Rodeghero takes home Honorable Mention this season

ROCHELLE — Junior setter Ali Ohlinger went into the offseason motivated to become a better defender for the Rochelle Lady Hub varsity volleyball team. Ohlinger’s efforts resulted in earning First-Team All-Conference honors in the Interstate 8 for the second consecutive season.

Ohlinger eclipsed 1,000 career assists during her junior season, which was her second at the varsity level for the Lady Hubs. Ohlinger shined as a two-way player for the Lady Hubs, leading Rochelle in assists (474), aces (53) and blocks (31) while finishing third overall in digs (135). 

“I’m very honored to be able to play with great friends and teammates who push me to be the best player I can be,” Ohlinger said. “I feel like I improved on my blocking. Last year, I knew I needed to become a better defensive player and I worked hard to take up more space with my block. I will continue to focus on blocking because there’s always room for improvement. I will also be working to improve my second-line defense for next season. I think it’s critical that setters play good defense because it allows for the out-of-system play to continue.”

Ohlinger added 81 kills for the Lady Hubs, who went 17-16 overall during the 2023 season. The junior setter became Rochelle’s first volleyball player to earn back-to-back All-Conference First Team honors since Sylvia Hasz achieved All-Conference during the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. Junior outside hitter Taelynn Rodeghero received an All-Conference Honorable Mention after recording a team-leading 265 kills as well as 88 digs, 21 aces and 10 blocks this season.

“I think the season went very well,” Ohlinger said. “We all grew as a team and we had a good culture. I believe we did well on defense with making athletic plays and I feel like we were able to put the ball away in clutch moments and stop long runs. I definitely think we are all wanting more and we want to finish as a top-3 team in the conference next season. I believe that’s an achievable goal since we are working hard as individuals and as a team. I’m hoping we can continue to improve our consistency and focus on the little details that are critical for success.”