Lubic sets herself up for a bright future at NIU

Kaneland senior Jessica Lubic has lived in Sugar Grove all her life with her parents, Lee and Patty, sister Jennifer, a freshman at Kaneland, and Curtis, a sophomore at Augustana. Known as “Jess,” Lubic said the team aspect of volleyball “swayed me away” from gymnastics even though she was a Level 7 gymnast who competed nationally. That turned out to be a good move, because after visiting Lehigh, New Hampshire and Binghampton she chose to attend Northern Illinois University on scholarship. She started playing volleyball in the seventh-grade, and is currently in her fourth year with the Kane County Juniors club team, making a big jump in age group competition her third year and contributing toward a runner-up finish at the Volleyball Festival in Phoenix this past season. A 5-foot, 10-inch setter who has reached 9-4 on her vertical jump, Lubic earned All-Conference honors last season, the final year of the Western Sun Conference, and was Kaneland's MVP.

Q: How do you like the new conference, the Northern Illinois Big Twelve?

A: I like it a lot. It's a lot more equally matched. It was always fun playing Batavia and Geneva; they were bigger schools so we were more motivated to beat them. It's fun because a lot of girls that played on my club teams played on Geneva. And we played Geneva this year and beat them for the first time in 19 years.

Q: Geneva graduate Lauren Wicinski is now doing very well in her freshman season at Northern Illinois. Did she have any impact on your decision to go there, too?

A: I guess the first reason was I'm pretty into the education program there, because I'm going into teaching. And also, I like the coaching staff (which includes Kane County Juniors coach and area graduate Coley Pawlikowski, daughter of Geneva coach K.C. Johnsen). And Lauren and two girls from my club team (Rosary's Haley Norris and West Chicago's Emily Paschke) are going there.

Q: After your second year with the Kane County Juniors you skipped two age levels, going up to the 18-year-old level. What was that due to?

A: The 18s, the year before, had a really good setter that graduated. So I think the coach was kind of looking for a setter that could come in and run it for a couple of years.

Q: How do you balance school and your social life?

A: Volleyball keeps me busy, so I've only had a couple of weekends where I've had off. Since most of my other friends are playing sports this year it's kind of hard to get our schedules to match up.

Q: What do you see as the biggest problem facing society?

A: I would say that the debt problem is a huge issue because it's affecting a lot of people. And it's kind of getting to the point where it seems impossible to fix it anywhere in the near future.

Q: Who has provided your greatest motivation?

A: I would say it's between my club coaches and my parents. It would be a pretty close race there. My club coaches have always motivated me to do well and keep me going and help me be where I wanted to be athletic-wise, ability-wise, talent-wise. And, obviously, my parents helped me all the way through the college process and helped me with whatever is needed.

Q: What are your main skills on the volleyball court?

A: Probably leadership, I don't know. And experience. We have a lot of younger players on the team this year.

Q: Your sister Jennifer is she following in your footsteps?

A: She actually plays on the sophomore team as a freshman, and she's been pulled up for a couple varsity tournaments as well, and she's dressed for each varsity game. So I've actually gotten to play on the same court as her a couple times this year.

Q: That must be neat.

A: Yeah, it's a lot of fun. We have a sand volleyball court in our back yard and we always play on that. So it's fun to take it from there to high school. And when she gets into varsity games she's been (the designated setter) so when she gets the ball she passes it to me. She kind of sets it up.

Q: What's your favorite trait in a person?

A: Probably honesty. It's a big deal.

One of the guys

Late in West Aurora's 55-32 football victory over Glenbard East last week, senior Carlotta Mayen made her playing debut on the field.

This was the first time in Blackhawks coach Buck Drach's 30 years as a high school coach he put a girl on the field, and the first time it happened in 117 years of West Aurora football.

Drach said Mayen listed as a 5-foot-10, 150-pound tight end and defensive back took eight snaps at tight end, and threw several blocks.

“She would have played in our first two games but she wasn't there, she was doing her band stuff,” Drach said. “At least our first game against East Aurora she would have gotten in, but she had to leave at halftime to try out for band.”

At the season's outset Mayen was dating another Blackhawks football player. But she wasn't in the sport just to hang around her beau. When the relationship dimmed Mayen stayed put.

“She shows up and she's there, she puts her time in and she works,” Drach said. “She does a nice job for us on scout team, and she gives us a look like any other kid we've got.”

And, like any other kid, she took a ribbing during the team's film session when on one play she got knocked on her backside.

In live action, though, her appearance produced a joyful noise.

“I know she had a cheering section up in the stands that got pretty excited,” Drach said.