The plan was good.

Back in August, St. Charles North’s Haley Burgdorf knew that to be true as she prepared to start her second season on the varsity.

A 6-foot sophomore outside hitter, Burgdorf was expected to once again team up with Katherine Scherer and give the North Stars a formidable one-two offensive punch.

Scherer, a 6-2 senior outside hitter and Maryland recruit, had 263 kills to lead the team the previous season, while Burgdorf debuted with an impressive 261 kills.

“We trusted Haley would continue to put up big numbers,” St. Charles North coach Lindsey Hawkins said. “More so this year, we needed her to be one of our leaders.”

That’s why Hawkins had Burgdorf, the 2023 Beacon-News/Courier-News Girls Volleyball Player of the Year, join summer and preseason camp sessions of the leadership council the coach runs each year.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan.

In a one-week span in mid-September, Scherer and two other senior starters for the North Stars — libero Jackie Ruder and opposite Adrianna Huptych — were lost for the season to injury.

It thrust Burgdorf into a top leadership role Hawkins had envisioned for later in the youngster’s career.

Not to worry.

Burgdorf was up to the challenge.

The North Stars started the season 9-2 but lost seven straight when the injuries hit. Late in that streak was a tough three-game loss to eventual state runner-up Benet.

Burgdorf, senior outside Alexis Bardouniotis and sophomore setter Mia McCall led the team on a 13-5 surge to end the season 23-14 following a three-game loss to Metea Valley in the regional final.

The hard-hitting Burgdorf, who has a strong all-around game, led the North Stars with 344 kills on 825 attempts, finishing with a .242 hitting percentage and a .417 kill percentage.

She added team highs of 190 digs and 344 serve receives to go with 30 total blocks and 26 aces.

“Even as a freshman, we kind of put a lot of pressure on (Burgdorf) to perform right away,” Hawkins said. “I’ve never had a freshman in that position before. It reminded me most of players like Grace Loberg at Geneva and Meghan Niski at St. Charles East.”

Both four-year standouts, Niski led the Saints in kills as a freshman as they won the 2008 state championship. Loberg won a national title at Wisconsin.

As for the leadership council role?

“Haley even said to me at the beginning of the year, it was nice to be on the council, but ‘I don’t have to worry because we have Katie and Jackie to handle that,’” Hawkins said.

“Of course, then we had to put those things into practice. We needed her to be even more well-rounded, and she stepped up. She became the face of the program and more vocal.”

It was never more evident than at a late-season tournament with several high-profile college coaches on hand.

“Haley just like took over,” Hawkins said. “She was our best passer that day, blocked well, and offensively, you couldn’t stop her.”

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Burgdorf said the three injured seniors continued to be involved.

“All three helped me out a lot,” she said. “We had that resiliency the whole year. It was a great group of girls and anyone could play any position.”

Scherer and Burgdorf both play at Sports Performance, developing a bond.

“I love Haley,” Scherer said. “I would give her rides to practices. She’s just so sweet.”

Burgdorf said the Big Ten recruit was “a big role model for me.”

Heading into her junior year, this will be a key club season for Burgdorf, who hopes to get her driver’s license in February.

“I can be recruited this summer, and it’s time I have to perform,” she said. “I’m looking forward to it, and I’m excited to meet coaches who have written me.”