Belvidere North volleyball star Kylie Swenson follows in her mom's footsteps

Outside hitters are known for putting the ball away with a kill.

Not Belvidere North junior Kylie Swenson. Her calling card is more about doing a little of everything.

“Kylie can do everything well,” North coach Amanda (Carlson) Hicks said. “Part of that is probably from watching her mom play and just growing up in the gym and playing from a young age.”

Swenson’s mom, Kelly McLester, was a two-time NIC-10 MVP and three-time all-conference pick for Belvidere teams that went 51-13 in the conference her four years from 1993-96. Like her daughter, McLester was renowned for her all-around game.

“Kelly is someone I looked up to because she could do everything well,” said Hicks, who graduated from Rockford Lutheran in 1998, one year behind McLester. “Watching her play was part of what got me inspired to love the game. I wanted to play like she did.”

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“I have so much to live up to with her,” Swenson said of her mom. “I really want to make her proud. I like seeing her at my games. And I like seeing her smile, knowing I am a success like she was.”

Swenson is one of the stars for Belvidere North (30-6), which won the NIC-10 title at 18-0 and plays Crystal Lake Central (24-12) for the Class 3A Belvidere North regional championship Thursday night. But she is far from the only star.

Both on North’s team. And in her own family.

“My mom played," Swenson said. "My grandparents played. My cousins played. My aunts played. I grew up with it. Now that I am growing into my own player, it’s very fun. I get to make new memories and I get to show them all what I can do as my own player.”

With so many relatives who have already done what she is doing now, Swenson is surrounded by unofficial coaches.

“All the time,” she said when asked how often she gets unsolicited advice from her familial cheering section. “They are always trying to correct me.”

Who gives her the most advice?

“Either my mom or my cousin,” Swenson said. “My grandma too. My grandma is really big on giving me advice. Sometimes it’s not the most helpful advice, but it’s there.

“If it’s too much, I just nod and smile. I try to make it seem like I am taking the advice when really I know what works for me. But I try to take as much as I can and learn from them because I know they are trying to make me better and I am thankful for that.”

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The sports world is full of younger siblings trying to catch or surpass a big brother or big sister. And of fathers trying to push their sons to success.

A daughter trying to live up to her mom’s legend is less common.

“My mom played at Belvidere, so everyone around here knew her name and who I was,” Swenson said. “It was a little scary at first. It’s definitely a little bit different, but I am glad I am in the position that I am in. There is so much to live up to with her.”

When Hicks watches Swenson set, she says she sees McLester. When McLester sits in the stands, she often has a friend tell her that they see glimpses in the former Belvidere star in different things Swenson does.

“They will tell me they see little glimmers of me,” McLester said, “but she is her own person and has developed her own skill set. “I hope that she appreciates that and can put my past life and her present life together and realize she is not alone in what she goes through.”

Between Swenson, her parents and her two younger siblings, the family keeps busy playing volleyball, golf, baseball and bowling. “We’re a big sports family,” her mom said. “I am happy she likes sports and has a spot for volleyball in her life. Having that be her No. 1 passion in sports is nice.”

Mom and daughter even play together in a recreational league at the UW Sports Center in the offseason.

“It’s fun playing with her side by side,” McLester said. “I am getting older, so I don’t jump as high or move as quickly, but the brain still functions. I can still see the game and anticipate what’s going on. I try to provide as much guidance as I can — if she lets me tell her.”

“I really like playing with her,” Swenson said of her mom. “I get to show her how much I can do. She gets to watch it and play with me.”

And if she gets compared to her mom? She’ll take that any day.

“It’s a big compliment,” Swenson said. “I have seen how much my mom has done. I have always looked up to her playing volleyball. It’s pretty cool hearing that (the comparisons).

“I still have a lot to live up to with my mom. But I think it’s pretty fun what I’m doing right now. I like being in the spot where I am.”

Contact: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com, @matttrowbridge or 815-987-1383. Matt Trowbridge has covered sports for the Rockford Register Star for over 30 years, after previous stints in North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont and Iowa City.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Kylie Swenson is third generation star from a large volleyball family