Whitehouse new Huntley girls volleyball coach

Karen Whitehouse was named the next girls volleyball coach at Huntley High School when her hiring was approved by the District 158 Board of Education at its monthly meeting in Algonquin Thursday evening.

Whitehouse replaces Michelle Jakubowski, who stepped down as coach when she was named Huntley’s new athletic director in March.

Whitehouse has coached at Hampshire High School for the last seven years, highlighted by a Class 2A runner-up finish in 2007. Her teams went 192-67-5 (.727), won four regional titles and made sectional title-match appearances in 2006 and 2008.

Whitehouse took over a Hampshire program that finished 15-21 in 2004, and led it to a 19-16-1 record and a Class A regional title in 2005. Her teams averaged 32 victories over the next five seasons before slipping to 11-26 last fall.

She was drawn to the Huntley vacancy largely for reasons of geography.

“I wouldn’t have left Hampshire for just anywhere,” Whitehouse said. “Huntley is where I wanted to be because that’s where I live. “I have two young daughters who I’m going to force to play volleyball. Hopefully, I’ll be able to teach and coach them someday. The program Michelle has is a bigger program and she’s done a great job with that team.

“It’s tough to walk away from Hampshire. There are some great girls in the program coming back and some great girls coming up, but Huntley is somewhere I want to be.”

A 1999 graduate of Cary-Grove High School, Whitehouse (nee Liss) was a two-time Daily Herald all-area selection who set seven program records. She went on to a successful four-year playing career at Eastern Illinois University.

She takes over a program Jakubowski led for five seasons to a record of 149-76, three regional titles and three appearances in sectional title matches.

“Very excited Karen is taking over the Huntley volleyball program,” Jakubowski said. “She knows the conference very well, and we are lucky to have her join our coaching staff.”

The Red Raiders went 31-8 last fall, but the program graduates the majority of the veteran lineup that reached the Sweet 16.

“Huntley is a young team, but there is a lot of potential there,” said Whitehouse, who will teach physical education. “Those girls are very talented. I always have high expectations for my team. If they believe in me, we can go pretty far.”