Area Sports Roundup: Troy Grevengoed leaving Richards to coach volleyball at Chicago Christian

By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

As the girls volleyball coach at Richards, Troy Grevengoed coached against Chicago Christian when two of his daughters played there.

He has also watched his daughters from the stands as a fan.

Now, he enters a third phase.

Grevengoed is the new girls volleyball coach at the Palos Heights private school. He replaces Karen Van Assen, who left the position to spend more time with her family after a 2021 season in which the Knights took third in the state in Class 2A.

Grevengoed’s oldest daughter, Logan, graduated from that team with more than 1,000 career kills. Also gone is libero Olivia Ingelse, but plenty of talent is scheduled to return to the Knights in 2022, including Delanie Grevengoed, Nikki Swiney, Keely Colyer, Melanie Gonzalez and Josie Triezenberg.

Troy Grevengoed, who won more than 300 matches as the longtime boys and girls volleyball coach at Richards and also coached the Michio club team, is ready to roll.

“I’m not so much worried about the pressure, it’s just learning a new environment,” he said. “I’ve been very comfortable at Richards. I’ve coached there for 20 years and that’s kind of what I know.

“The cool thing is that Chicago Christian is wrapped up in that culture of winning and I’m excited to serve that community. I have a lot of support.”

The Knights have one of the top programs in the area with five state trophies, including a Class 2A state title in 2010.

Grevengoed is a 1994 graduate of Chicago Christian, where he played basketball, soccer, tennis and golf. He shot up from 5-foot-10 his junior year of high school to 6-foot-5 by the start of college, and played club volleyball at Trinity Christian College. He’s been hooked on the sport ever since.

He has his children hooked as well. Logan is heading to Western Kentucky, Delanie has verbally committed to Appalachian State and Chase is a sophomore at Chicago Christian. Quinn is an eighth grader at Calvin Christian.

Grevengoed said he enjoys coaching his girls.

“It’s pretty seamless most of the time,” he said. “There are times when we have to work through some stuff, but it’s never a challenge that’s tougher than coaching someone else’s kids.

“It’s probably tougher on them than it is on me. They have a dad who can always give them more feedback and give them more criticism.”

Hannah Kilbaine of SXU was named CCAC Player of the Year in women’s golf. Photo courtesy of Saint Xavier University Department of Athletics

Kilbane killin’ it

Saint Xavier University sophomore Hannah Kilbane, a Sandburg graduate, was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s golf Player of the Year on June 14.

She and Emily Hunt, a sophomore from Texas, were named All-CCAC first team. It is the second consecutive year that Hunt and Kilbane were first-team All-CCAC. Kilbane was named the CCAC Freshman of the Year last year and is the first SXU golfer to win Player of the Year since former NAIA All-American Taylor Thompson won the award in 2014.

“I was fortunate to come in with these quality kids,” first-year women’s golf coach Alan Lynn said. “The kids put in the work in the classroom and on the golf course. It’s good to see them recognized.”

Kilbane participated in three tournaments and one match play event during the 2021-22 season. She had two second place finishes, including finishing as the runner-up at the CCAC Championship after winning the event in 2021.

Kilbane recorded her lowest round of the season with a 74 on day two of the CCAC Cup in October. In six rounds, Kilbane averaged a score of 77.5.

Sandburg stars

A pair of two-sport athletes were honored by Sandburg.

Cross country and track star Declan Tunney and basketball and soccer star Erin O’Connor were named the school’s Senior Athletes of the Year.

Eagles return to nest

On June 13, Sandburg hosted a girls basketball summer shootout with Naperville North, Schaumburg and Yorkville.

It was no coincidence these three programs were the ones battling it out.

Naperville North coach Erin (Catel) Colletti, Schaumburg coach Jacqi (Storm) Strauch and Yorkville coach Kim Wensits are not only former Eagles basketball players, they were former teammates.