As Rhiannon Schuenemann ‘17 steps onto the court, her powerful presence is immediately felt by her teammates, coaches and opponents. Schuenemann has been playing volleyball since she was in the first grade. She was introduced to the sport by her babysitter’s daughter, who was an avid player and now plays at the professional level.

Schuenemann led the varsity team to a 4-2 conference record, helping the team earn third place in conference. The team lost to Carl Sandburg High School on Oct. 27 in a regional playoff game by a score of 25-23.

“In the end I was disappointed with the result, but overall I was satisfied with the team’s performance this season,” she said.

Being a two-year varsity starter, Schuenemann does not consider herself as an overbearing leader, but rather she thinks of herself as one who leads by example.

“I was more of a silent leader,” she said. “I thought the younger teammates could rely and look up to me.”

According to Schuenemann her teammates would refer to her as the powerhouse of the team because her teammates could always trust to pass the ball to her.

Schuenemann has also managed to build a great relationship with her Head Coach Joann Pyritz. Over the past two years on varsity, Pyritz has seen dramatic shifts in her confidence and growth in her skills.

At the end of the regular season Schuenemann racked up a total of 212 kills, 208 digs and 47 aces. According to Pyritz, these are incredible statistics for a high school athlete. In addition to her physical skills, Schuenemann has developed strong leadership skills in order to set an example for underclassmen, Pyritz said.

“She consistently performs at a high level and always contributes to the team,” Pyritz said. “Her teammates followed her lead on the floor.”

Besides the high school season, Schuenemann spends the majority of her year on a travel team, First Alliance. This season begins a few weeks after the high school season and goes until July. Players like Schuenemnan practically play year round with very few breaks.

“She always kept the team under control,” teammate Mariah Robinson  ’17 said. “We could always count on her for good passing and as a defensive force.”

Currently, Schuenemann does not know where she wants to play in college, but she plans on playing at the Division One Level.

“She is an all around player, she is able to play all phases of the game,” Pyritz said. “She is an explosive hitter, serves aggressively and passes consistently.”