By FRED KRONER
Cliff Hastings doesn’t yet have teen-aged daughters – that day is on the horizon – but he understands the mindset of the age group.
He works with teen-agers on a regular basis as the head coach of the ultra-successful Parkland College women’s volleyball program.
Eight straight Parkland teams coached by Hastings have advanced at least to the NJCAA Division II Final Four. To maintain that level of success at a two-year school requires the ability to recruit athletes who can be impact players.
His next recruiting class features high school players who are coming from not only Illinois, but also from Indiana, Wisconsin and The Netherlands. His most recent team had a player from New Zealand. In the past, he had a player from Australia.
It’s in that mix that Mahomet-Seymour senior libero Josie Hess will find herself in August. She is among the eight incoming players who hope to continue the Cobras’ string of excellence.
Hastings annually signs players who don’t want to be there.
“None of these players grow up saying, ‘I want to be a Parkland player,’” Hastings said. “They grow up saying, ‘I want to be an Illini player.’”
And, in plain and simple terms, that is the ultimate attraction of Parkland. Join a program which has become a fixture in the national rankings, play 100-plus matches over a two-year span and then take a shot at a Division I program.
“No one is coming here as a destination,” Hastings said. “It’s a conduit to the future.
“They all have goals after Parkland.”
With few exceptions, they almost all have opportunities beyond junior college, should they decide to accept them.
Because the turnaround time is so short at schools like Parkland, it’s imperative that coaches such as Hastings and veteran assistant Ron Hoppe (a former M-S volleyball coach) find athletes who are finished and prepared to step in, not ones who are considered projects for the future.
“I’d never recruit a kid if they didn’t have the possibility of contributing right away,” Hastings said.
Hess, who has a background of high school and club ball, fits perfectly.
“She’s super-athletic and has always played at a high level,” Hastings said. “I really like what she brings from the athletic perspective and from the experience perspective.”
Hess will enter with the attitude that Hastings likes: She feels she has something to prove.
“Ever since I started playing volleyball, it was my dream to play Division I volleyball and compete at a high level,” Hess said. “I knew my freshman year (at M-S) when schools started emailing that I was going to play after high school.”
She was on track to get considerable looks before the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the process. All college athletes who played during the 2020-21 season were granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, if they chose to accept.
Some colleges suddenly didn’t have the graduation losses they had anticipated, meaning fewer spots available for scholarship freshmen.
Hess is confident she landed at a locale which can help her fulfill her dreams.
“While the recruiting process did get messed up for me this past year, I couldn’t be happier to attend Parkland College and start competing to win a championship,” she said.
“I was talking to quite a few schools before Coronavirus, but during Corona, schools started shutting down and weren’t recruiting as much, which really sucks.”
She had scheduled an official recruiting visit to Coastal Carolina University (in Conway, S.C.), but Hess said, “unfortunately it got canceled.”
She narrowed her final choices to North Central College, a four-year Division III school in Naperville, and Parkland.
“I chose Parkland because I loved how they felt like family and I could still be close to home, while I try to figure out what I want to do after,” Hess said. “I see myself really fitting in next year considering I know most of the girls and coaches.
“They always strive for greatness and success in their seasons. That’s what really sealed the deal for me.”
Parkland’s most recent team compiled a 33-2 final record and placed second nationally.
She is looking to play four years of college volleyball, not just the two that will be available at Parkland.
“My goals are to earn my associates degree and get good grades so that I’m able to transfer somewhere after Parkland,” Hess said. “Another goal of mine is to work really hard to earn some court time this coming up season and also to have a successful season.
“I’m super excited that I’m very close with some of the girls that will be in my class and very familiar with many of the older players.”
The 5-foot-8 Hess started playing volleyball in sixth grade and has trained with the Bloomington-based Illini Elite since seventh grade.
“Ever since then, I’ve been in love with the sport,” said Hess, who has played outside hitter as well as libero. “I love the objective of the game and the skills you learn from playing.
“I also love the bonds you create with your teammates and learning how to trust each other on and off the court. I have made it my focus because it teaches me so many life skills and always helps me make connections.”
The competition at Illini Elite is fierce, both within the program and when the squads travel to tournaments.
“Doing club has taught me so much and really helped me build my character,” Hess said. “Competing at such a high level has also helped me learn how to act under pressure and in big games that I will need to be prepared for at Parkland.
“Not only did club volleyball teach me so many things, but it also brought me to meet some of my best friends who have been there for me since seventh grade. I’m so thankful for them.”
Volleyball wasn’t her original sport of choice.
“The first sport that I was in love with was basketball,” Hess said. “I loved basketball so much and I still do, but as I grew older, my heart was just all into volleyball.
“I wanted to put all my time and effort into volleyball and that started freshman year.”
At Mahomet-Seymour, Hess committed herself strictly to volleyball. She was a three-year varsity starter and a two-year all-Apollo Conference selection.
For the past two seasons, she won the Bulldog award as the team’s top defensive player.
As a senior, Hess was a catalyst for a 14-2 M-S team that was undefeated in Apollo Conference matches. As a junior, Hess was also the digs’ leader for a 30-7 Bulldog squad.
Whether she is featured in the back row or along the front line, Hess is happiest just being able to contribute.
“I played outside hitter for four to five years before I got switched to libero because of my height,” she said. “I love both of them and enjoy playing both positions. I think defense is where I am more focused and want to continue to grow.
“No matter what position I am, I just want to be on the court because I love playing. I really like that as a libero I take on that leadership role and am basically in charge of the ball defensively.
“I have really improved on stepping up and always giving effort for a ball no matter what. I always try to hit the floor and encourage others to step up and give it their all on defense.”
Hess’ coach at Mahomet-Seymour the past two years, Stan Bergman, believes she is in her element as a libero.
“She is extremely fast and extremely quick to read around the ball,” Bergman said. “She has that natural gift of reading a play as it happens and putting herself in the right position at the right time.
“She is a great defender.”
Bergman said Hess, “had her own way of thinking how the game should be played,” but added, “she could take some analysis, process it and apply it to her game.
“She has an understanding of the work ethic it takes to help others around her get better.
Bergman is confident that Hess can thrive in Hastings’ system.
“Cliff knows how to connect with kids and get them motivated,” Bergman said. “He’s an amazing guy who tries to put kids first.”
Hess is undecided about a major, but has thought about life beyond college.
“In 10 to 12 years I see myself having a career and purchasing a nice house where I can soon start a family,” she said. “I would love to live somewhere warm and in the mountains.
“I’ve also always dreamed of having a lot of land where I can have as many animals as I want.”
For starters, Hess will warm up to the idea of playing junior college volleyball while eyeing a career beyond Parkland College.
Hastings, who will enter his 13th year at Parkland in the fall, understands.
“Kids are looking for the biggest and best offer,” he said, “but if that doesn’t come, I have a pretty good thing to offer them to help them achieve that two years later.
“The first impression Josie gave is a confident, yet kind, kid. I see a young woman who has goals and aspirations for the present and the future.”
