Stronger than ever, Stevenson's Holsen ready for a breakout season

Stevenson junior outside hitter Amanda Holsen hasn't let a global pandemic slow her down.

Holsen saw the early stages of the lockdown as a prime opportunity to take her physical fitness to the next level.

As a result, her already high volleyball skills acumen ticked even higher.

"I looked at it as an opportunity to get stronger," she said. "I worked hard at getting stronger physically and hitting my potential. I am a lot stronger now than I was. I put on a lot of muscle."

Holsen, a straight-A student at the Lincolnshire school, worked out at home and also hit a local gym doing combinations of strength and speed and agility training. The result? Her vertical jump increased by 4 inches.

"I was super-pumped about that," said Holsen, a self-described super-competitive individual and perfectionist.

Holsen, an all-North Suburban Conference selection who pounded home 451 kills and registered 252 digs as a sophomore, also took to the beach through her Sky High club team.

"I played a lot of beach last summer," she said. "That helped with my vertical and speed, and I developed some different shots. I have definitely noticed a difference in my game. I am getting to balls now that I would not have gotten to a year ago."

Stevenson coach Tim Crow, whose team tied for the North Suburban Conference title in 2019 with Libertyville, continues to be impressed by Holsen's exploits.

"Amanda is a great competitor and great teammate," he said. "She is willing to get the ball in tight situations. She is a great 6-rotation player and can attack from every position on the court. Her impressive vertical and quick arm swing gives her the ability to terminate the ball efficiently."

Holsen, who is juggling both club and high school duties currently, can't wait for the Patriots' season to get underway Wednesday against Lake Forest at Woodlawn Middle School. Stevenson will play until April 17 when the NSC tournament concludes.

"I think with the quarantine going on, it has made me all the more grateful to be back with the team and see the girls," she said. "We are a pretty solid team that is going to grow a lot. We have a lot of newcomers, but we are deep. We've had four practices so far and I already have seen a lot of differences. We all want to get a lot out of each other and build relationships as the season progresses. I am so happy that we are together again."

Grayslake North's Gerzel flying high:

Another Lake County standout who did not rest on her laurels during the pandemic is Grayslake North senior outside hitter and two-time Daily Herald All-Area selection Alyssa Gerzel.

During the earlier stages of the pandemic, Gerzel, North's all-time kills leader with a season to go, ordered some home workouts from sport legend Kerri Walsh-Jennings.

"It was a volleyball camp you do at home," she explained. "It had set workouts and drills, and I did those over the summer. I also did some beach volleyball and home gym workouts to stay in shape."

A three-time all-Northern Lake County Conference pick, Gerzel will play at the next level at Judson University in Elgin.

"Seldom do you see a player come around with the hitting ability of Alyssa. She has a devastating cross-court cut shot," said Knights coach Jim Sarver, whose 2019 team won 25 matches and a regional title. "Alyssa never takes a play off, even in practice. The combination of jumping ability and arm speed sets her apart."

Gerzel, who clubs for Wisconsin Juniors just over the state line in Pleasant Prairie, continues to remote learn at North, thus the opportunity to get back on the court this spring has extra meaning. "It's been really nice to see everybody again," she said. "I haven't seen them in a long time. It's nice to catch up and have one last chance to play with everybody."