We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Peyton Heatherly.

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Before Peyton Heatherly could even think about how she would fit in on Mother McAuley’s varsity roster, she first had to make the team. Even though Heatherly – a 3-star setter/right side from the Class of 2027 – was coming off a season in which she helped Lions 14-1 qualify and finish 22nd in 14 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships nothing was guaranteed.

“I was doing summer workouts and tryouts with Mother McAuley but I didn’t know what team I was going to end up on,” Heatherly said. “I didn’t expect to be on varsity because I know how competitive the program is.”

It was after the first freshmen tryout when Heatherly found out she would be on varsity. She was about to be the only ninth-grader on a team that returned the majority of its starting lineup after going 39-3 and claiming the Illinois 4A state championship in 2022.

“I knew the team lost both starting setters but I didn’t know if I would step foot on the court,” Heatherly said. “I did have a conversation with Coach Jen (DeJarld) at the beginning of the year and she did say I needed to work hard being a freshman on varsity and that I needed to keep a positive attitude and keep working to be able to play.”

What happened next is what makes high school volleyball so special.

Heatherly grew up around volleyball, essentially starting the sport as soon as she was able to walk. Her aunt and mom played in college. Her grandma owns 1st Alliance. And both her older sisters – Kate and Jordan – play. Kate is a sophomore at Lyons while Jordan is in her freshman season at Memphis.

“My sister Kate is a sophomore so we are closer in age and we were always super competitive,” Heatherly said. “We were always on the same team because I used to play up with her and we would yell at each other. As we grew up we were better and we are super close. With volleyball we both lean on each other.

“Jordan is also a setter, but I didn’t really have any competitiveness with her. She just would always give me really good advice.”

Heatherly, meanwhile, developed as both a setter and hitter. Because of it, she never ran a 5-1. Until this fall.

Heatherly opened the season as part of a 6-2 with the Macs. But after falling to Sacred Heart Academy in five sets the day before the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament, DeJarld told her she was making the switch to a 5-1 with Heatherly.

“I was definitely super nervous,” Heatherly said. “We hadn’t ever practiced it before. There was a lot of emotions but the team helped calm me down. Ellie (White) talked to me and told me she knew I could do it.”

Mother McAuley ended up taking third place and there was no going back. The Macs hit a few speed bumps along the way, falling to both Marist and Benet Academy, but also winning the Asics Challenge where they avenged their loss to Marist and handed Divine Savior Holy Angels WI its only loss of the season.

With Heatherly guiding the attack, Mother McAuley defeated Marist once more in the sectional finals before avenging the previous loss to Benet Academy by beating the Redwings in the 4A state championship match. Heatherly finished the season with 737 assists, averaging 7.8 per set. She was also third in both digs and aces. It’s a type of season that has her in the running for vballrecruiter.com’s Freshman Player of the Year.

“When we played Marist and beat them (at the Asics Challenge) that was our turning point in the season,” Heatherly said. “During sectionals we were super nervous but we calmed each other down and just left everything on the court. Against Benet (in the final) it was definitely cool seeing our team focused on ourselves and doing everything we could. It’s definitely what helped us win state.”

With the high school season over, Heatherly is looking forward to club. She’s part of 1st Alliance 15 Gold and aiming for an improvement on last year.

“I’m super excited for club to start,” she said. “A lot of the girls on the team also had a varsity season, so I feel we have been getting so much better and improving. This club season is going to be really good and super fun.”

As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Heatherly about volleyball and more.

Who is a role model or someone you look up to?

Heatherly: It’s definitely my older sister Jordan. She’s accomplished so much. She’s playing volleyball in college. I definitely want to be like her as a person when I grow up. I’ve always looked up to her. She’s always been someone I can talk too since I was little.

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why?

Heatherly: I would want to go skydiving. I love adventures and I love the outdoors. I think it would be such a thrilling thing to do.

Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why?

Heatherly: I would want to learn drawing or painting because being an artist person we be so fun. To be able to draw all the time would be so fun and I’m not very good at it now.

Do you have any volleyball superstitions and if so what?

Heatherly: Before I serve — I just started doing this during high school — I would look at the state championship banner and focus back in and reset before I serve.

Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without?

Heatherly: It’s listening to music. Every morning I wake up and I listen to music to get ready. It sets me up for my day. I feel like I can’t live without music.

What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile?

Heatherly: It’s seeing my teammates in the hallway in school. I love saying hi to them and catching up now that the season is over and that makes me really happy.

What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun?

Heatherly: It’s hanging out with my friends and family, and definitely going to Starbucks. I love Starbucks.

Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why?

Heatherly: It’s my dog. I love my dog so much. He’s always here for me whenever I’m sad, so I love hanging out with him. His name is Duke. He’s a mix of Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise.

What is one thing that may surprise people about you?

Heatherly: Maybe that my mom and aunt both played in college and that my grandma owns 1st Alliance.

If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would it be and why?

Heatherly: I would want to live in Hawaii. I have never been but everyone says how beautiful and relaxing it is. Just living there would be so cool.

If you could have any super power what would it be and why?

Heatherly: Maybe being invisible so I could sneak up on people and listen to the things they say. That would be so cool.

What’s your favorite number and why?

Heatherly: My favorite number is 16 because my older sister Jordan wore 16. I always wore it growing up. She won both a state (at Montini Catholic) and national championship (1st Alliance 17 Gold) wearing number 16 so hopefully I can repeat that.