Stephanie Holthus
Position: Libero/Outside Hitter
Height: 6-0
Weight: 145
Hometown/Residence: Elgin, Illinois/Elgin, Illinois
Birth Date: Aug. 25, 1992
Last Club Team/Coach: Club Fusion Volleyball (Marengo, Ill.) / Eric Schulze
High School/Grad Year: Central High School (Burlington, Ill.) / 2010
College Status: Playing at Northwestern University
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 – NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championship (Gold). 2008 – Part of USA Youth Team that competed in Middle European Volleyball Zonal Association Youth Championships (MEVZA).
USA VOLLEYBALL HIGHLIGHTS: 2011 – Selected to U.S. Women’s Junior National Team that will compete in the FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship. 2010 – Helped lead the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team to the NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championship gold medal. 2009 – Named to USA Youth National A2 Red Team and selected the squad’s captain. Helped team to the gold medal at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships and was named Best Passer of the tournament. 2008 – Selected to USA Youth A2 Red Team and helped team to a silver medal at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships…Selected to compete on a USA Youth Team that spent 10 days training and traveling in Europe under head coach Jim Stone. Team competed in the Middle European Volleyball Zonal Association Youth Championships.
COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 – Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team while playing her first collegiate season at Northwestern University…Compiled 332 kills, 326 digs and 64 blocks while starting all 33 matches for Northwestern…Became the 11th player in program history to record 300 kills in her freshman season.
CLUB/PREP HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 – Selected All-Tournament Team at AAU Championships…Named No. 31 Senior Ace and Top 50 Recruit of 2010 by PrepVolleyball.com…Selected to Volleyball Magazine’s Fab 50 list and its Top 30 Players of 2010 Class Nationwide. 2009 –Played up an age level with Fusion 18 Black and was named all-tournament at the JVDA Showcase…Chosen as a Top 50 Recruits of 2010 class by PrepVolleyball.com…Honored as one of top 30 players of 2010 class nationwide by Volleyball Magazine…Selected to the Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 and named Senior Ace #31 by PrepVolleyball.com...Named MVP of Prep Classic…Team Captain of Central High School volleyball team as a four-year varsity player...Finished prep season with 417 kills with a .503 hitting efficiency…Named First-Team All-State…Chosen American Volleyball Coaches Association High School All-American…Named MVP of Under Armour All-Star match…Tabbed Sun Times All Area Second Team…Named Prep Volleyball.com High School All American…Chosen Courier News All-Area Volleyball Player of the Year and Daily Herald Fox Valley Player of the Year. 2008 – While playing for Fusion 16 Black, named MVP of JVDA Showcase as the team won the gold medal at the JVDA Nationals in the 16 Open Division…Team captain of high school squad as Central High School finished second in the Illinois State Championships…Entered state finals with 495 kills (most of any qualifying team) and set a single game state tournament record of 17 kills finishing the season with 525 total kills and a .498 hitting percentage…Named All-State Second Team and Unanimous all-conference selection…Selected to Chicago Sun Times Second Team and Daily Courier News All-Area Player of the Year. 2007 – While playing for Fusion 15 Black, helped team to a fifth-place finish at USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships and earned All-American honors at the event…Named Most Outstanding Player at PrepVolleyball.com Classic…Selected Best Attacker and MVP at National Junior Classic…Started for high school team in sophomore season after returning from a rolled ankle and broken bone in foot…Unanimous all-conference selection…Selected PrepVolleyball.com Soph 79 Highest Honorable Mention…Tabbed Fox Valley All-Area Second Team by Daily Herald. 2006 – Named starting outside hitter for high school varsity team as a freshman…Unanimous all-conference and part Daily Herald’s Fox Valley All-Area Team. 2002 - Began playing club volleyball with Club Fusion 12 Black.
PERSONAL: Born Stephanie Jeanine Holthus on Aug. 25, 1992, in Hoffman Estates, Ill… Father is Craig Holthus and Mother is Sherrie Holthus... Father played baseball at Bradley University (1982-1986)…Sisters Staci (1987) and Christine (1989)…Sister Christine played softball as a four-year starter at Wisconsin-Parkside (2006-2010)…Hobbies include coaching volleyball, tanning, quiet time by the pool, swimming, boating, camping with my grandparents, hanging out with friends…Favorite food is pizza (I pick off the cheese)…Favorite book is My Sister’s Keeper…Favorite music types are hip-hop and country…Favorite musician is Taylor Swift…Favorite movies are Remember the Titans and Miracle…Favorite professional team is the Chicago Blackhawks…Favorite athlete is Destinee Hooker…Most admired person is my mom because “there has never been a day in my life when my mom hasn’t been there for me.”…Happiest moment in life was “learning that the doctors were able to remove the cancerous tumor in my Grandma’s lung after she went through a big surgery to remove it.”
INTERESTING NOTE: “In the Spring of 2010, I traveled with my Club Fusion 18 Black team to Nicaragua to play volleyball against the Nicaragua National Team. I will never forget playing outside, in downtown Nicaragua, across the street from the ocean, on a concrete volleyball court. We played at night because the outside heat was unbearable during the day. The court was not well lit, and because of the shadows, the outside parameters of the court were difficult to see. Because of the dim lighting conditions, our setter was instructed by our coach to set the ball way high so that we could actually see it before it came down. I think that watching us dive for balls on concrete made our coach, Eric Schulze, really nervous. Thank goodness for knee pads, but we could have used elbow pads as well. The experience was so much fun though! There was very loud music playing throughout the entire match, some in Spanish, some in English. Normally in the U.S., this is something that we only do in warm-ups. The locals were selling beer and snacks to spectators, who came with their families and friends, and sat on concrete bleachers to watch us play the team of their home country. It was a really big event for the people of this town. We felt like celebrities. Playing in these conditions that were so challenging to us, we were happy to take the win that night. It wasn’t the best part though. Prior to the match, we had a special volleyball practice with the younger, local girls of all ages who were learning to play volleyball. Organized Club Volleyball is something that the children in Nicaragua do not get to experience, but there are efforts to form teams so that the children can learn and play. The language barrier was a little tough sometimes, but when we began to teach them some of the warm ups that we do in the U.S., verbal communication didn’t really matter. The children loved it ! Each member of my team brought some jerseys and t shirts from our past years in club volleyball, and as we passed them out to the children, we realized this was a very special treat to them. We also brought a new pair of volleyball court shoes for each member of the Nicaragua National Team. It meant so much to them. I realize how much we take for granted as athletes in the United States. I came home with renewed appreciation for everything from my coaches, who have so much knowledge to help me with my game, to things as simple as a jersey to play in, or a new pair of kneepads whenever I need them. I am so grateful for this experience, and so many others that volleyball has, and continues to enrich my life with.”
Last updated: July 15, 2011
