ROCHELLE — Lady Hub volleyball coach Molly Sly was in disbelief when she learned her program would need to wait until the spring season to compete. That disappointment hasn’t held the Rochelle team back from using as much time as it’s been allowed over the summer and fall to practice and prepare for when the 2020-21 season eventually tips off next February.

Under normal circumstances, Rochelle volleyball players would be gearing up for their regional tournament around this time. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, Lady Hub players are currently utilizing the team’s 20 fall contact days extended from the IHSA. The contact days have allowed players and coaches to meet for practices, skills drills and open workouts.

“I haven’t been able to shake the weirdness of the fall season without volleyball,” Sly said. “But we had about 35 girls show up for our first open gym and it was really exciting to see them all. I’ve missed the competitiveness of the kids and the excitement in their faces… We also have a Google classroom where we keep in touch and share workouts with the kids.”

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Lady Hub volleyball program to cancel its normal summer youth and high school skills camps in addition to its typical summer league matches. Another adjustment has been practicing and scrimmaging with masks on, as volleyball has been deemed a medium-risk sport by the IDPH. Under IDPH and IHSA guidelines, volleyball teams can conduct intrasquad scrimmages only and players must wear masks while indoors.

“I haven’t had to tell one player to put her mask on,” Sly said. “I really don’t think masks are going to be much of an issue for volleyball… The girls have been staying very busy during the fall season. We had eight players go out for the tennis team which was awesome and we had one player go out for the golf team. The girls have held themselves accountable and that’s made my job as the head coach a lot easier. I know a lot of them are still doing club volleyball as well.”

The 2020-21 spring sports season is currently scheduled to begin on Feb. 13, 2021. Volleyball, football and boys soccer are among the three sports normally conducted in the fall that have been postponed due to the pandemic. The Lady Hubs will be coming off a historic 21-win season where they reached the IHSA 3A Regional Finals for the second straight year.