Eenigenburg extends lessons to youngsters
BY DAN SHALIN Contributor November 1, 2011 4:38PM
Glenbrook South's Olivia Nelson prepares to smash a serve during the Titans' regional championship win over Maine South. | Brian O'Mahoney~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: December 4, 2011 10:43AM
Glenbrook South senior volleyball player Kelsey Eenigenburg had an impressive eight kills on Oct. 27 as the Titans bounced back from a first-set loss to beat Maine South in the Glenbrook South Regional title game 24-26, 26-24, 25-18.
Like her team’s performance that night, Eenigenburg’s high school career started a bit slow, steadily built, and appears to have reached a crescendo at the end.
Eenigenburg played on the Freshman B team as a rookie, but grew and worked diligently to improve her game. This season, she has become a starter and team leader.
“She puts balls on the floor (spikes) when it’s needed. Her game is a nice combination of fun, positive energy and focus. She’s also worked a lot on her blocking,” GBS head coach Katie Hoover said.
Eenigenburg began and ended the season at right-side hitter and dabbled as an outside hitter during a portion of the campaign.
Entering this week’s Class 4A Glenbrook South Sectional, Eenigenburg had been instrumental in the No. 3-seeded Titans’ postseason run. GBS entered the week carrying a 17-20 record, but found itself just three wins away from a trip to the Class 4A State Finals, something the program last accomplished in 2009 with a team featuring Division I players Ellen Chapman, Emani Sims and Colleen Brennan.
The current Titans may not have as many marquee performers as that team, but they do feature players, like Eenigenburg, who have done whatever necessary to achieve success.
“Her physical growth has been an asset,” Hoover said about the 5-foot-10 Eenigenburg. “But she also has been somebody who does extra sprints during the summer and spends time in the weight room in the offseason. Since she was a sophomore trying to make varsity, she was there constantly at every opportunity (to play and improve) I offered: camps, team camps, open gyms. She put in the hard work for something she wanted, which is good to see.”
Eenigenburg said she was a “little nugget” when she arrived at GBS in 2008. But the player watched athletes like Sims, Brennan and Chapman compete for the Titans’ varsity, and she aspired to do the same.
Eenigenburg said her father gave her some simple, but invaluable, advice.
“Freshman year, I was not confident in my play and my dad told me I could (achieve my varsity dreams) if I wanted it and tried as hard as I could to be the best,” she said. “I’ve carried that advice through volleyball and everything I have done. I put in 100 percent and go above and beyond. It’s a big lesson to learn: that if you really want something, you can get it.”
Eenigenburg said her transformation as a player has been the result of physical growth, improvement of her skills and a greater understanding of the game.
“I learned a lot about the game. I learned about making smart choices on the court, hitting the line and creating open shots,” she said. “I really worked on snapping on the ball and hitting hard, getting into a strong hit and worked on blocking. Passing is something I’m still working on.”
The senior said she is proud that GBS coaches use her story as a lesson to younger athletes in the program.
“Just because you play on freshman B doesn’t mean you’re not going to make varsity. I went from an OK player to one who can start on varsity my senior year,” Eenigenburg said. “I’m really happy to be a role model (for younger players).”
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