No rest for busy Binder
By JON STYF
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jstyf@daily-chronicle.com
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| Sycamore's Kate Binder bumps the ball during a match against Burlington Central on Oct. 29. (Rob Winner – rwinner@daily-chronicle.com) |
ROCHELLE – Kate Binder’s motivation is simple.
She doesn’t like to sit around.
On the volleyball court, that means the senior is willing to play almost anywhere. And Sycamore coach Debbie Klock takes advantage of that, moving her from middle to outside hitter to the right side.
In her senior year, that means once again playing a sport every season with little break in between.
Binder will play with the Spartans (33-6) in today’s 7 p.m. Sterling Super-Sectional against Normal University. And as soon as Sycamore’s playoff run ends, she’ll join the Sycamore basketball team after a day or two of rest.
“I love the fact that she’s our basketball player out there,” Klock said. “She’s so competitive.
“I ask her ‘How do you do all these sports?’ She says ‘I just don’t like to go home and sit on the couch.’ ”
Binder has been doing less and less sitting while her team is on the volleyball court too. She had six kills and two blocks from her middle position in Thursday night’s Class 5A Rochelle Sectional final win over Freeport.
“When we moved her to the outside a couple times she got a taste of a lot of play,” Klock said. “So, we have that option always. But Stephanie [Huber] is playing so well we don’t need her there. We can play her outside or right side too. We’re just so diverse.”
Klock said that Binder’s intelligence and competitiveness on the court are both reasons she’s able to switch positions freely.
“I like it because she thinks I can handle different positions and I can move around,” Binder said. “I feel like I contribute more then. Wherever she puts me, I want to prove to her that I can be in that spot.”
Klock said that Binder is the type of player that hates practice but flourishes as the competition level gets higher. This season, her first as a middle, Binder has shown gradual improvement as the season progressed and hit her stride in the playoffs.
“Switching to that position, I wasn’t really comfortable at first,” Binder said. “I just had to get used to it. Now that we’re in the postseason I’m just trying to take advantage of everything that I can and just play my best.
“That’s motivation enough for me.”
In the spring, Binder has one final decision to make. She played softball her freshman year, soccer her sophomore year and ran track and field her junior year.
She’s leaning toward competing in track and field again, but she still hasn’t decided for sure.
Either way, she knows she’ll be competing somewhere.
Sycamore (33-6) vs. Normal University High (32-6), 7 p.m.
Game info: Class 3A Super-Sectional at Sterling
Scouting the Pioneers: University High is led by Val Nichol, a senior headed to Purdue. They also have a pair of co-coaches in Erin Lindsey and Karen Valouche. The Pioneers will depend on Nichol, a big hitter, for the bulk of their offense. Nichol had 11 kills, eight assists, 13 points and three aces in a 25-19, 23-25, 25-18 win over LaSalle-Peru in the sectional final while setter Maggie Bee had 19 assists and four aces. Maggie Dunbar and Kelly Berryman are the Pioneers’ other names to know.
Key for Sycamore: The Spartans have become known for their resilience after trailing early in matches. They did came back after trailing big in the season opener to LaSalle-Peru and did the same in the 25-18, 25-20 sectional final win over Freeport. The key for the Spartans is staying calm, regardless of the score, and having setter Jill Johnson move the ball around from outside hitter Brittany Olson to Stephanie Huber, Kate Binder and Evyn McCoy. McCoy will be the key in defending Nichol while Sarah Verkler and libero Justine Schepler must be ready in defense, like they were in the playoff opener against Burlington Central’s big-time hitter Stephanie Holthus.
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