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Rosary tops Montini on emotional night
| Corey R. Minkanic~For Sun-Times Media
Updated: October 3, 2011 10:09PM
On this night, the Rosary volleyball team’s 25-11, 25-22 victory over Montini was secondary.
The star of the night was the pretty blonde, seated courtside and taking in the action at her alma mater and accepting well wishes from friends who have followed her amazing comeback story online and in the newspapers the past four months.
“It was inspirational, that word hasn’t been overused this night,” said Rosary senior setter Abby Konovodoff.
It was Kills for Kylie Night, the volleyball team’s fundraiser for 2008 graduate Kylie Schalz who was left paralyzed from the chest down after surgery to repair her scoliosis this past June 8. The three-sport (volleyball, basketball, softball) standout at Rosary who went on to play softball at Oakland (Mich.) University, Schalz is the daughter of Rosary swimming coach Bill and Robin Schalz.
She expected to be playing fall ball at this time, but will be delighted later this month when she returns to school to continue classes. After dedicated rehabilitation, the former Royal is on her feet again.
In a ceremony before the start of the varsity match, Kylie Schalz rose to her feet and with the aid of her forearm crutches, walked halfway across the court where she played volleyball and basketball and took a seat in front of a podium, where an emotional Rosary Athletic Director Mary Lou Kunold told her story.
Players from both teams listened intently, then watched a slide presentation that showed her dedicated work at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago that helped get her back to this point.
Kunold noted that 11,365 people have “followed every step” of her recovery on the website that her dad has kept updated to let people know how she was doing as she walked further and further with less and less help.
“Amazing, inspirational attitude,” Kunold said.
The ceremony was followed by a standing ovation as Kylie returned to the sidelines.
“It was amazing to see so many people come out,” she would say later. “I’m grateful for all the support from the Rosary family has given me. It says a lot about the kind of people who make up Rosary.”
While the hoopla made for a long evening, visiting coach Steve Dowjotas didn’t mind at all.
“For a cause like this, I’d wait a couple hours (to start the varsity match),” he said. “These kids deserved to see it. It’s good for teenagers to see a story like this.”
On the court, the Royals wouldn’t be denied. Senior outside hitter Amelia Wegman, who last weekend made a verbal commitment to the University of Houston, put up 14 kills to lead Rosary to its 20th win of the season. Kate Stefanski added five and Marissa Prochasaka four to go with 11 assists from Alexis Banks and 10 from Konovodoff as Rosary climbed to 20-7 and 5-2.
Montini fell to 7-14 and 2-7.
“It was very emotional,” said Rosary coach Lisa Kasper. “That happening to such an active person like Kylie. And to think it could all have been taken away from her. At the beginning of the season, when we were deciding to do this, I told the girls you have to play like every game is gonna be your last. You never know when it can be taken away.
“If anybody can succeed at getting better and going back to playing softball it’s going to be Kyle. She’s a determined person.”
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