Sometimes things don’t always go as planned. Just ask St. Francis senior Kelsey Robinson.
As a young athlete growing up in Wheaton, Robinson had hopes of being a college athlete, but volleyball wasn’t her sport of choice.
"I thought I wanted to play basketball in college," said Robinson, whose mother played Division III basketball at Luther College. "I started volleyball just for fun and to cross train. Then when I was 15, I decided to devote my training to volleyball to be able to play at the next level."
It looks like Robinson made the right choice. As a junior, she had 341 kills and 63 aces to help St. Francis win a Suburban Catholic Conference championship.
"My biggest strength is my versatility to hit shots from all over the court, and I love to play defense," she said.
Robinson was named the conference player of the year and led St. Francis to an Elite Eight finish in the state playoffs. She was first team all-state by the Champaign News Gazette and was second team all-state by both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times.
Robinson also excelled at the club level. Playing for Sports Performance 18-Elite, Robinson and her team finished second at the JVDA Nationals and third at the AAU 18-Open national tournament, where she was named to the All-American team.
"Playing for my coach Rick Butler has taught me to be a more dominant player," said Robinson. "He has helped me to gain more strength and be a better all-around player."
Robinson also credits Amanda Degrandis with aiding in her development as a young player.
"She was the most influential person in helping me develop," said Robinson. "She has not only been a strong coach and person in my life since I was young, but she remains in my life and I don’t know where I’d be without her. She has helped me to develop skills in life and on the court."
Degrandis is an assistant coach at St. Francis for Peg Kopec, who recently won her 1,000th career game as head coach at St. Francis.
"Kelsey is an exceptional athlete," said Kopec. "She is quick, strong, agile, tall and has a very quick arm swing. She is one of the best hitters in St. Francis history."
St. Francis recently moved back into the No. 2 spot in the Chicago-area rankings by the Chicago Sun Times thanks to a strong performance by Robinson and teammate Meg Vonderhaar at the Maine West Pumpkin Tournament over the weekend.
Robinson and Vonderhaar combined for 34 kills in the finals, including 19 by Robinson. St. Francis upped its record to 30-2 on the season and only trails Catholic Academy of Joliet in the rankings.
"Our toughest competition this year is Joliet Catholic," said Robinson. "They beat us last year in super sectionals and went on to win state. But I believe we will do well. Our goal from day one has been to win state, and we work hard every day in practice to set the tone for what we need to get done."
Following graduation, Robinson will head to Tennessee to play for the Volunteers.
"I can’t wait to play at the collegiate level," she said. "It will be such a good experience to play with and compete against the best players in the country.
"The recruiting process has been fun," Robinson added. "I loved visiting schools and going to college volleyball and football games. The hardest part about choosing a college was making sure all the pieces fit and were right for me both academically and on the court. It’s hard to choose the next four years of your life when you are only 16."
While St. Francis still has playoff competition ahead and a possible rematch with Joliet Catholic Academy, Robinson knows that she will miss her days as a member of St. Francis.
"The best thing about high school is the support from the fans and playing alongside your best friends," she said. "All of the wonderful traditions we have here at St. Francis are great, and the coaches are so dedicated to helping us become betters players and teammates."
