Driven to succeed, Lopez is headed to Oregon St.

Because she lives in Mt. Prospect and travels to Wilmette each day, Mary Kate Lopez has a longer drive to school than most high school students.

She also has an unusual drive and determination in herself.

Despite saying she was 'really bad' when she started playing volleyball in the sixth grade, Lopez became really good.

How good?

The Loyola junior has committed to play the sport at the Division I level for Oregon State.

"My coaches saw potential in me," Lopez said of her introduction to the sport. "I moved to a bigger club for seventh and eighth grade and that's when I started getting college contacts."

She actually got her first one in seventh grade.

"I thought, wow, how cool would it be to play a sport in college?" she said. "Ever since then I've had my mind set on playing collegiate volleyball."

Lopez received an email from Oregon State officials on Feb. 20.

"I decided to respond," she said. "I really connected with the coaches, even though most of our relationship was over the phone and through emails due to the NCAA recruiting guidelines."

Lopez went for an unofficial visit in early May and was offered a scholarship to set for the Beavers in the class of 2019.

She committed at the end of July and went to the school's volleyball camp.

"Oregon State is a big, successful program but still maintains a family feel that I wanted," Lopez said. "I wanted to join the biggest program possible but I didn't just want to be another piece of a volleyball factory, like some other large collegiate programs."

Lopez pans to study business."

"Their business school was astonishing," she said. "Since I have lived in the Midwest my whole life, I am so excited to experience life on the west coast. Last year, Oregon State's campus was awarded most beautiful and best college town in the PAC-12, and most beautiful in Oregon. I can say that from firsthand experience that these titles are well deserved."

Lopez' first inclinations as a child were to play basketball, like her mother did at Benet Academy in Lisle.

Mary Lopez, who teaches social studies at Schaumburg High, played just one year of volleyball at Benet because she wanted to focus on basketball.

"My dad (Ed) played a lot of beach volleyball at North Avenue Beach in his 20s and he coached my older brother (Andrew)," Mary Kate said. "I always hung around the gym during their practices and after watching them, I thought 'I can do that.' "

And Mary Kate sure proved she could.

She will take her skills from Wilmette to Oregon State.

"I am more than thrilled to be able to play at Oregon State," she said. "It really is a dream come true."

She said her parents helped her the entire way - filming matches, driving her to practices, washing sweaty gear and staying up while she finished her home work.

"And they always reminded me that I played the sport because I loved it," she said.

Lopez' club coach, Beth Baetzel of First Alliance, challenged the Loyola junior to elevate her game to the next level.

"I'm so grateful for all her help during the recruiting process and sharing her love and knowledge of the sport with me," Lopez said. "I have never improved more over the course of one season than I have during mine with First Alliance."

Melissa Cox, the trainer for setters, spent countless hours with Lopez in the gym.

"She worked with my form, technique, footwork, timing, and mental game," Lopez said. "And Loyola volleyball has also shaped me as a player and person. Playing out of my position (right side hitter) has helped me become a more well-rounded volleyball player.

"As a setter, I think it's beneficial for me to understand the perspective of other positions. Our weight lifting program has also increased my strength and endurance and I can already tell I have grown and developed since just last year. Balancing the rigorous academics at Loyola Academy with a top level volleyball club is preparing me for future success as a collegiate student athlete."

Men's soccer

Illinois Wesleyan sophomore midfielder Patrick Hickey (St. Viator) was selected as a player of the week in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

The Des Plaines native, majoring in biology, scored 2 goals and added an assist for the 2-0-0 Titans. He assisted on Justin Yaeger's goal in the 20th minute of a 2-0 shutout of Fontbonne and scored goals in the 47th and 77th minutes of a 5-1 win over Greenville.

• Augustana sophomore Daniel Artman (Schaumburg) scored the goal in the Vikings'' first win of the season, 1-0 at Coe.

Sisters on course

The Von Oesen sisters are sharing quite a fall on the golf course.

Rolling Meadows senior Nicole Von Oesen turned in an all-conference showing in which she tied for 20th at the Mid-Suburban League girls golf meet last week.

Her sister Natalie, a seventh grader golfer at South Middle School, qualified for the middle school state tournament in Peoria.

Volley For a Cure

October is 'breast cancer awareness' month and Prospect High School will host a 'Volley for the Cure' match when 13-time defending Mid-Suburban East champion Hersey (15-4, 6-0) visits the Jean Walker Field House to face the Knights (6-13, 2-4) on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Women's golf

Illinois State senior Kiley Walsh (Prospect) produced a 5-over-par 77 (39-38) in the round of the Boston College Intercollegiate to tied for sixth place at the par-72 6,137-yard Blue Hill Country Club.

After shooting a 3-over-par 39 on the front nine, Walsh carded a 2-over-par 38 on the back. Her round included two birdies, with one coming on a par 4 on each side. She finished the tournament with an 8-over-par 224 (74-73-77) and the Redbirds wrapped up the tournament in 13th place.

• Concordia-Wisconsin freshman Amy Carpenter (Elk Grove) shot a 194 (94-100) to help the Falcons to a sixth-place finish out of 17 teams in the Whitewater Fall Classic at Blackberry Oaks Golf Course.

Women's volleyball

• Elmhurst senior middle hitter Allie Skowron (Prospect) has 42 kills and 33 blocks in 44 sets for the Blue Jays. She's also chipped in 17 digs and served 5 aces.

• University of Memphis freshman libero Alyssa Kronberg (Palatine) led the Tigers with 12 digs in a 3-0 loss to Temple in an American Athletic Conference volleyball match.

Football

Augustana's Grant Burke (Hersey) is tied for the team in 'tackles for loss' with four.

Women's soccer

Augustana sophomore Cora Jacobsen (Palatine) scored her second goal of the season and assisted on another in the Vikings' 9-0 win over visiting Lawrence 9-0 at Thorson-Lucken Field.

Wheeling feeder

The Wheeling High School boys feeder basketball tryouts are Sunday, Oct. 29 and Sunday, Nov. 5 in the main gym at Wheeling High School. Fifth and sixth graders are from 8:30 a.m. to -10 a.m. Seventh and eighth graders are from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Attendance at both tryouts is recommended. Please arrive 15 minutes early to register. For questions, contact juniorcats5678@gmail.com.

• Email Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com.