Next stop for PHS' Shaw: Illinois Central College volleyball
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| Princeton senior Leah Shaw signs a letter of intent to play volleyball for Illinois Central College in East Peoria, flanked by her parents (front), Dan and Jean Shaw of Princeton, and (back) PHS coach Andy Puck and ICC coach Sue Sinclair. (BCR photo/Kevin Hieronymus) |
PRINCETON — Princeton senior Leah Shaw was preparing to sign a letter of intent to play volleyball for Illinois Central College in East Peoria. She was gathered around the table in the PHS library by her parents, Dan and Jean, of Princeton, and ICC coach Sue Sinclair.
Dan Shaw motioned to PHS coach Andy Puck to join them.
"You made this possible. We made her, but you made this happen," Shaw said.
Leah Shaw then signed on the dotted line to play for ICC Cougars, receiving a scholarship offer which includes full tuition and partial books, Shaw’s mother, said.
Shaw, a standout middle hitter for Princeton's state squad last fall, was flying as high as her dad’s old work office (he's a retired pilot) after her signing. She went to ICC’s camp two years ago and really liked the campus and the Cougars’ style of volleyball.
“I like how competitive it is. They have a really tough schedule and play the best teams. Improvement is bound to happen, which I’m excited about that,” said Shaw, who was a unanimous NCIC Lincoln all-conference selection and the BCR Co-Player of the Year. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about ICC, and they’ve had a really strong tradition. I’m looking forward to going there and help them out.”
It took Shaw a while to first warm up to the junior college level because she always wanted to go to a four-year university. She believes ICC will be the best route now to get her there.
“I’m not sure what I want to study next year, so this will give me a good chance to get my priorities straight and play volleyball, too. I think this will work out best for me,” she said.
Sinclair watched Shaw play at state as well as at nearby Chillicothe IVC. The one word she had on Shaw’s scouting report in big letters was intensity.
“She was an individual that was engaged whether she was on the floor or on the bench waiting for her rotation to come back in. (She) just truly goes after the game with a level of tenacity you know she’s going to be part of the win,” Sinclair said.
The ICC coach said the 6-foot Shaw will continue to stand out on the floor, both from an physical standpoint as well as a performance level.
“She will (stand out), whether it’s her size or her red hair,” Sinclair said. “Her size and strength will really demand the attention of the other team. Whether she’s great defensively and they need to run their play somewhere else, or they need to know where’s she at. She does a nice job seeing the floor offensively in order to terminate. She really packs a punch.”
With just one returning middle returning from ICC’s fourth-place national squad, Sinclair said she recruited Shaw to step in right away either on the middle or right side.
The ICC campus, which is located on the hilltop of East Peoria overlooking the Illinois River, is building a new $14.5 million athletic facility that will be ready for Shaw's sophomore season in 2010, Sinclair said.
Princeton coach Andy Puck said he knew this season Shaw was ready to take the next step.
“Teams knew Leah Shaw; they knew Big Red. They knew they had to shut her down,” Puck said. “She’d just go right at them, and that’s the college level to a T because you’re going to face kids just as talented as you. You’ve got to have that extra mental capacity to get past it. (And) she’s got it.
“I don’t think she was challenged enough. The next level’s going to be great. Sue Sinclair’s going to be great for year. She wants to go bigger. This is a great fit for her. This team qualifies for nationals almost every year.”
When Dan Shaw heard his daughter 's first match with the Cougars would be in Salt Lake City, Utah this fall, he said, "Good, I can put those retired benefits to use."
Shaw is a retired pilot and will put those miles to good use when Leah Shaw and the Cougars make their trip west.
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Leah Shaw by the numbers
334 — kills for season
145 — points for season
70 — blocks for season
40 — aces for season
16 — kills in supersectional
Honors
• Unanimous first team all-conference, volleyball.
• Honorable mention all-state, volleyball.
• Unanimous first team all-conference, basketball.
• Unanimous first team all-conference, basketball.
• National Honor Society
• NCIC all-academic team
• Four-year athlete in volleyball, basketball and softball
