Torch being passed from coach to former player

Updated: September 12, 2011 8:02PM

When Lincoln-Way West brought its undefeated team Monday to Lockport in a SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover, which was moved up by three days because of parent-teacher conferences at Lockport, it wasn’t just a meeting of two teams that had combined records of 15-2 to start the season.

It was also the final meeting between Lockport coach Julia Hudson and her former player, Lincoln-Way West coach, Rory Harrison.

“It won’t happen again,” said Hudson, who became coach at Lockport in 1980, three years before Harrison was born. “I’ve only coached against two former players. Mary Jo Waddell when she was at Benet, and now Rory.

“Those two both developed their players and developed their programs. Lincoln-Way West is blessed to have Rory. When she played for me, at that young age, you could see it. She just had that passion, that drive.”

Harrison graduated from Lockport in 2001. As a middle hitter, she helped the Porters to their most recent downstate appearance (1999) and went on to play at Lewis University.

Even then she knew she’d be a volleyball coach.

“Yes, I knew in high school that I would want to coach one day,” Harrison said. “In fact, while I was in college I coached for Lockport Elite (club team) almost immediately. Christina Wilson, Lockport’s setter, was a fifth-grader on my team.”

Harrison also credits Hudson for much of the style she uses as a coach.

“I really have to credit a lot of the way I coach to her,” Harrison said. “From organizing a practice to match preparation, she rubbed off on me.”

Monday’s meeting was the rubber match between the two coaches. Lockport won the first meeting, in 2009, 25-19, 25-16. Last season West turned the table with a 25-21, 25-15 victory over the Porters, who were without Wilson in the match.

Central wins battle of Plainfield

In a week that featured match-ups with two of the other Plainfield schools, Central won both Southwest Prairie clashes, toppling North 25-20, 25-17 and then South 25-11, 25-21.

The wins improved the Wildcats to 4-5 and 2-1 in the conference. The victory over North also avenged an earlier 23-25, 25-23, 15-9 loss to the Tigers on Aug. 27 at the Plainfield North Tournament.

“This (win over North) is the one that feels the best, most definitely,” said Central’s Erin Hyland, who had five kills, three blocks and two aces in the victory. “It’s the whole high school rivalry thing. When you have a team that you want to beat so badly and you’re working so hard, it just feels that much better.”

The Wildcats host Romeoville at 5:30 p.m. today. They play in the Wheaton Warrenville South-Wheaton Classic both Wednesday and Saturday, then look for the Plainfield trifecta when they travel to Plainfield East on Sept. 20.

Heading north

Joliet Central’s T’ara Austin has made a verbal commitment to Northern Illinois University.

The junior middle hitter is a third-year varsity player. She has helped the Steelmen to a 9-3 record thus far, after they finished with 14 wins in 2010.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.