Senior outside hitter Ellie Schwartz is the youngest of three sisters to play in Hill-Murray’s volleyball program.

Older siblings Hannah and Sophie represented the Pioneers as a setter and middle hitter, respectively. But the girls have their own personalities beyond volleyball.

“Sophie is the book-smart girl, Hannah is the fashionista and I’m kinda the more sporty one,” Ellie said.

Schwartz’s athletic ability was on display Wednesday night as she finished with 25 kills and 14 digs in Hill-Murray’s five-set home win over Cretin-Derham Hall.

She has a team-high 155 kills and has the second-most digs with 92 this season.

On top of playing volleyball, Schwartz is a basketball and softball player.

“She’s tenacious, no doubt, and she’s making strides every single day,” Pioneers coach Tim Walen said.

Walen had the opportunity to coach all three sisters, but agreed that Elle is one of a kind with her energy and athletic ability.

Schwartz said that her fire on the court comes from her desire to inspire her teammates.

“I try to get the younger girls fired up because I know what its like to be the younger (player),” Schwartz said. 

Schwartz said Hannah and Sophie pulled her under their wings when she joined the team, and the trio played together in the front row when Ellie was an eighth-grader.

“I strive to make them proud every day,” Schwartz said about her sisters.

The past few seasons Schwartz has battled injuries, with the most severe being a posterior cruciate ligament tear. The injury caused Schwartz to be more positive.

“I try to not take anything for granted,” she said.

Walen is not taking coaching the Schwartz sisters for granted. He said he’s a bit sad that Ellie is the last of the three that he’ll ever coach.

At one point during the Cretin-Derham Hall match, senior libero Haley LaValle took a tough tumble diving for a ball. Schwartz was the first to pull LaValle to her feet.

“What I love the most is that she’s opened up herself to the team,” Walen said.

The next big decision the senior must make is what sport to play in college. So far, basketball and volleyball are tied.

Walen, on the other hand, is hoping Schwartz sticks to volleyball.

“I would love to see that,” Walen said. 

Hill-Murray held on to defeat rival Cretin-Derham Hall 25-20, 25-20, 24-26, 17-25, 16-14 in a nonconference matchup at Hill-Murray High School on Wednesday night.

The Pioneers came out roaring. Sophomore outside hitter Claire Westby and junior outside hitter Hannah Angeli stuck to their game plan of hitting balls of the Raiders’ blockers. Westby finished the match with five kills and Angeli had 19 kills and four aces.

The entire match was a battle of Kamikaze defense. On set point of Set 1, both teams went back and forth playing numerous balls off banners in the rafters until senior outside hitter Ellie Schwartz ended the rally with a well-placed free ball. 

Schwartz carried her team through Set 5 and finished the night with 25 kills and 14 digs.

Cretin-Derham Hall (9-2), ranked No. 13 in the Class 3A coaches’ poll, caught the Pioneers defense off guard in Set 3 with multiple blocks.

Junior Deaira Gresham adjusted her game plan and started tipping balls just over Hill-Murray’s blockers, helping the Raiders rally for a 26-24 win in Set 3.

Senior outside hitter Chloe Dousette and junior outside hitter Brynn Carlson fired back offensively in Sets 4 and 5, but the Pioneers (6-6) defense held Cretin-Derham Hall at bay.

Dousette finished with 14 kills and Carlson had 13, while senior libero Haley LaValle led the No. 12-2A Pioneers with 24 digs. 

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