Publications & Sites 
Tricia Lindsey earns major role for Hinsdale Central
Hinsdale Central girls volleyball player Tricia Lindsey
Updated: August 27, 2012 6:04AM
AURORA — One summer league match might not be a good indication, but expect Meghan McDowell to come up big for Hinsdale Central this season. That means junior Tricia Lindsey’s role has become just a little more important.
The Virginia-bound McDowell, a 6-foot-3 senior from Clarendon Hills, looks to be a major producer for the Red Devils offense this season as Hinsdale Central opened play July 10 at the 30-team Great Lakes Center summer league.
The Red Devils are the defending summer league champions, but last year’s team was led by McDowell and recent graduate and 6-1 outside hitter Ally Davis, who will play at Michigan this fall.
Without Davis, Hinsdale Central has a different lineup as new coach Kelly Moran enters her first season. McDowell is the Red Devils’ top all-around player and starts at setter, her future college position as well. But on offense, McDowell can’t set to herself.
When McDowell reaches the front row in her rotation, Hinsdale Central sent in 5-7 junior setter Tricia Lindsey, who played for the sophomore team last season. With McDowell moving over to right-side hitter, the McDowell-Lindsey combination became quite a force against the opposition.
“She’s such a great player,” Lindsey said of McDowell. “In club, she played front row (as a setter), but it’s different playing right-side hitter. I’m excited. It will be fun. It’s different than playing at the sophomore level. I played in the postseason with the varsity last year.”
There were two sets of Lindsey children recently going through Hinsdale Central. Tricia and her six other siblings represent the athletic side while her cousin, recent graduate Hannah, comes from an artistic background.
Tricia has only one sibling who does not compete in sports. Her older brother, senior Matt, plays football and baseball at Hinsdale Central. The other children of Don and Lynn Lindsey are too young for high school. They are Emma, 13; Timothy, 12; Kate, 9 and 7-year-old twins Olivia and Jack.
Tricia’s cousins, Laura and Hannah, graduated in 2011 and 2012, and participated in theater and choir. They have a brother Michael, who is in junior high. Their father, Mike, is a brother of Don Lindsey.
Tricia Lindsey said she saw action in two of Hinsdale Central’s three playoff matches last season. She was forced to perform a lot of back sets in the summer league opener where she faces the strong side, but passes the ball behind her to a waiting McDowell, who is a left-handed hitter.
Hinsdale Central was paired with District 86 rival Hinsdale South in the same pool for the Great Lakes summer league opener. In that one match, McDowell finished with a team-high six kills while outside hitter Coco Bergdoll had four kills, mainly off of McDowell’s assists.
Pool play at Great Lakes features only two-set matches due to time limits. The league ends July 24 with bracketed playoffs.
Hinsdale Central defeated South in the first set 29-27, but lost 25-13 in the second set.
Lindsey’s club season with Lisle-based Illinois Performance ended in June at the Asics Junior Nationals at Navy Pier in Chicago. Two of her former teammates from the Red Devils sophomore team, defensive specialist Kathryn Cua and right-side hitter Sarah Hall, also played for Illinois Performance.
In addition to McDowell and Bergdoll, key returning seniors for Hinsdale appear to be defensive specialist Rachel Lenderman, right-side hitter Gabby Rutkauskas and middle hitter Dominique Millette.
Lindsey began playing volleyball at Clarendon Hills Middle School, but eventually switched from hitting to setting due to her lack of height.
Lindsey now thinks about setting all the time. When she’s bored around her house, she’ll take a ball and start tapping it against a wall.
“I like to set up the plays, My friends call me the ‘playmaker,’ ” Lindsey said. “I plan everything out. I used to hit, but hitting was not my greatest strength.”
