Heating up, Mikayla Summey comes through as Andrew tops crosstown rival Tinley Park. ‘She’s just an athlete.’

Andrew senior Mikayla Summey is one tough customer.

A 6-foot middle hitter in volleyball, she has played two sports most of her high school career with patellar tendinitis.

“I just developed it, I think, because of COVID,” Summey said. “Taking such long of a break from sports, it came once we started later in the following spring.

“Also, because I’m so tall, it doesn’t help.”

Summey still went the distance Monday night for the Thunderbolts in a grueling 25-14, 18-25, 25-20 nonconference victory over host Tinley Park.

Katelin Simms led Andrew (11-21) with 11 kills. Julita Latka added nine kills, while Summey contributed five. Emma Smola landed five aces and made 24 digs, while Della Walsh had 23 assists.

Kaylah Forrest tallied six kills (19-7) for Tinley Park. Megan Piotrowski picked up 17 digs, while Sara Henry notched 20 assists.

Summey sat during the second game, but was a big contributor in both games that the Thunderbolts won.

In the first game, one of her kills was part of a serving run by Smola that produced an early 7-1 lead.

Andrew’s Mikayla Summey (14) gets ready for a serve against Tinley Park during a nonconference match in Tinley Park on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson/Daily Southtown)

Summey’s biggest kill stalled a late rally in the third game by Tinley Park. It was a push shot on a quick set from Walsh to make it 24-20. Latka followed with another to clinch the victory.

Walsh wasn’t afraid to set the middle on a big point.

“I love Mikayla,” Walsh said. “It’s easy for her to give me feedback because we’ve played for six years together. We often have a good connection.”

Walsh had an extra motivation to play in the battle between crosstown rivals.

Her cousin, junior Mia Taglioli, was on the other side of the net for Tinley Park. Taglioli finished with five kills.

“We’re really close,” Walsh said, smiling. “We both play travel volleyball, so we’re always doing things together.”

Summey, meanwhile, is already a record-setter at Andrew.

Andrew’s Della Walsh (3) sets the ball against Tinley Park during a nonconference match in Tinley Park on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson/Daily Southtown)

Last basketball season, she pulled down 27 rebounds in a game against Romeoville at the Sandburg Holiday Classic. The previous program record was 23, set by Beth Novak during the 1989-90 season.

“I just remember — and coach has mentioned — that I had all those rebounds because we had a bad shooting game,” Summey said, laughing. “I didn’t even think about it during that game or that tournament.

“Later on, at a different game, coach mentioned how someone broke a record and it was rebounding. I kind of figured that it could be me.”

Her next target?

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“I almost beat the record for blocked shots for the season,” Summey said. “I’m reaching for that one right now, and hopefully this season coming up, I’ll have a chance for that.”

Basketball is likely in her college future. But she wasn’t giving up volleyball, which is more or less a family tradition.

Andrew’s Mikayla Summey (14) goes up for a kill against Tinley Park during a nonconference match in Tinley Park on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson/Daily Southtown)

“I played it for so long,” Summey said. “My mom (Dorothy) played volleyball in high school, too. She really wanted me to get into it, so I’ve been playing since elementary school.

“I’ve grown up with both sports and loving them equally. I’ve always just wanted to play.”

Summey doesn’t need to be a record-setter to make Emily Connolly a happy coach.

“Mikayla gives me everything that she can,” Connolly said. “She’s just an athlete who loves to be competitive. She brings so much to the team from that aspect. Basketball is definitely her No. 1 sport, but you would never know that during volleyball season.

“She’s one of our tallest players, so she definitely has the block. She gets a lot of touches for us. And it’s a very hard skill for the middles to track the ball after a not the best dig, trap the ball and send it over the net. This season, she can do it.”

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