Schalz does it all for Rosary

Let's get this straight -- Kylie Schalz is a softball player first and foremost.

Sure, she had an outstanding breakthrough season with Rosary's volleyball team as a right side/middle hitter and played basketball as a key reserve with the Royals.

Her dad, Bill, is also the varsity swimming coach at Rosary and Marmion -- and has had quite a bit of success -- so it's no surprise she dabbled with swimming a bit.

But softball? Now we are talking Kylie's game. After all, it's the sport she's been with the longest.

"I've always loved it," said Schalz, who has been playing since she was 8. "Personally, I think I am the best and strongest at it."

So does coach Tara Tattersall. That's why she put Schalz on varsity when she was a freshman. Three years later, Schalz is a senior and ready to lead the Royals to great things -- things the program hasn't seen in years -- a winning record and perhaps a Suburban Catholic Conference and regional title.

"It's going to be one of the better seasons because before, we had a bunch of girls who just wanted to play," Schalz said. "But this year, we have athletic girls. We are going to have a really good season."

As a volleyball player, the 6-foot Schalz led the team in blocks with 138, which set a school record and was third in kills at 176. Coach Lisa Kasper called her "a diamond in the rough" and said she, "turned into the player I always thought she would."

Schalz' volleyball career might not be entirely over. She signed with Oakland University, a Division I college based in Michigan, for softball, but the volleyball coaches want her as well.

"I got recruited for softball, and that's what I wanted," said Schalz, who has not ruled out playing both sports.

Tattersall has known for some time that Schalz' first love was softball and that she had no plans on leaving it for volleyball.

"I talked to her about it sophomore year and it's always been her favorite," Tattersall said.

With basketball, Schalz chose to play with the Royals at the last minute. She ended up averaging 2.4 points and 4 rebounds a game. Both the volleyball and basketball teams won regional titles.

Is softball next? Schalz is poised to have a nice year after posting a strong junior season.

As the team's No. 1 pitcher last year, she struck out 96 batters in 103 innings.

Schalz has been pitching since eighth grade. She got into it after a girl on her team was injured and couldn't pitch.

"My coach was like, 'Do you want to try pitching?," Schalz said. "I said, 'Yeah, sure," and that's where it started."

Schalz also played shortstop last year, which she will be doing again this year. She will probably play both in college, and may see more time on the mound with the Royals this year.

"We couldn't afford to take her away at short last year because we really didn't have anyone else to play that spot," said Tattersall, who first coached Schalz in T-ball at age 8. "She is like a vacuum out there. Anything that way or even up the middle, she's able to get."

As a hitter, Schalz finished with 18 RBI, a .316 batting average, a .434 slugging percentage and .388 on-base percentage.

"(Hitting) is probably what I worked on the most in the off-season," Schalz said.

"Her bat is very sound fundamentally," Tattersall added. "She can see the ball well."

That wasn't the case, however, in the pool. Back in eighth grade, Kylie swam for Bill. On one early summer morning at UIC, she was having a tough practice. It was then and there she realized swimming wasn't for her.

Besides, volleyball and girls swimming both took place in the fall. She had to pick one eventually.

"My dad basically pulled me out of the water and said, 'Volleyball or swimming?," Schalz said. "I chose volleyball and he was totally OK with it. He was really good about it."

Swimmer she isn't but leader she is. Even teammate Audra Masters, who has been on varsity since freshman year with Schalz and Loyola-bound Colleen VanBogaert, thinks Schalz is the best leader on the team.

"Everyone looks to her," Masters said. "I look to her for leadership. If I'm doing something wrong, she'll know what it is and help me with it."

Since Schalz has been on varsity, the Royals have yet to see a winning record. Turning the program around before she graduates would be a great way for her to end her career at Rosary.

"I really think we are going to compete with the public schools," she said. "We've been working really hard. I think our team just wants to get out there and play."