Junior middle hitter Hailey Wierzgac’s first varsity start for Oak Lawn was very satisfying.

She made some big plays Wednesday night and the Spartans ended up winning.

The only thing missing was her aunt, Michele, who was out of town. Hailey and Michele, a starting outside for Oak Lawn’s 1976 state runner-up team, have a special connection.

“Oh, I know a lot about it,” Hailey said, laughing. “She doesn’t stop talking about it. Of course, I’m proud of her. My aunt was a real volleyball star, and she wanted me to get into it.”

Rest assured, Aunt Michele will hear all about the Spartans’ 16-25, 25-17, 25-19 nonconference victory over host Stagg in Palos Hills.

Sinead Conroy led Oak Lawn (1-0) with nine kills and four blocks. Amina Maali added five kills and six digs, while Wierzgac and Kaitlyn Berkery had four kills apiece. Emma McAuliffe made 11 digs and Maeve Hassett had 22 assists.

Ella DeBow tallied five kills for Stagg (0-2). Lizzy Ellsworth added four kills and Paige Finegan had nine assists.

The 6-foot Wierzgac, however, was a shot in the arm when the Spartans needed it most.

Her two kills got Oak Lawn off and running in Game 2. Late in Game 3, Stagg rallied a nine-point deficit to get within 23-17 before Wierzgac slammed down a spike to shut the door.

Extra devotion to the game is paying off.

“I started playing club recently,” Wierzgac said. “After I did that, things started to come together for me. This was so exciting. It just feels great to have my team’s backs in those moments.”

When she met Wierzgac for the first time, it was an eye-opener for Oak Lawn coach Kathleen Miller.

“We do what’s called ‘The Welcome Wagon,’” Miller said. “We deliver signs to the homes of the freshmen that say ‘Welcome to the class of’ — what for her would have been 2025. She was on my random visit list.

“When I rang the doorbell and she answered, I just stared up and said, ‘Hello, I’m the girls volleyball coach. We’re having volleyball tryouts.’ And then her parents came to the door and they were taller than her. I was like, ‘We’ve got to get her.’”

Despite her aunt’s enthusiastic encouragement, Wierzgac had never played volleyball seriously before high school.

“I was more into art,” Wierzgac said. “There weren’t really any awards to go for, so I just did it as a hobby. I never really got into volleyball until my freshman year.

“When I started playing, it was a little rocky. But I really got into it in high school.”

Miller didn’t rush the process.

“As a freshman, she was that super tall, lanky, awkward kid,” Miller said. “When she came to tryouts, she didn’t even know an approach. But even over the two days of tryouts, we saw she was already making progress, just being super coachable.

“She’s a real smart kid. Every year, she keeps progressing and getting better and better. When she started playing club ball for First Alliance this spring, we really saw a jump and an improvement in her.”

Those skills were all on display against Stagg.

“We’re still working on the setter connection with our middles,” Miller said. “When it is connected, she can put a ball down. But right now, she does a really good job of sealing on the block for us.”

The connection with teammates is sealed as well.

“Hailey is quite shy, but once you get to know her, she’s a real sparkplug,” Berkery said. “At first, she didn’t really talk much. We had to crack her open a little bit, but once she did, she was great.

“She brings an energy that makes you love having her around.”