Evergreen Park’s Fiona Buchanan had a decision to make.
Growing up, she dedicated a lot of time to two sports — volleyball and competitive skating. In middle school, she started getting taller, ditched the skates and went all-in for volleyball.
“Once I got serious, I had to pick one or the other,” Buchanan said. “My mom played volleyball and I knew I wanted to do the same. I thought it would be better in the long run.”
Her mom Carolyn , by the way, was a middle hitter for Mother McAuley’s 1994 Class AA state champions, which the Chicago Tribune called “perhaps the deepest and most balanced team in state history” after the Mighty Macs won the title. Carolyn, whose maiden name was O’Brien, played in college at Indiana State, leading the Sycamores in blocking from 1995, 1996 and 1997.