Her St. Charles East teammates know senior guard Lexi DiOrio pretty well it seems.
For last week’s ceremony on senior night, Saints coach Katie Claussner had the underclassmen varsity players write down three words that described the seniors.
When it came to DiOrio, those three words were accountable, captain and selfless.
“Those embody exactly who she is,” Claussner said. “Just seeing how much her teammates respect her shows the type of person she is. When she’s on the court, she’s the one I go to.
“She has met all of those expectations.”
The Indiana Kokomo recruit didn’t hesitate when she was asked how much those words resonate with her.
“It meant a lot to me, especially since I’ve put so much time into this program,” DiOrio said. “This has just been my life for so long. It’s just been really cool.
“The fact that they appreciate me and see that, call me a leader, it’s great to see that.”
With all DiOrio has seen in her four varsity seasons, it would be hard not to look up to her.
She and close friend Alexis Maridis, her backcourt mate, navigated the pandemic season as freshmen. Then there was a midseason coaching change, a monthlong shutdown and an unexpected sectional title as sophomores.
A disappointing 10-19 record as a junior followed, however. But this season, Claussner took over the program.
Right away, the 2015 East graduate connected with DiOrio and realized who the team’s centerpiece was going to be.
“I knew from the moment I met her that she was going to be our captain and our leader on the floor,” Claussner said. “Just the way she holds herself, the way her teammates act around her and the way she’s able to motivate them.
“I knew I was lucky to have that type of player coming into it.”
After the tumultuous previous seasons, Claussner immediately brought a new attitude to the program. DiOrio and her teammates embraced the change.
“It’s just been awesome,” DiOrio said. “This program has definitely turned around for the better. I’m excited to come back next year and see what else coach Katie has done.
“I really hope she stays here for a while. I see her being like Sarah Meadows at Geneva — just taking this program and running with it.”
Claussner confirmed there were some nerves coming into the season, being such a young coach. The buy-in was all there, though, which has eased the transition.
“I had some doubts, but I surrounded myself with people who I knew were going to share the same vision I had,” Claussner said. “They were so eager to change. They accepted everything we wanted from there.
“We’re building something special here. This is a great foundation.”
The Saints (17-9) have already blown past last season’s win total, and DiOrio is a big reason why. She averages 11.5 points to lead the team in scoring. She’s also averaging 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals.
Her connection with Maridis has made it even more special for the four-year varsity players.
“It’s just been comfortable playing with her all of these years,” Maridis said. “We just feed off each other on the court. She plays a big role on this team. She definitely gets us in the mood and sets the tone.
“We keep feeding her, getting her hot, and she’ll answer for us in the game. I know I have her back and she has mine.”
On top of that, DiOrio believes the Saints can surprise some people again in the postseason.
“We’re a great team, and I’m excited to see what we do in the playoffs,” DiOrio said. “I think it’s going to be like a lot of people won’t expect it.
“I think we just have to go in there with the right mindset.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
