Memories of mom
Shepard graduate Autumn Molenhouse is already making college strides at West Virginia Wesleyan
I received some really great news Wednesday from West Virginia Wesleyan women’s volleyball coach Nancy Wheeler.
Wheeler told me that Autumn Molenhouse has been chosen for the all-freshman team and earned second-team honors in the Mountain East Conference.
The same Autumn Molenhouse who will be receiving her high school diploma from Shepard on May 27.
OK, go ahead. Say it.
Wait. What?
Just another unique story that I’ve come across during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So here’s how it all worked: Molenhouse, a three-year varsity player, graduated from Shepard at the end of the first semester. Shortly after, she started classes at West Virginia Wesleyan.
This actually was part of a plan that Molenhouse laid out when she was a freshman. Only one part of her plan didn’t work out.
“I thought I was going to have a senior volleyball season at Shepard,” Molenhouse said. “I figured that I’d have that, and then in my second semester start college classes and maybe start training with the team.”
That all changed when, due to COVID19 restrictions, the IHSA moved the girls volleyball season from the fall to the spring.
Everything changed volleyball-wise at West Virginia Wesleyan as well. Instead of training at the start of the second semester, the Bobcats had an 11-match spring season.
Molenhouse wasn’t just welcomed onto the team, she became a starter. And did she shine.
The 5-foot-8 libero led the team with 173 digs and helped the Bobcats finish third in the conference.
“Honestly, it felt awesome,” Molenhouse said. “I didn’t expect to play at all. I came in and figured I would work for my spot and earn it for next season.
“It’s nice to realize that all of my hard work in the gym for the past 10 years is paying off. I did it because I love the game and because I want to be out on the court and play. The coaches gave me a that opportunity, and it was a great experience.”
Wheeler certainly didn’t regret the decision to put her in the lineup. Nothing she said about Molenhouse’s work ethic surprised me.
“She is laser-focused,” Wheeler said. “I love her mentality. She is the hardest-working girl in our gym, even as a freshman. She set her goals early on when she came in and talked to me, not only about volleyball but about the academic side of things.
“We knew that she was going to be such a gamechanger for our defense. She has set a different standard of culture.
“Our whole defensive group just rallies around her. It’s electrifying. She just lights up the court. For such a young player, it’s really awesome to watch.”
So much has happened in this kid’s life over the past several months.
It was certainly tough telling Astros coach Brian Zofkie that she wouldn’t be playing for him this spring. A setter, hitter and top defender, losing Molenhouse left a huge hole in the Astros program. But there were no hard feelings.
“Hey, you can’t hold a kid back from an opportunity like that,” Zofkie said. “It’s just the product of a crazy year.
“If we had played in the fall, obviously we would have had her and she would have helped us. But I’m glad to see she’s doing well. She’s a tough kid mentally. If anybody can handle it, Autumn can.”
Her toughest time came shortly after she left for college when her mother, Heather, died Feb. 1.
“My mom was 100 percent the biggest support system with volleyball in my life,” Molenhouse said. “She was the one who drove me to and from practices. She showed up at every tournament. If I had a bad game I’d talk to her about it and she’d be the one to lift me up.
“When she passed away, it was hard. It’s still hard. That’s my mom. She started my love for this game, and when I told her I committed, she cried tears of joy.
“I took this last season and dedicated everything I did toward her. I’ll continue to do that over the next four seasons.”