Kleffman

cheted about 45 hats and scarves this year and is planning to make more along with a few blankets.

“Crocheting is for fun for me, but it takes a lot of time sometimes,” she said. “It's maybe 30 or 45 minutes for each hat, an hour or maybe an hour and a half for each scarf. Sometimes, I'm like, ‘This is taking forever,' but I know it will make someone's day hopefully.”

Kleffman — an all-conference selection in the South Suburban Blue as a senior at Tinley Park, where she also starred in volleyball — is still waiting to make her college debut.

Illinois Wesleyan, an NCAA Division III school, competes in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, which has delayed the start of the season due to the pandemic.

The Titans also have suspended practices, which Kleffman said are scheduled to resume Jan. 4.

Kleffman had the chance to compete with her teammates in a pair of scrimmages, the latest in November.

“It was way different than high school, but I enjoyed it,” she said. “The pace is much faster.

“My teammates are very supportive. If you mess up or something, they don't get madat you. They knowthey mess up, too. I enjoy everyone I'm playing with.”

While continuing to train on her own, Kleffman always makes time for crocheting.

“People struggle all the time,” she said. “You don't know what people are going through.

“I'm fortunate enough to live in a house and not worry about where my next meal is going to come fromor how I'm going to get clothing for the winter, so I just want to help.”