West Chicago's storybook finish hasn't been written — yet

Kathy Fletcher calls West Chicago girls volleyball coach Kris Hasty one of the best storytellers she's ever met.

As stories go, they don't get much better than these Wildcats.

Two volleyball teams are still undefeated in the Chicago area. One is defending Class 4A champion Cary-Grove, the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

The other team went 0-35 just three years ago.

I'm sure West Chicago folks hate to be reminded of that but really, Hollywood couldn't script this kind of turnaround any better.

“If you even told me last year that we'd be undefeated right now I don't think I would have believed you, Fletcher said. “I knew we would have a good team, but I didn't know if this was possible.

Volleyball players like these Wildcats don't walk through the doors at West Chicago every day.

The seeds were planted at Benjamin Middle School, where Fletcher and future Wildcats Julia Conard, Jen Konchar and Payton Bayless grew up and won conference championships every year.

They would be joined in high school by lanky middle hitter Emily Paschke from West Chicago Middle School.

“High school volleyball is a totally different game, Conard said, “but we got to know each other and liked each other. Going into high school we were excited to see what damage we could do. It was a fresh start for West Chicago volleyball.

Fletcher started playing club for the Kane County Juniors following her freshman year, joined by Paschke. Illinois recruit Conard got early notoriety as an AAU All-America with Club Fusion.

For a change the girls from Naperville and Wheaton aren't the only ones from the DuPage Valley Conference playing volleyball year-round. You want the reason why West Chicago is DVC champions for the first time since 1979? Look no further.

“We started playing club early I think that's what helped us and made us that much stronger, Fletcher said.

This group has had West Chicago on the periphery of the volleyball radar. Fletcher, Conard, Paschke and Bayless are in their third year playing together. Last year West Chicago finished 22-15. They challenged the Napervilles for DVC volleyball supremacy.

It wasn't quite their time yet. It is now.

“Obviously, everybody has another year of experience, Fletcher said, “and everybody has improved so much from last year. We added a few key players to the mix. It helps to have a core group of people who trust each other and work well.

It adds up to one exciting year on the volleyball court in West Chicago. And it comes on the heels of a conference championship and long playoff run by West Chicago's softball team last spring. Fans have noticed and are packing Bishop Gym. Perhaps not overly spoiled by success, West Chicago's fans know a winner when they see one.

“We have a great group of fans behind us and appreciate what the school does for us, Conard said. “Every game we win the crowds get even better and we can always use a few more out there. Hopefully, people realize we have a pretty good team this year.

If an undefeated record this late in the season makes a team press, it doesn't show here. Great friends on and off the court have fun, Fletcher said, cracking jokes “until their cheeks hurt. No cliques on this team. Nobody at West Chicago seems uptight or anxious. Even Hasty is known to crack jokes on occasion in the halls or at practice.

Nobody gets caught up in the 0 in the loss column, either. The Wildcats know the undefeated record could get broken up this weekend at Autumnfest, where West Chicago will be challenged by the likes of Mother McAuley, Benet and Joliet Catholic.

Nobody ever said going undefeated was the goal in West Chicago.

Advancing to the state tournament, now that would be a storybook finish. No West Chicago volleyball team has ever even won a sectional championship; no regional titles since 1997.

This could be the year.

“We don't necessarily expect to go to state, Conard said, “but it would be the best. It's definitely in all of our best interests to just take it one match at a time. We need to keep it embedded in our minds that there are teams out there that can beat us.