ROCHELLE — It was a tale of two seasons for the Rochelle Lady Hub varsity volleyball team, which carried a winning record into the middle of September before the combination of injuries and a tough conference schedule led to a lengthy losing streak and an early postseason exit.

Rochelle returned a handful of starters from last season, with two-time All-Interstate 8 setter Ali Ohlinger and All-Interstate 8 hitter Taelynn Rodeghero highlighting the seniors back in the fold. The Lady Hubs opened the 2024 season on a high note, winning most of their nonconference matches and finishing third at their home tournament. Injuries struck hard, however, as Ohlinger suffered a season-ending knee injury and Rodeghero missed time with an injured ankle.

“This season definitely didn’t play out how anyone thought it would,” head coach Molly Sly said. “Injuries are always a possibility, but we never thought we'd lose one of the top players in the conference and a leader of our team for the entire season… I’m proud of Ali for filling a role that she didn’t expect to take on this season. She was there for the team and she was positive at practice, which can be hard when a player has to work with a trainer and can’t jump in during drills. She was positive and interactive the entire time and she didn’t give up on the team.”

The injuries came at a tough time for the Lady Hubs, who were forced to play the entire Interstate 8 schedule without one, and sometimes two, of their best players. The result led to Rochelle losing 19 of its last 21 matches and finishing the season with a 10-22-1 overall record and an 0-10 record in the Interstate 8. The Lady Hubs were 9-3 over their first 12 matches.

“I thought the girls were excited and optimistic at the start of the season,” Sly said. “They felt like the sky was the limit and they were playing freely. Once we had the injuries and we changed our lineup around, I thought the girls felt the pressure on their shoulders and it took them a while to get back to being themselves. One thing I’m hoping the girls can take from the start of the season is to play with their heart, play for each other and enjoy the game they love.”

While victories were hard to obtain over the second half of the season, juniors including Audyn Kemp, Jaydin Dickey and Meredith Bruns emerged in larger roles and will be counted on for continued leadership next season. Kemp started the entire season at middle hitter, posting a team-high 47 blocks while adding 83 kills. Dickey and Bruns took over setting duties and split time on the right side for the Lady Hubs, with Dickey recording 168 assists, 119 digs, 88 kills and eight aces while Bruns followed with 174 digs, 134 assists, 64 kills and 14 aces.

“Jaydin and Meredith both have fantastic hands and we were able to go to Plan B and rely on them, which we didn’t think would happen until next season,” Sly said. “It was awesome to see them get so many reps in this season because we can now hit the ground running next season… Audyn led us in block kills and she was fantastic for us in the front row. She also had the chance to serve for one rotation and when she was called upon, she wanted to do her best.”

Senior libero Dempsey Atkinson and defensive specialist Emma Kennay returned to anchor the back row for the Lady Hubs this season. Atkinson finished with team-highs in both digs (358) and aces (38) in her fourth and final varsity season, while Kennay added 124 digs and 25 aces in her second varsity season. Rodeghero led Rochelle in kills for the third straight year, posting 248 of them while adding 134 digs, 34 aces and 21 blocks in her fourth varsity season. Even though her season ended prematurely, Ohlinger still managed 248 assists, 59 digs and 21 aces.

“We’re losing our libero and we’re going to need a returning junior or senior to take on that role next year,” Sly said. “I think that spot will be fought for and we’ll probably try a few players early next season to see who fits best in that role. Losing Taelynn on the outside is a huge loss and she’ll leave big shoes to fill… Our girls need to play how they played in the regional on Monday.”

Juniors Kyrie Cragin (27 kills and 14 blocks), Emori Mickley (18 aces), Ava Horner (11 kills and four digs) and Rylie Thomas (three digs) are four more players who could see larger roles on the varsity team next season. The Lady Hubs also have two underclassmen, sophomore Briel Metzger (84 kills and 21 digs) and freshman Jillian Bruns (36 kills and nine digs), who could see bigger roles after playing sparingly at the varsity level this season.