Zori Malone gets Geneva past Metea Valley
At the start of the season, Geneva’s Zori Malone was like the rest of the girls on the team.
With the exception of sophomore passer Ally Stevenson, the Vikings were literally going to field an entirely new varsity team this season. That meant finding roles, and Malone wanted to be in the mix.
As the fall progressed, the sophomore outside/right side hitter got into a groove.
“I hit a lot better,” Malone said. “So that’s where I found my role.”
Malone found a way to get things going with eight kills Wednesday night for the red-hot Vikings, who earned a 25-17, 25-19 non-conference victory over visiting Metea Valley.
Sophomore outside hitter Emma Peterson had a game-high 14 kills for Geneva (15-14). On senior night, middle hitter Molly Franz contributed with three kills and a block.
The Vikings are 8-1 in their last nine games since retiring West Chicago coach Kris Hasty replaced Lauren Kosecki, who is away from the team on maternity leave.
Eastern Michigan commit Olivia Stewart led Metea (13-18) with four kills, three blocks and an ace. Allyse King added four kills, while Alana Schille had three kills and a block.
Malone, meanwhile, made steady progress as she got accustomed to college volleyball, something Hasty noticed.
“She had a good game,” Hasty said afterward of Malone. “She’s coming. Little by little, she got better. Her main problem was lack of confidence.
“I think she’s getting more confident as we go forward. It’s fun to see.”
Malone and Peterson have become a real bowling combination for Geneva. They are close friends on and off the court and have become the team’s top two in kills.
“We work well together,” Malone said. “She’s more explosive, but we complement each other.”
Although Peterson broke out immediately at the start of the season, she was impressed with how Malone actually gained a foothold on the opposite side.
“I think she’s definitely more comfortable around girls,” Peterson said. “I feel like she’s gaining confidence.
“I think we can mirror each other. I think we have similar skill sets, which helps.”
Malone had a hot spell in the first game on Wednesday, setting the tone. With Geneva leading just 7-6, Malone had three straight kills as part of a 6-2 run that helped the Vikings navigate.
“It was really awesome,” Malone said. “It was great to help the team.”
While the sophomores filled out the stat sheet, the seniors were in the spotlight.
“They’re always excited for senior night,” Hasty said. “We stuck with our seniors and they did a great job. It’s a credit to us that we kept the energy and pressure up. It was a great game.”
It was also Metea’s first return to Geneva after Stewart suffered a dislocated ankle in last season’s regional championship game.
Although Metea coach Dave Macdonald said they hadn’t discussed it before, when he lined up for the national anthem, he became emotional.
“I gave Olivia a big hug after the game,” Macdonald said. “We didn’t talk about it. She never said, ‘Hey, can’t I play the Geneva game?’
“For her to come out and overcome that mental block and that traumatic accident that happened to her was huge.”
On the other hand, for Geneva, it is just as important to play your best volleyball at the right time.
Midway through the season, the Vikings learned they had moved up to Class 3A this season. Despite a 4A schedule, Geneva heads to the University of Chicago for the regional.
“We’re excited for the playoffs,” Hasty said. “Hopefully this win will give us some confidence. We’re going to Autumnfest this weekend and it’s always tough, but we’re on a good run.
“Hopefully we’ll be at our peak at the right time.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
