most of time we have 4-5 sophomores on the court. It’s a lot of learning the game still, so much knowledge to acquire.”