The writing was literally on the wall for Oak Lawn’s Maryam Hussein.
Every day in practice or during home matches in the Spartans’ gym, the senior outside hitter sees the program mark of 303 kills by Kate Dillon in 2021 that’s listed on the school’s record board.
“I came into this season trying to beat our school record,” said Hussein, who had totaled just 266 kills overall in her first three years on the varsity. “I had my mind on that goal.”
It was a pretty lofty goal too, but before the calendar turned from September to October this season, Hussein crushed that standard. She entered the week with 324 kills for Oak Lawn (18-5).
The Spartans have eight regular-season matches remaining. Hussein is averaging 6.6 kills a game, meaning she could be headed into 450 territory and more if there are some three-game matches mixed in. A deep run in the postseason could put her in the 500-kill neighborhood.
What made Hussein think she could even touch the single-season record?
“I had a lot of faith in myself,” she said. “I knew how much I improved in my skills. With losing nine of our seniors from last year, I knew that the pressure was going to be on.”
Senior setter Kasey Thompson, who reached the 1,000-assist milestone and ranks second in program history with 1,197 career assists, enjoys feeding Hussein the ball and watching her shine.
“Oh my God, I couldn’t ask for anything better than playing with her for four years,” Thompson said of Hussein. “Seeing her grow and develop is actually so crazy.”
Thompson then turned to her teammate and said, “I don’t know how you got this good. It’s so amazing. You worked so hard.”
Hussein, at the same time, is grateful for her setter.
“She puts me in the best position possible to get this many kills,” Hussein said of Thompson. “I couldn’t do this without her.”
Oak Lawn coach Kathleen Miller praised Hussein’s progress.
“When she told me she wanted to break the record at the beginning of the year, I believed her,” Miller said of Hussein. “She has big goals and an even bigger drive.
“She was different when she walked in the gym this year. She had that competitive intensity we knew was there. Every year, she has bought into our development plan and she has done everything we have asked of her.”
And it’s not just kills that make Hussein special.
“We saw a jump in leadership and maturity,” Miller said. “With that maturity, she’s like, ‘You know what? I’m willing to put the team on my back.’”
This might be the last competitive volleyball hurrah for both players. The 5-foot-10 Hussein, who’s getting NCAA Division II offers, is considering giving up volleyball for educational purposes.
“I’ve been setting my mind on UIC and see if they would want me,” she said. “It has a really good medical program and that would be a good fit. I would like to become a doctor.
“A lot of people in my family are doctors.”
Thompson is in the same boat, looking to be an anesthesiologist, and also may give up the sport.
She confirmed there are doctors and nurses in her family and said she owes it to her parents to become a success in the medical profession.
Together, Hussein and Thompson are hoping for a big finish despite a recent rough patch.
“We have to start working as a team more,” Hussein said of the Spartans. “We have to build that chemistry and trust each other more so it can work out on the court.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.