Girls volleyball: Flexibly, Hersey's Olhava aims high

Hersey's girls volleyball team is set for what looks to be another stellar season for the 15-time defending Mid-Suburban East champs.

However, one major player for this year's cast of Huskies is not quite set on which sport she'll play at the next level.

Hersey senior Alessia Olhava is one of the best all-around players in the northwest suburbs, but she's also one of the best high jumpers.

So will it be either track and field or volleyball a year from now when she begins a college career to study business or marketing.

"I'm trying to decide," said the 5-foot-8 setter/outside hitter who will serve as a senior captain and help direct Hersey's 6-2 offense while also playing the role of many other tasks on the court. "I know I want to play one of the sports for sure."

Hersey coach Nancy Lill is sure her returning all-area setter will play a valuable role if the Huskies are to live up to their big expectations once again this fall.

"She excels in so many aspects of game," Lill said. "That is why we run a 6-2 - to utilize her hitting, blocking, setting and defense. We even have her in some rotations passing because she is such a good passer. She can do it all."

And she can do quite a job in the high jump event for Hersey's track and field squad.

Olhava earned her second consecutive state medal in the high jump last spring, tying for fifth place after clearing 5-foot-5. She owns the Huskies' school record of 5-6 and was second in the MSL meet last year.

She began track and field in River Trails Middle School in Mt. Prospect.

"My best friend, who used to live here before moving to Maryland, and I stayed after practice one day and randomly starting doing the high jump," Olhava said. "We just happened to like it and started coming in before school, and after school to do it in the small gym. We just went for it."

Her volleyball career was not quite so random.

"A bunch of my friends just liked to play the sport, so we did Focus volleyball and then we all played with the Edge Club,' Olhava said. "In sixth grade, I started being part of a real team at River Trails and I liked everything about it. And it took off from there."

Plus, Alessia already had some familiarity with the sport. Her older sister Gabri was already beginning on a stellar career which now finds her as a senior middle blocker for the New Hampshire women's team.

"So my reason for playing volleyball was a little bit of everything - my friends, my sister and enjoying the whole team aspect of it," Alessia said.

She spent many hours watching her sister's game at Hersey.

Gabri played in all 27 matches for New Hampshire as a junior, and was only Wildcat to play all 102 sets. She led the Wildcats in solo blocks (20), assisted blocks (58) and total blocks (78), as well as blocks per set (0.76). She also possessed a team-high .296 hitting percentage.

"She is my role model for sure," Alessia said. "She is the captain of her team now at New Hampshire. I've seen a handful of her matches over the years but it's hard because her season is the same time as mine."

Both will be leading their teams as seniors this fall.

"The biggest thing I've learned from her is probably leadership," said Alessia, who had 337 assists, 294 digs, 33 aces, 101 kills and 24 blocks a year ago when the Huskies advanced all the way to the Sweet Sixteen. "She always knows how to pull the team together. I like that role. It's easier when you are a senior with all the experience seeing how the past seniors helped the younger players

"I'm excited and a little nervous because we did so well last year. But we are looking good."

While Gabrielle is looking to be a high school counselor and studying psychology, Alessia says she is looking more in the business field.

"I just kind of narrowed it down," she said. "I didn't want to be a teacher and medicine scares me so I'm leaning toward business."

Olhava, who wants to stay close enough to be able to drive to college, says her decision will probably come down to what the schools are offering her academically. She is a National Honor Society member with a 3.7 GPA.

"If I visit a school and fall in love with it, that would be it and then I'd see which sport I could play," she said.

Alessia credits her father Steve with her passion for sports.

"He was my softball coach growing up and he always pushed me to keep playing sports," she said. "I was really shy as a kid so being around big groups and other kids kind of freaked me out but I grew out of that. I didn't really know if I wanted to keep playing but my dad kept pushing it and I fell in love with it."

And once she saw Gabrielle starring for Lill, Alessia was really driven.

"I watched her all the time,' Alessis said. "I watched the warm-ups and all the music and the environment was just so exciting. They made it look so easy."

Just like Alessia is doing now.

"She's such a good athlete," Lill said. "You watch her play and she makes plays you don't think are going to be made. She she is so quick, she gets to the ball and she hits phenomenal shots.

"As a hitter, she can do stuff with sets that you don't think someone could put away. She is just an all-around athlete."

Alessia wears No. 25, the same number her sister wore at Hersey and now at New Hamsphire.

"Alessia is just a winner," Lill said. "She is a competitor. She handles pressure. It's great to have her as a leader out there on the floor this season. She has the speed, the vertical and that athleticism. This is her year."