Trebels comes up big

A stop at the doctor's office three years ago helped lead to a Division I volleyball scholarship for Prospect's Hillary Trebels.

After playing varsity soccer as a freshman, Trebels' knee was giving her some trouble. She went to see Dr. Robert Patek of the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute for an X-ray.

While doing the exam, Patek, a former defensive back for the University of Michigan, made a suggestion to the 5-foot-10 Trebels.

It turned out to be some of the best advice she ever received.

"He told me the growth plates in my knees still had room to grow," Trebels said. "He said that I would get taller and I might want to try volleyball."

Three years later, the 6-foot Trebels has made a verbal commitment to play that sport for the University of Virginia.

Taking her doctor's words to heart, Trebels showed up at volleyball tryouts in the fall of 2005 and earned a spot on coach Daria Schaffeld's sophomore team.

Although an accomplished soccer player, Trebels had never played volleyball.

"I had never even touched a volleyball," she said. "My growth curve for volleyball was huge, so everyone was real understanding with me when I first started at Prospect, and Ms. Schaffeld made me love the game."

With a new-found passion, Trebels was off to the Sports Performance Volleyball Club.

"We're friends with the Fesls (Megan and Annie Fesl, standout volleyball players for Hersey)," Trebels said. "Their mother (Joanie) helped me out and with some suggestions, and I ended up going to Sports Performance. Their coaches saw how raw I was and they really helped out putting in extra time with me.

"The Fesls were great. My parents (Karen and Gary) have supported me all the way, and Rory Dames, my club soccer coach before I went to volleyball, really helped build my athleticism at his Eclipse soccer club."

A broken foot in January of 2006 while playing for Sports Performance put Trebels on the sidelines for five months.

"But Mr. (Mike) Riedy (Prospect varsity coach) understood that I had skills and I that I still had potential," Trebels said.

Riedy brought Trebels up to the varsity last year and she saw most of her time from off the bench.

"It's been an amazing turn-around for a kid whose skills have improved 10-fold," Riedy said.

Virginia's coaches made contact with Trebels last January in West Chicago at the Sports Performance facility. She made an unofficial visit in March to Charlottesville and then gave her verbal commitment on April 17.

"I really liked the coaches at Virginia," Trebels said. "They seemed to understand that you're there to be a student, too. It's not just hard-core volleyball. Academics are real important, so that was good."

Trebels, a National Honor Society student with a GPA of 5.4 on a 5.0 scale, plans to study pre-med or secondary education. She also serves on the senior class executive board and is a member of the Service Club.

Trebels and the Knights kick off the 2007 volleyball season Monday when Maine South visits the Jean Walker Field House.