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Great Weekend In Aurora for HiP Alums!!!

By High P Staff, 10/20/14, 5:15PM CDT

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Special Interview With University of Illinois' Katie Roustio

One of the more unique and fun collegiate volleyball events occurred over the weekend in Chicago, and HiP Alums, both coaches and players, were in full effect.

The GLVC and GLIAC conferences in NCAA D2 volleyball sent all of their members to the Great Lakes Center in Aurora, IL for a cross over tournament.  Every member of the conference is in attendance to play 3 matches in the 12 court facility.  This is the most unique event in NCAA volleyball creating a fun and competitive atmosphere for all in attendance.

Not only is it a great event, but it was also full of alums from High Performance.  Missouri S & T Junior Krista Haslag (2012) came home with some hardware taking an All-Tournament plaque back to Rolla, MO with her.  The highlight for her and the Miners was an upset victory over #11 Grand Valley State where Krista put away 14 kills and collected 2 blocks in the effort.

The Quincy Hawks led by former Girls Division Director Bob Crank went undefeated in the cross over. Sam Haegele (2010) had a break out matches against Ashland.  Sam’s double/double of 16 kills and 11 digs led the Hawks to victory.

The UMSL Tritons also had a good weekend in Aurora.  Sophomore Opposite Jory Siebenmorgen (2013) helped former HiP Coach Ryan Young and the Tritons to a victory of Ohio Dominican.  In the match, Jory had an impressive stat line with 13 kills, 8 digs and 3 blocks. 

In NCAA D1 action 2 weekends ago, sophomore left side Katie Roustio (2013) helped the Fighting Illini of Illinois to a huge victory over defending national champion Penn State.  Since then, the Illini have beaten Iowa and Nebraska.  The HiP staff had a chance to catch up with Katie and she was nice enough to answer a few questions for us.

HiP: Describe your experience getting to represent the Illini against teams like UCLA, Stanford, Nebraska and Penn State.

KR: Playing against teams like UCLA, Stanford, and Penn State, was such a great experience. Getting to push ourselves physically and mentally and also bringing a lot of energy on the court at all times is always huge for us. A big key for me personally was to just be as physical as I can at the net, and to go after every block and swing hard every time.

HiP: How tough is the competition in the Big 10 night in and night out?

KR: Competing in the Big 10 is always challenging, there are so many good teams but that’s what's so fun about it. No team is going to take it easy, we're always pushing, every point, to become better.

HiP: What is Illinois’ practice gym like?  Is it competitive?  Is it energetic?  Is it fun?

KR: Our practice gym is very competitive. We are always pushing each other everyday, in every drill, We do, we go all out. It's a very fun / competitive atmosphere especially when we get to scrimmage each other at the end, we are extremely loud and energetic. 

HiP: How did your experience with High Performance prepare you for volleyball at Illinois and in the Big 10?

KR: High Performance did a great job of teaching me how to be physical at the net and that's exactly what the Big 10 is all about, physicality. The drills we did at High Performance are very similar and some the same as we do at Illinois.

HiP: What advice would you give the girls currently in the High Performance program if they want to one day play in a conference like the Big 10 or at a school like the University of Illinois?

KR: My advice would be to make sure you come prepared to give your all everyday, and to keep a positive attitude throughout it all, because you're attitude can immediately change your mindset on the court. Also, to find a team that you would love to be around all the time, because at Illinois, my teammates are what makes the experience that much more enjoyable and fun!