Aurora West volleyball standout Lauren Carlini does it all

Lauren Carlini said the best volleyball player she has seen is Stanford's Jordan Burgess.

"She's just a competitor and one of the smartest people on a volleyball court," Carlini said. "She demands attention of everyone with her play. She doesn't want anyone to get in her way."

Burgess, now a starter as a freshman at Stanford, was a teammate of Carlini's on the 2011 U.S. Youth National Team that placed ninth in the Youth World Championships in Ankara, Turkey.

"Burgess is just amazing," said Carlini of the former Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) standout. "She's phenomenal."

A year later, "amazing" and "phenomenal" are how most people describe Carlini, recently named the No. 1 high school volleyball recruit in the U.S. by Prep Volleyball Magazine. A panel of 100 college Division I coaches made the selection for PrepVolleyball.com's annual Senior Aces rankings.

Carlini is a 6-1 setter/outside hitter for Aurora West (Aurora, Ill.) and a likely candidate for league, state and national honors. With Carlini — and eight other seniors — on the court, Aurora West is 27-5 on the season and at one point was ranked No. 24 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Rankings.

"This is the fourth year I've coached her," said Aurora West coach Kari Nicholson. "She was phenomenal as a freshman, but her level of play has grown every year. She was a leader her first year and is stronger now in every way. She's a pretty amazing kid."

Her versatility is what sets her aside from other top players.

"Watch Carlini play and be amazed. She's phenomenally dynamic in every aspect of the game, and she just might be the best player in the gym in every skill set," wrote Prep Volleyball Magazine publisher John Tawa in an email. "Her athleticism and body control shine as she flies for a ball defensively, or chases a pass down across the court. When Carlini jump sets, time seems to stand still as she delivers sweet accurate sets time and time again."

Sports Performance Club director Rick Butler said he's not sure Carlini has a weakness. Her athleticism allows her to play any position on the court.

"Lauren has outstanding skills in all areas of the game. She is an exceptional setter, attacker, blocker, server and defensive player," said Butler. "I have seen few players who have the potential to be a future collegiate All-American as either a setter or an attacker."

He noted that the only player from his Sports Performance program who was comparable (to Carlini) was Kelly Murphy, who went on to Florida, had an outstanding career, and was a four-time collegiate All-American.

Despite the plethora of adjectives bestowed upon her, Carlini simply describes herself as "competitive."

"I'm really passionate when it comes to winning. I do not like to lose no matter what it is," said Carlini, who carries a 3.7 GPA. "I always try to win."

Butler, who has worked with Carlini since she was 6, said her competitiveness has given her drive that separates her from her peers.

"Her work ethic and will to win is at a world-class level for someone who is only 17 years of age," he said.

As for being named No. 1 recruit, Carlini said she was stunned.

"I figured I'd be No. 6 or No. 7 ... never figured I'd be No. 1," said Carlini, who has committed to play at Wisconsin. "It's just crazy. It took a few days to actually sink in. It's nice to know that all the hard work and dedication paid off."

Nicholson said she wasn't surprised by her top player's national ranking.

"Not surprised one bit," said the coach. "She strives to play at her best level at all times. She is very highly motivated and sets goals and works to meet those all the time."

Nicholson says Carlini can play any position on the court, but thinks she is best at setting.

"Her ball has no extra movement," said Nicholson. "It is incredible how clean it is when she touches it. It's incredible what she can do with the ball even without the best pass. She is excellent with her ball handling and ball control. She can make a bad pass look good."

Her statistics clearly point to her versatility. She has 210 kills (65%), 65 aces (28%), 84 digs, 170 assists and is averaging a block per game. Again, to repeat, she is the team's setter.

With nine seniors on this year's team, including Peyton McKenzie (St. Joseph's commit), Nicholson knows she has some rebuilding in the near future. But there's one player she knows is irreplaceable.

"I'm not sure you replace a Lauren Carlini. It'll definitely be a huge hole to fill. She really is a phenomenal player, but she is also a great kid. We've been happy to have her and wish her all the best."

A former softball pitcher and catcher, Carlini made the switch to full-time volleyball after 7th grade.

"My volleyball club coach told me I needed to make a choice between the two sports," said Carlini. "I loved softball, but I knew my future was on the court. I've grown up loving the sport. My mom played at Appalachian State and I've been around it all my life. It was just kind of meant to be. I just love competing all-around on the court."

With Carlini on the court, Aurora West looks like a lock in defending its Dupage Valley Conference title and is approaching 100 victories for Carlini's high school career.

Carlini said if she was offering advice to a first-year athlete, she'd tell her, "to succeed you need a hard work ethic, time and dedication and not just for volleyball, but in anything you do. Put your mind to it and it will pay off in the end."

And people just might call you "amazing" or "phenomenal."