By Dominic Scianna

Kennedy High School girls volleyball coach Stacey Camilotes returns seven players from last year’s varsity squad and a rising freshman added to the mix for her 2025 roster after completing a successful 23-5 overall mark and an 8-1 finish in the competitive Chicago Public League’s (CPL) Red South Conference last season. 

The team will be favored, along with Curie High School, which also finished with an identical 8-1 record. The programs will be formidable again this year, along with Lindblom and Brooks College Prep.

The Crusaders’ only loss in the conference was to Curie, with the Condors sporting an equally impressive 16-5-1 overall mark. Kennedy upended Agricultural Science (14-3 overall), handing them one of only three losses all season as the three evenly-matched teams went toe-to-toe the entire regular season.

“We have a pretty competitive girls volleyball conference,” Camilotes said. “The athletes that we are getting across CPS are stronger. It’s also a product of there being more clubs and clinics for the girls to participate in. A lot of our own CPS coaches have been instrumental in this way to host clinics and events for everyone’s benefit.”

To say Camilotes has a busy schedule is an understatement, also doubling as the boys varsity volleyball coach in the spring. Her love for the game makes it more of a pleasure than a burden, and both teams in some instances practice with each other and serve as managers for each other’s teams.

It also points to a coaching philosophy that Camilotes has envisioned during her 12 years as a head coach (four seasons previously at Farragut High School and an eight-year run at Kennedy). She has built a consistent program at the South Side school through hard work and consistency, guiding the Crusaders with encouragement to give her athletes the freedom to excel and “make their own decisions” on the court.

So much so, that 40-plus athletes came out for girls volleyball freshman tryouts this offseason for the junior varsity and varsity programs, which was a record number for Kennedy this summer.

“That’s such a huge number for us and I see a lot of potential to grow our programs,” said an enthusiastic Camilotes. “I’m really excited to see that kind of response for girls volleyball at our school.”

Camilotes looks at the upcoming 2025 varsity season as a chance for bigger and better results with a chance to again vie for the CPL conference crown as well as an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) postseason run, focusing in on another regional title opportunity. She has earned two championship regionals at Kennedy during her eight seasons at the helm.

“It’s important to us to get out and play a good non-conference schedule outside of our conference too,” admitted Camilotes.

Kennedy’s returning veteran players will have key roles. Here’s Camilotes’ pre-season preview about her returnees and a freshman newcomer going into the season.

• Adelynn Guzman (middle blocker): “She’s played for the program all four years. She’s a go-getter and receptive to what we need as a middle. She’s one of our tallest players.”

• Marina Cerone (outside hitter/setter): “She was a transfer from Colombia and was moved up to varsity her sophomore year. Marina is one of the most well-rounded and strongest players we have. I can put her at any position and she’ll do the job. There was a language barrier at first when she arrived (from Colombia), but that didn’t stop her from learning. She is one of my captains.”  

• Sophia Morales (setter): “She’s the one to look out for and our secret weapon. Her strengths come out when I need them the most. Sophia plays aggressively and goes for every ball.”

• Anna Chowaniec (middle blocker): “She brings such great energy to the team and positive attitude. I can always go to her when we need a lift.”

• Alyyah Kader (outside hitter): “She’s one of my players who’s grown the most. I asked her to really work hard on her game and she’s done that over the summer.”

• Brihanna Villa (setter): “She is one of my most athletic players. She also plays basketball and is able to transfer those skills on the volleyball court because of her agility and her speed.”

• Gisseli Zavala (defensive specialist and libero): “She is my small but mighty libero. Gisseli is the one that takes leadership and controls the floor for us. She’s the first to step up and takes criticism seriously and really works to improve every day.”

• Katie Godlewski (freshman): “I coached her sister Olivia, who helped us win a regional title. She has the same athletic ability as her sister had, although much younger, and shows great promise. I saw Katie at our tryouts and she stood out. She’s going to be one of our regulars in the rotation.”

Aylin Barron (libero), Madison Pratl (middle blocker), Kiara Hernandez (outside), Ilani Reyes (middle blocker), and Izabela Zajec (opposite) are the juniors in the program. They bring energy, enthusiasm, and a strong commitment to improving their game. They are eager to learn from their older teammates by embracing every opportunity to grow their skills and deepen their understanding of the sport. Their work ethic, determination, and positive attitude make them valuable assets in practice and promising contenders for future starting roles. With their willingness to listen, adapt, and push themselves, these athletes are setting the foundation for continued success within the program.

Finally, Coach Camilotes believes in Kennedy and the administrative support she’s getting from her Athletics Director, Mario Silva, and principal George Szkapiak. And that makes for a comfort level to be able to coach freely and administer a successful program each year.

“I do feel supported by my administration and the athletics director. I’ve gotten the things I’ve needed from them (resource wise) and they’ve always had my back,” admitted Camilotes. “That’s important to me because I’m excited to see where the program goes in the future.”

Camilotes has high expectations going into 2025. 

“I’m trying to build in our players that mental toughness and grit that they’ll need to overcome the pressures of the games and competition they will face,” noted Camilotes. “We lost out on a regular season CPL conference title by a point tie-breaker system last year, and we’re determined to get back to the top again (and vie for a conference championship).”

The Kennedy Crusaders open up their 2025 girls volleyball season campaign against North Grand High School on Tuesday, August 26 at home at 6:30 p.m.

Photos by Hannah Henderson/OSA