Palatine's Guth sets a course for Seton Hall

Hannah Guth's brother Justin is studying aviation at Western Michigan University and has already taken his sister for a 15-minute ride in a small two-seat plane that took off from the Schaumburg Airport.

Hannah knows about reaching heights as well.

The Palatine senior has raised her volleyball game to an elite level with a verbal commitment to play for Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J.

Guth, a 6-foot-3 middle hitter, was the second-leading blocker in the Mid-Suburban League last fall and had a superb off-season for the Sky High volleyball club.

"It was my sophomore year when I really started thinking about playing volleyball in college," Hannah said. "But never in my dreams did I think Division I. It's surreal."

Hannah's father Matt, the Prospect High School athletic trainer, stands 6-foot-5. Her mother Diane is 5-foot-10. Her brother, a junior in college working toward becoming a commercial pilot, stands 6-foot-3.

"I was tall when I was 12 years old so I thought I would give volleyball a shot," said Hannah, who also played basketball. " I figured I try it and hopefully see if I was any good at it.

"I loved it right away even though I wasn't that good. I remember I couldn't make a serve over net in junior high for the life of me."

But Guth really enjoyed playing the sport.

"I wanted to keep doing it" she said. "And now I just love it. And I get to play for four more years."

And with a free education.

An honors student with a 4.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale, Guth plans to study math education. She would love to teach at the high school level and coach volleyball.

She sure would be an inspiration to her players.

Guth was not an all-conference selection last fall but her hard work and determination paid off.

She said her game improved tremendously once she began competing with the Sky High club.

"I started out playing at park district camps, then junior high and high school," she said. "I started club as a sophomore and going to Sky High was probably the best decision that I could have made.

"One thing I would tell younger players is just try your hardest and do as many camps as possible. Do whatever you can do to get better because it helps so much. Any time you can touch a ball, do it. Whether it's in the backyard, at the beach, wherever. As many touches as possible is the best thing you can do."

Guth, who is involved with choir, Varsity Club, Senior Board and a program in which she does lesson plans for pre-school children, visited Seton Hall this past July.

"I loved it," she said. "And the gym was great."

Guth can't wait to start playing volleyball matches again in the Palatine gym.

"She's a great kid," said Pirates coach Dan Gavin. "Hannah has worked really hard the last few years during the off-season, doing so many reps and it's really paid dividends."

Guth becomes the first Palatine female volleyball player to make a Division I commitment since twins Robynne and Adrienne Green signed with Dayton University in 2004.

"Physically, Hannah's size is a great asset," Gavin said. "There aren't too many 6-2, 6-3 girls out there. And she has worked hard to grow into her body and to become a better athlete.

"Hannah has really taken great strides mentally and has grown in into a leadership role in which she has done a great job."