SHELBY -- Huntley Project volleyball fans have grown accustomed to a good, old-fashioned do-si-do. Perhaps it's better to refer to it as a Josee-Jo(sie).
“I love Jo, she’s the best," Huntley Project junior Josie Hasler said of senior teammate Josee Krum. "We used to have three Josies, so I’ve always been on a team with a Josie. It’s honestly great, I love it.”
The Red Devils' rotation features a true promenade, with the middle hitter Krum and outside hitter Hasler displaying their moves at the net -- blocking, hitting and high-fiving. Their play is almost harmonious, and with a little imagination, one can almost hear the music as they swiftly move around the court.
Red Devil fans know the tune.
“I’ve definitely grown up with her, so she’s always been by my side," said Hasler. "We’ve been the 'Jo Squad,' so it’s really nice to have her."
“We’re really good friends. We like to have fun and joke around with each other, and we just get a kick out of us both having the same name," echoed Krum. "It’s fun to have some similarities on the team. We have a good time together.”
Off the court they go by their last names, but during a match, you'll only hear "Jo." Coaches, teammates and fans know which is being referenced, and they also know the likely result of the upcoming sequence -- point Red Devils.
“I’m a middle hitter and she’s an outside hitter, so when we’re in the front row together it’s always fun to be by one another’s side," said Krum. "Not many teams have the same name, so it’s just fun to see. She works the outside and I try to work the middle.”
“When she gets a kill, I definitely feed off her energy because it’s intense and awesome. When I get a kill, she feeds off my energy, so it’s just great," said Hasler. "Every time I go up for a hit, she yells, ‘Kill it, Jo,’ and every time she goes up for a hit, I yell, ‘Kill it, Jo.’ It’s kind of our thing, I guess.”
Added Krum: “We both get excited for each other. We feed off each other's energy, we root for each other, so that just makes it really fun.”
Opponents know, and perhaps fear, their game faces, but those closest to them get to see another side.
“Oh, we’re both kind of goofy. We throw sass back and forth, we joke around with each other. We just like to keep it fun,” said Krum.
“Very much so. We’re very sarcastic with each other. Very sarcastic," laughed Hasler. "It’s really fun.”
After all, that's what the do-si-do, er, Josee-Jo(sie), is all about.
Krum, Hasler and Huntley Project meet league-rival Joliet on Friday at 6 p.m. in the State B volleyball tournament's undefeated semifinal. The Red Devils are pursuing a fourth consecutive state championship.
