LT's Viliunas named Illinois Gatorade Player of Year

Lyons Township senior volleyball player Alexis Viliunas knew something was up Wednesday.

As she sat in teacher Kristine Blachinski’s calculus class, Viliunas caught a glimpse of LT girls volleyball coach Joann Pyritz outside the room.

“When I saw her I was like, ‘This is weird.’ The (north campus) buildings are separate, and she usually isn’t in our building,” Viliunas said.

Moments later, Pyritz was standing at the class podium to read an announcement – Viliunas had just been named the 2011-12 Gatorade Illinois Volleyball Player of the Year.

Viliunas, a 6-foot-1 setter/hitter, is the first LT volleyball player to receive the honor. She is among 50 nominees for the National Volleyball Player of the Year award to be announced later this month.

“I’m kind of surprised. I owe it to my high school players and (Pyritz) because without them I wouldn’t be able to be the player that I am,” Viliunas said. “It’s a weird feeling that I got such a high award, but really everything is with the help of the team because not one person can do everything.”

The 6-foot-1 Viliunas accomplished plenty as a four-year varsity starting setter/hitter for the Lions. Viliunas is the program’s all-time leader with 2,202 career assists, including 644 this past season and 693 as a freshman. Her other career totals include 704 kills, 820 digs, 145 blocks and 147 aces with single-season bests this past season of 320 kills, 300 digs and 54 aces.

Viliunas helped the Lions win the 2010 Class 4A state championship and finish second in 2009 and reach the super-sectional her other two seasons.

“Alexis Viliunas leads not only with her skill but also with her poise and confidence,” said Pyritz in an official release. “She is knowledgeable about the game and highly skilled, but more importantly she brings out the best in her teammates.”

Viliunas has signed to play volleyball for the University of Illinois. She was just part of a strong senior class that also included fellow four-year varsity and college-bound players Laura Williams (Duke) and Megan Miller (Wake Forest). The seniors compiled a 136-27 overall varsity record.

Viliunas earlier was named the 2011 Chicago Tribune Volleyball Player of the Year and a second-team All-American on the American Volleyball Coaches Association Under Armour Team.

Just before she entered high school, Viliunas remembered Joliet Catholic Academy’s Kelly Murphy being the 2007-08 Gatorade National Player of the Year. Murphy recently was named a first-team AVCA All-American for the University of Florida.

“When I found out I got all of these awards, it was weird because I looked up to players like Kelly Murphy. Knowing that I also got the award, it’s like weird to think about,” Viliunas said. “Coach P (Pyritz) is awesome. I love her. She’s done a lot for me over the past four years and I think it’s really helped, contributed to the success of the team and also to me.”

What adds to the Gatorade award is that it not only recognizes athletic achievement but also takes into account academic achievement and character on and off the court.

Viliunas has a 4.44 weighted grade-point average and has been involved with many community projects through being a member of the National Honor Society. She also has volunteered locally through the J. Kyle Braid Foundation and Project Linus, a non-profit organization that provides blankets for needy children.

A former LT girls basketball player, Viliunas also has been keeping statistics for the LT freshman boys basketball program ever since the end of her freshman basketball season with fellow LT seniors Juliet Lusson and Emily Thuma.

The busy volleyball schedule is about the resume soon with the start of the club season. Viliunas again will play for the 1st Alliance Volleyball Club on the 18 Silver team.

“I do schoolwork before I got to volleyball, but once I get to volleyball, I know it’s volleyball time. I’ve done (this schedule) a lot of years so I’ve been able to manage my time,” Pyritz said. “I can compartmentalize and I’ve learned to do that. I credit that to (Pyritz) because she you’ve got to learn to compartmentalize everything. In high school, you get a lot of homework so you learn as you go.”

Viliunas still isn’t sure what she about her major at Illinois, possibly business, but she is ready for success. On Thursday night, the Illini volleyball team advanced to the NCAA championship match for the first time in program history with a five-set victory over USC. The Illini (32-4) will play UCLA (29-6) for the title on Saturday night in San Antonio, Texas.

Because of her final exams, Viliunas won’t be making that trip, but she will be headed to San Francisco later this month to watch older brother Eddie and the Illinois football team in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Dec. 31. The Illini (6-6) also will play against UCLA (6-7).