Entering her senior season, standout guard Alivia Henkel was tasked with taking on a leadership role for the Rochelle Lady Hub varsity basketball team, which also saw a change at the head coaching position for the second time over the last three seasons.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
ROCHELLE — Entering her senior season, standout guard Alivia Henkel was tasked with taking on a leadership role for the Rochelle Lady Hub varsity basketball team, which also saw a change at the head coaching position for the second time over the last three seasons.
Looking to follow up an All-Conference season last winter, Henkel returned to the hardwood this winter and continued to lead on and off the floor. The senior guard filled the stat sheet on a nightly basis, leading the Lady Hubs with an average of 16.9 points per game while adding 7.5 rebounds and 4.9 steals per game, also team highs.
Henkel was particularly active on the defensive end, where she set a new school record for the most steals in a single season with 133, surpassing the previous record of 115 set by Olivia Heitter during the 1992-93 season. Henkel’s individual efforts resulted in All-Conference honors from the Interstate 8 for the second consecutive season. Henkel led the Lady Hubs to a 13-18 overall record during the 2023-24 season, which was her third at the varsity level .
“It feels really great to know that other coaches see the way I play and it’s really special,” Henkel said. “I’m proud of how we played this season. I thought I became a better leader this year, especially as a senior. As a team, we all knew each other better, so we were able to work together a lot better. I was meant to be a leader and to set an example by working hard.”
In addition to being named to the All-Conference First Team, Henkel took home Academic All-Conference honors as well as both the RTHS Toughness Award and the RTHS Most Valuable Player Award from the girls basketball program. Henkel’s notable efforts during the 2023-24 season include a team-high 21 points during Rochelle’s 54-42 win over the Ottawa Pirates, one of two conference opponents the Lady Hubs defeated over the winter.
“I’ve loved my experience with the program and all of the memories I’ve made with the people in the program,” Henkel said. “I hope the girls continue to play basketball and love the sport.”
Perhaps the most memorable moment from Rochelle’s 2023-24 season came on Senior Night, when the Lady Hubs defeated Sandwich 45-21 after honoring each of their senior athletes including Henkel, who was sidelined at the end of the season after sustaining a serious medical emergency at school last month. Members of the Rochelle community and the Lady Hub basketball program showed their support for Henkel with #LivStrong and #Luv4Liv shirts.
“Senior Night was great and they made that night really special for me,” Henkel said. “I’m really proud of the way the girls played at the end of the year and that was really special.”
Henkel was one of two Lady Hubs to receive All-Conference recognition this season. Senior Kara Martinez took home an Honorable Mention after averaging 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game during the 2023-24 campaign.
