After a breakout sophomore season on the varsity a year ago, Mother McAuley junior Keira McQuillan is feeling stronger than ever.
Her athleticism, her volleyball IQ, her all-around play — it’s all been there.
McQuillan put down 10 kills and added five digs on Oct. 3 as host Mother McAuley defeated Assumption of Louisville, Ky., 25-23, 25-17 in the ASICS Tournament championship.
“I’m definitely feeling different this year,” said McQuillan, an all-tournament pick. “I worked a lot on mixing up my shots, improving my game all-around and felt like I became a better player. I have this urgency to win and play my best.”
Seniors Peyton Heatherly (22 assists) and Jayce Prohaska (three kills, 12 digs), juniors Ava Calle (15 digs) and Alyson Cahill (five kills, five blocks) and sophomore Chyla Jukes (five blocks) all chipped in for the Mighty Macs.
It was the first ASICS title since 2023 for McAuley, which was 24-3 through last week.
The Macs also beat Assumption, the top-ranked team in the nation, on Oct. 1 in two sets as well as earniing a three-set win over rival Marist (22-3) in the tournament semifinals.
“It says we’re increasingly getting better, beating top-ranked teams in the nation,” McQuillan said. “It’s amazing. It shows how hard we’re working and that we’ll get better from here. We’ll learn something from every match we play.”
McQuillan, a 5-8 outside hitter, is a UConn recruit. The Huskies recruited her as a libero.
A standout athlete, she ran a 4.40 40-yard dash this summer and also features an impressive vertical leap.
Coach Jen DeJarld said McQuillan has taken a big step in all aspects of her game.
“Keira should be running for our track team,” DeJarld said with a laugh. “She’s always had the power but not the control (hitting). Now, she’s found her groove, is seeing the court better, seeing the blockers’ hands and making better decisions with her shot selection. She’s a very strong blocker and our best passer. I don’t know why teams keep serving to her.”
McQuillan finished second on the team as a sophomore in kills with 150 behind only senior Cayla Prohaska (290), now a freshman at Campbell.
This year’s, she’s been the team’s leading hitter.
With Heatherly, a four-year starter at setter, spreading the wealth, McQuillan knows she’ll get the ball in key moments.
“Me and Peyton, we have such a good relationship outside of volleyball,” McQuillan said. “On the court, I can just look at her and smile and she’ll set me the ball. Our connection has been growing stronger these past couple months.”
“Keira really set the tone for us today with her hitting,” said Heatherly, who is committed to Coastal Carolina. “She was awesome. She makes it really easy to run our offense. It felt like we were in a flow state today. That’s the best we’ve played all season.”