Roach takes next step

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Kaitlyn Roach prepares to bump a serve during practice Tuesday at Sycamore High School. Rob Winner – rwinner@daily-chronicle.com

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SYCAMORE – Before this season started, Sycamore volleyball coach Debbie Klock got the three juniors in her playing rotation together and told them they had to grow up, quick.

If this year’s team was going to have any success, those juniors would have to play like seniors.

They have and players like Kaitlyn Roach have become a big reason the Spartans (34-6) are headed to the Class 3A Final Four to take on Breese Mater Dei at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Redbird Arena.

Roach took a little longer than her junior teammates – setter Jill Johnson and middle Evyn McCoy, both elite club players – to take on a more mature role. But Klock says the right-side hitter has been playing her best volleyball of late.

“It didn’t really sink in for Kaitlyn until right after the second team tournament when I started subbing her and putting [freshman] Ratasha [Garbes] in to set because she was taller,” Klock said. “Then Kaitlyn became determined. Her timing has improved, her blocking and her defense.”

After spending last season as the sophomore team’s setter, there was a learning curve when Roach joined the varsity.

The change in role has helped Roach become more cognizant of every thing that is going on around her on the court.

“I am so much better than I was last year,” Roach said. “I think my hitting has improved and so has of my defense.”

One of the advantages of having a left-handed hitter on the right side is that when the ball is set to Roach she can get to it quicker. While a right-hander has to wait for the ball to go across her body, a left-hander can hit it earlier.

That helps speed up the Spartans’ already-swift offense and gives the opponent less time to set up a block.

“You expect to have a strong right-hander, but not every team gets a lefty,” Klock said. “We’re very fortunate to have that. Now you can attack someone from both sides.”

That attack is a reason the Spartans are headed to the state semifinals for the second time in two seasons and why they are confident they can fare well there.

“I knew we were going to be good but I never expected us to go to state,” Roach said. “This is really exciting.”

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