South Elgin’s Camryn Boyd has heard the chants all season long from her fan base.
Any time that the 6-foot freshman outside hitter gets on a roll, the inevitable “she’s a freshman” cheer often starts from the crowd. And make no mistake either, Boyd hears it every time.
“I love that chant,” Boyd said. “It’s my favorite.”
In her varsity debut season, Boyd has brought about that good cheer many times. She was at it again Tuesday as the Storm rolled to a 25-10, 25-9 Upstate Eight Conference win at Streamwood.
Boyd led the way with eight kills for South Elgin (18-6, 5-0), while Paige Genke served 14 aces and Cassie Verley added four kills. Ysabella Rios tallied two kills for Streamwood (4-19, 1-4).
Boyd was expected to make an immediate impact coming into the season based on her pedigree in club volleyball. She hasn’t disappointed, leading the Storm with 187 kills.
Those kills aren’t of the weak variety whatsoever. Sometimes, a younger player may come up right away to the varsity and be somewhat timid. That’s not the case for Boyd.
“She has a fearlessness to go up there and play,” South Elgin coach Jesse Bossenga said. “She takes big swings and isn’t afraid to hit hard in big moments and score big points.
“That is a great thing to have on your team.”
For her part, Boyd hasn’t been intimidated.
“I just go out and play like I usually play — like it’s every other match,” she said. “I just go out and swing.”
That’s her mentality when she plays with Club Fusion. She also can count on a volleyball background that includes her mother, Mattie, being star player in her own right.
Mattie, who went on to play at DePaul, was the team leader in kills in 2007 as St. Charles East took third place in Class 4A.
“It helps to have played in big matches before,” Bossenga said of Camryn Boyd. “She’s not new to high-level competition and playing against big-time players. It’s great to be able to come in and just play and not worry about being a freshman or who is on the other side.”
Boyd and Genke teamed up to bookend Tuesday night’s match. With Genke serving, the Storm jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first game.
With Genke at the service line again at the end of the second game, South Elgin ended the match on a 17-0 burst. Genke served 13 aces in those two runs, while Boyd put down seven of her kills.
It helped the Storm overcome a slow start in the second game, with Streamwood battling back for a 9-8 lead.
“We have a young team, but we have a lot of heart,” Streamwood coach Kelsey Kruel said. “They’re working really hard and they get it. I’m trying to shift the culture here. I love their grit.”
Kruel instructed her team to attack Boyd and go right at her, a sign of respect for the freshman.
“She’s got a bright future,” Kruel said of Boyd. “We try not to shy away from anybody. I think that’s the sign of a good player when you’re purposefully going at them.”
Not only has Boyd earned the respect of opposing coaches, she’s also earned it from her teammates. Despite being the youngest player on the roster, she’s fit right in.
“I can talk as if we’re one and that’s really nice,” Boyd said. “I was worried if some things I was going to say they wouldn’t take seriously because I’m so much younger than them.
“That’s not how it’s been at all.”
The Storm are trying to win a conference title before heading to the postseason. Perhaps matching her mother one day will be on the menu.
“I’m excited to see what the playoffs feel like for the first time,” Camryn said.
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.