Girls volleyball: Barrington's Horwath earns Cook County All-Area Captain

Jess Horwath started playing beach volleyball as a young girl right in her own backyard when her mother went to Home Depot and purchased materials to set up a sand court in the backyard.

But as the standout outside hitter for Barrington says, it's not about where you start.

"It's about where you're going," Horwath said. "You have to ask yourself two questions: how much does this mean to me and how hard am I willing to work to achieve it?"

There is no question, Howrath worked as hard as anyone to become one the Fillies' most dominating players of all time on the hard court.

So where's she's going?

How about the University of Arizona to play beach volleyball.

And where has she been?

How about two trips to Normal the last two seasons for the Class 4A state finals?

"Her passion for the game and work ethic is one of a kind," said Barrington coach Michelle Jakubowski of the 2022 Daily Herald Cook County All-Area Captain. "The best compliment that I can give is that Jess is the ultimate team player."

"In a team sport like volleyball, I can only do what I do because of my teammates," Horwath said. "It starts with the first touch by our great defenders Sarah (Jensen), Colette (Garrels) and Molly (Kozak) and then the ball goes to two of the best setters in the state in Gwen (Adler) and Jenna (Mietzler), and then our offensive weapons in Hope (Regas), Berkeley (Ploder), Sydney (Louis) and Caroline (Petitgout). They are fantastic teammates, and we all share in each other's success."

Meanwhile, Horwath's success this fall included a team-high 368 kills and 251 digs along with 42 aces and 26 blocks.

That's what happens with an extraordinary work ethic.

"I believe in setting goals for school and sports," Horwath said. "Most of my goals are about process, meaning what things can I do to get better?"

She found one.

"In the summers, I practice my serve-receive on a ball machine which shoots volleyballs out at 40 to 70 miles per hour," she said. "During the pandemic when we couldn't play, I set up a nine-foot stand with a ball on a bungee cord in my house and took over 1,000 swings; I do two strength workouts each week to try and keep my body strong and healthy, and one mental workout each morning."

All this helped turn Horwath into the dynamic player she is today.

And what Jakubowski likes is her overall team play.

"She is so supportive of her teammates and always has a positive outlook in good and bad times," the coach said. "Her work ethic and passion have made her into the player that she is today. She is a well-rounded player who can get a kill when we need it. She is a force at the net when it comes to blocking, she plays excellent defense, and she puts a lot of pressure on the defense with her strong serve."

Horwath plans to major in psychology at Arizona.

"I am thinking about becoming a sports psychologist so I can share my leadership experiences and the principles I've used to serve my teammates with lots of other athletes to help them develop the mental side of their game," she said.

"I'm looking forward to training with and learning from coach (Steve) Walker, who played professionally and was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year so I can help our team win the Pac-12 conference tournament and then compete for a national championship with my teammates."

She certainly has done her share of winning at Barrington.

"There are so many amazing memories to look back on in my time playing volleyball for Barrington," Horwath said. "One moment that sticks out is winning the third place trophy at state last year against Edwardsville, with an exciting 26-24 final set to end our season on a win. Another special moment with my teammates came after winning the Autumnfest tournament at Glenbard East this year as it became evident that our hard work and passion for the game and each other could push us to our goals."

Goals have always been a part of Horwath's life.

And that is hardly changing.

"My long-term goal is to be a full-time pro beach volleyball player on the AVP Tour and earn my Ph.D. in psychology," Horwath said.

Horwath only moved to beach volleyball this past year, playing in an all-adult Association of Volleyball Professionals events against the top women in the country. Her beach partner Kristin Heldt is 29 years old.

"She (Heldt) is an amazing role model, both as a player and a person," said Horwath who credits having played five sports growing up with developing her athleticism with such things as quickness, vertical jump and the ability to kill out-of-system balls.

By the time she reached Barrington as a freshman, Horwath's game was polished enough to land a starting role for one of the top programs in the area.

"Coach J (Jakubowski) took a chance on me by playing me as the six-rotation outside hitter my freshman year," Horwath said. "I can't thank her enough for showing confidence in me early on which helped me build my self-confidence. I think that's what a leader does: they give people the support and confidence to perform at their best. Coach J is our leader and I've tried to take what she's teaching us and make sure it happens on the court. She also gave me leadership opportunities on and off the court and it has been a real honor to serve as a team captain since sophomore year."

Horwath has played in 135 matches over the past four years (295 sets), winning 104 matches with more than 1,100 kills.

"Jess is the true definition of a leader," Jakubowski said. "And she ranks as one of the best players that I ever had the privilege of coaching."

Horwath's philosophy has always been that mindset and energy are two of the greatest factors to reach your objectives.

"Find an activity you enjoy, set some goals, create strategies to reach them, and enjoy the ride," she says.

It's been quite a four-year ride for Horwath at Barrington.