Mach's a lock as Libertyville's leader
Libertyville senior outside hitter Emma Mach can be excused if she looks around the court and doesn't recognize her teammates.
She is the only player from last year's state tournament team that returns for Libertyville. She would have been joined by Maka Stewart, but Stewart sustained a season-ending knee injury over the summer.
As a result, everything about Mach's role has expanded.
Let's start with leadership. Last year, she was the one being welcomed to the varsity.
"Emma Melendez was my big sister," Mach said with a smile. "Everyone was supportive and cheered me on."
This season, Mach, 5-foot-10, is the one called on to do the vocal encouraging.
"I'm not the type of person to be real peppy, but I know I'm being counted on to hold the team together," Mach said. "We go to the middle after every point. We want to shake off our mistakes and stay positive."
Coach Chris Trzyna likes the way Mach is responding.
"She's looking at this as a challenge," Trzyna said. "She's gained some confidence and is staying more focused out there. She can rally people and get us fired up."
As a junior, Mach only played front row. This season, she will add the back row to her responsibilities. Her biggest focus in the offseason was working on her passing.
When she's in the back row, Mach will usually have Meggie Buhrman and Jenny Hamlin by her side.
"They tell me where to go and have been really helpful," Mach said.
Mach knows exactly where to go when she's at the net. Her clutch hitting last year was central to many of the Wildcats' victories.
"When she on, she kept us in a lot of matches," Trzyna said.
It's hard to believe now, but Mach's introduction to the sport was not a successful one. In seventh and eighth grade, she was cut from her school team.
Why did she stay with the sport?
"I don't like people telling me I can't do something," she said.
She played on Libertyville's 'B' team as a freshman. The key to her development came the next year on the sophomore team. She was moved from middle blocker to outside hitter and never looked back.
Mach quickly embraced the new position.
"In the middle, it's hard to direct the ball," she said. "I get a lot more opportunities to hit (outside) and you can do more with the ball."
After a loss to Hersey on Tuesday in the season opener, the Wildcats responded Wednesday with a spirited practice. Mach said the coaching staff tried some new combinations that worked well.
"Everyone understands now how fast paced the game is," Mach said. "We're working hard and ready to get going. I think we will surprise a lot of people."