Sierawski grows into lead role, looks forward to bright future

When Kaley Sierawski was in seventh grade, her parents gave her a suggestion.

"They told me I needed to do something," she said. "So I decided to try volleyball."

Sierawski's decision was as perfect as one of her devastating kills for the Palatine girls volleyball team.

The 6-foot-1 middle hitter and outside hitter has turned into one of the most feared hitters in the Mid-Suburban League and has already made a verbal commitment to Jacksonville State University in Alabama.

The best part for Palatine is that Sierawski is only a junior.

"I'm glad we have her for another season because I know she has a lot of things she still wants to accomplish," said Pirates third-year coach Dan Gavin. "We are looking forward to seeing her finish her high school career."

When she gets to Jacksonville, Sierawski plans to study elementary education and she would like to coach grammar school children.

The coaches at Jacksonville State got to see Sierawski play in the Junior Olympics this summer in Miami and with her Rolling Thunder club team based in Lake Zurich.

"They (Jacksonville) were in contact a lot with my club coach (Peter Miramonti)," Sierawski said. "I'm very happy to have been able to commit early because I know I am going to a good school and I can focus more on my grades now and not worry about picking a college."

Sierawski never dreamed she would be playing big-time college volleyball.

"Never," she said. "I thought I would try it but I never thought I would get involved with a club team and get really involved. But once I started making friends, saw how it was getting me into shape, and realized I was really liking the sport, I went all out."

She joined Rolling Thunder when she was in the eighth grade and has been playing with the club ever since.

"I liked volleyball right away," said Sierawski, who dabbled in dance and gymnastics before finding volleyball as her true passion. "I found it interesting, fast-paced and very fun."

Sierawski, whose favorite athlete is pro beach volleyball player Misty May, also enjoys the sport on the sand. She played in an Oak Street Beach tourney this summer on the Chicago lakefront.

"It's so much fun," she said. "It actually helps increase your vertical and reach because you sink in the sand so much and it forces so much effort by your legs."

Sierawski, whose vertical is 9 feet, 11 inches and has a reach of 9 feet, has shown her talents on the hardwood this fall, leading the Pirates with 135 kills and hitting efficiency of .389.

"I love hitting," she said. "And I really like serving (24 aces)."

Gavin likes having her around for another season and a half.

"When she came in as a freshman, Kaley had the size," he said. "She was a little raw but her skills were really emerging and she worked very hard in club to refine those skills and become a better athlete."

"My parents (Frank and Mary) have been such an inspiration to me, always so enthusiastic, giving me encouragement and pushing me to do well," Sierawski said. "And Mr. Gavin has taught me a lot of certain things. He put me in the back row (second best 87 digs on team) so I could get better there and he has done a lot of little things to help prepare me for the future."

A future that appears very bright for the Pirates and her future Jacksonville State club.

"It's about a two-hour plane flight and then a 31/2-hour drive from Nashville (Tenn.) or two hours from Birmingham (Ala.)," Sierawski said. "I kind of wanted to go to school outside of Illinois. But Jacksonville would have been as far as I would have gone."

There is no telling how far her volleyball skills can take her.