Kymora Scott tries not to measure success in wins and losses or statistics. Those things are certainly nice, but the Homewood-Flossmoor girls volleyball’s 6-foot-2 sophomore middle hitter knows they’ll come naturally if she and her teammates do everything else they’re supposed to do.
“If you aren’t working for every point and everything you get, then you lost. If you put in the work, the wins are going to come, anyway,” Scott said. “If we just know that we fought our hardest, then I’ll be satisfied.”
first 17 games with the 14-3 Vikings. (David P. Funk/H-F Chronicle)
The wins are coming for the Vikings so far this season. A year ago on Sept. 19, H-F was 6-7. This year’s youthful roster is 14-4 at the same point and that’s thanks in part to the fact that they enjoy being and playing together, coach Bob St. Leger said.
“We’ve just got a hungry group of girls working hard in the gym every day,” St. Leger said. “Right now, there’s a lot of really good team cohesion and I would say that, combined with a lot of talent, is the biggest difference.”
Another big reason is Scott’s play during her first varsity season. She tallied 71 kills and 27 blocks through 17 games.
“I really think this is just the start,” St. Leger said. “She’s going to be a monster by the time she’s a senior.”
It’d be easy to watch tape, see Scott’s athleticism and think she’d be a good fit for the outside. That’s where St. Leger thinks she may be at some point in the future but for now, she’s very comfortable in the middle. That’s a good fit for the Vikings, too.
“I just feel like that’s where I’m really good. I’ve had the most experience there. I’ve played outside and right side but I love the middle. That’s what I like to do,” Scott said.
Scott’s height sticks out but she wants people to know she’s more than that. Sometimes at the high school level, taller players are in the middle just because they’re tall. That’s not Scott, who’s got quick feet and an impressive ability to move and jump.
Her kills jumping off of one foot while on the move are reminiscent of college volleyball.
“She moves as quickly as anybody on the team,” St. Leger said. “It’s a pretty unique combination to be 6-2 and also so agile.”
Scott said she’s working on getting even faster, especially at the net.
St. Leger believes her potential is great. As a 10th-grader, colleges can’t officially pursue her until next summer. But there’s no doubt they’ll be around. Athletic, 6-foot-2 leepers like Scott aren’t easy to come by.
“I want people to see the talent that I have and the athleticism that I have,” she said. “The goal (coming into the season) was to secure my spot as the starting middle and to show that I could really be that versatile player, that I could really help the team out.”
It’s an exciting time for H-F. The team may actually be a little ahead of schedule. Most of the playing time right now is going to juniors and sophomores so the future is bright.
Winning already attracted some media attention. Rankings are creeping into the picture. But maturity is also starting to develop, as well.
A setback against Jones Prep on Sept. 13 was a concern for St. Leger because there was no time to practice and get his team mentally prepared to play Andrew the next day.
The Vikings had no trouble with the quick turnaround, though, notching a 2-0 win.
“You can’t just go through the motions and turn it on whenever you want. Hopefully (Jones Prep) was a learning experience for us and we bounced right back the next day,” St. Leger said.
That’s just how it’s been so far for Homewood-Flossmoor, which won Andrew’s Barb Walaszek regular season tournament on Sept. 9 and the Manteno tournament on Sept. 16. The Vikings have been rolling.
Scott said the aim from here is to continue to put in the time and do the things they need to do. The rest will take care of itself, she said.
“We’ve fought for each point and you can tell that we really want to win based off of our efforts, off the court or on the court, in the weight room,” Scott said. “It’s in everything that we do.”