Libertyville's Steffen steps it up

Catie Steffen still recalls the tournament during her freshman season while playing for Winter Springs High School near Orlando, Fla. She was nervous every time she touched the court, so you can bet she was emotional after her first big block.

Steffen turned around and screamed with joy.

“I never thought I'd be able to do that,” said Steffen, recalling one of her favorite volleyball moments.

Now a Libertyville senior, Steffen is blocking, attacking, serving and defending with the best in Illinois. She's a powerhouse on the court in all areas and one of the main reasons the Wildcats stood at 32-2 at regular season's end, eyeing a state championship.

She has 244 kills this season, with a .286 hitting percentage. She also has 247 digs, 47 aces and 30 blocks. No doubt she's be screaming a lot more this season.

With joy, of course.

She's the captain of the Daily Herald's Lake County All-Area team.

“It feels real good that the team really came together, that we're so energized and excited to go as far as we can,” said Steffen, 17, a Libertyville resident. “I knew we had good players coming back, but never expected we'd be this good. We've really come together as a team. We have a huge amount of energy, and focus on one game at a time.”

The Wildcats have stumbled against only Lyons and Lake Forest. Steffen was named to the Stevenson Invite all-tourney team and is a two-time North Suburban Conference all-academic winner.

“I think I've gotten better in areas that I needed to improve, such as my defense, blocking and being smart with the ball, thanks to repetition (in practice) and (the experience with my) club (team),” Steffen said. “I didn't play as much during club (after my junior season), so when I did, I knew I needed to find spots on the court that were open and I could be smart with the ball. We played against bigger, tougher teams, so I knew if I got blocked that I'd have to go somewhere else. That experience definitely has helped, especially with my confidence.

“The repetition has really helped my defense, knowing where to go on the court, and being hit at, just being ready all the time, eliminating my nerves on the court and more.”

It shows. Steffen is second on the team in digs, serve reception and aces.

“Catie has an incredible amount of energy and, when channeled, she is an extremely strong weapon from all parts of the floor,” Libertyville coach Greg Loika said. “Her attack from back row has been a significant upgrade to our offensive repertoire.

“Catie demands a high level of performance from herself and she certainly feels a lot of pressure to perform well. One thing that strikes me about her as a player also is that when she is energized and competing, she helps bring the play and energy of others with her. She has a strong emotional effect on a match in that way.”

Three-year teammate Paige Hopper, also an outside hitter, said Steffen, “holds a ton of weight with our team.”

Hopper added: “It's cool to see how much she's improved.”

Especially on the attack. Hopper said Steffen boasts a “shutout kill,” that scores with an exclamation point. Which is ironic considering Steffen admits, “I used to be scared to hit; now I want to put the ball down and I know where to put it.”

“Her defense this season has really stood out, too,” Hopper said. “And her jump serve also has been strong, really improved.”

Libertyville rocked Vernon Hills 25-7, 25-20 to capture the North Suburban Conference title. The Wildcats were scheduled to open the Class 4A regionals Thursday night.

“Winning conference meant a lot,” Steffen said. “We were able to beat the teams this year that we lost to last year. That was a great feeling. It was great winning conference during my senior season.”

Steffen was born in the Chicago area, yet begrudgingly moved to Central Florida when she was 8. She returned as a sophomore and was super excited, “because this is my hometown,” she said.

She wants to attend the University of Wisconsin next fall to pursue a career in physical therapy, but is still undecided.

“I certainly believe she has the physical skills to play at the next level, but she is weighing some important choices for herself regarding her education and future plans,” Loika said. “I have had the pleasure to work with her for three seasons her sophomore season on the JV and the last two seasons on varsity and I have seen a tremendous amount of growth in her in many ways. She has a very bright future ahead of her, whatever she chooses to take on. She should be proud of her accomplishments and what she has helped build in the volleyball program here at Libertyville.”

Steffen is a straight-A student who enjoys math and science courses more than history and literature. She is a video game junkie, driven by her competitive nature to win at everything, at all cost. She also enjoys needlepoint and sewing, skills she learned while living in Florida.

As a freshman, Steffen's Winter Springs team advanced to regional, yet, “I didn't even know what was going on,” she said. “I always looked up to those seniors. I never thought I'd be one of them.”

She is one now, and quite a successful one at that.

Time to scream with joy.