• Nicole (Coates) Schaefbauer: The senior all-stater went on to play volleyball for the University of Notre Dame. She and her husband, Skipp, a former ISU basketball player, live in Normal. They have two daughters, Isabel, who is incoming freshman volleyball player at Winthrop University in Rock Hills, S.C., and McKenna, who attends the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy in Hilton Head. Nicole is an associate executive director for the Illinois Elementary School Association in Bloomington.
• Sacha (Esme) Valle: A junior reserve in 1990, Esme played volleyball at IVCC. She lives in Utica with her husband, Mike. Her daughter, Sophia, just finished up at IVCC and her 14-year-old stepson, Gino, will be a high school freshman. She is now employed at Community Lenders in Peru for nine years and has been the branch manager of the Princeton office for the last three. When she’s not working, she loves going out to eat, hiking, working on her golf game and spending time in her yard gardening.
• Tina (Forth) Heller: The senior setter was the floor leader for the Tigresses. She played volleyball at Monmouth College. She lives in Wyanet with her husband, Scott, and daughter, Makayla, a senior at Bureau Valley. She is a math teacher at Logan Junior High in Princeton.
• Tonya Gewin: Was a junior reserve in 1990. Lives in Sycamore with her two kids, Alyssa, 9, and Alex, 7. Works for the DeKalb school district as an instructional assistant and substitute special ed teacher.
• Ann (Gillespie) Gower: Was a junior reserve in 1990. Is a partner at Culture Shift Team in Nashville.
• Michelle (Goodwin) Sherwood: Was a sophomore brought up for the state tournament. Lives in West Des Moines, Iowa, and has two teenage daughters. She is a senior quality analyst in the IT department at American Enterprise Insurance.
• Karen (Flaherty) Corey: A senior middle blocker for the state champs, she went on to play for the U.S. Naval Academy (senior MVP) and later coached the U.S. Navy’s team as well as at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. She served in the Navy for 12 years. She now lives in Bonn, Germany, with her husband, Matt, a pilot with FedEx, and three daughters. She volunteers, teaching English to refugees and also coaching a local international school, and couldn’t be more grateful to Herr Laesch for her German education at PHS.
• Rachael (Longman) Thomson: Was a senior starting outside hitter for the Tigresses and played four years at Culver Stockton University. She married PHS grad Mike Thomson (’89) and they live in Springfield and have three children — Ellie (20), Matthew (18) and Will (10). Rachael was a stay-at-home mom, or as she calls it, “Ambassador of Domestic Affairs,” and became active in community and several boards. From 2007 to 2020, she was the founding board member and primary fundraiser for a $8 million project to build a children’s museum focusing on health, wellness and science to Springfield. The museum has been closed due to the pandemic.
• Kimberly (Norrell) Vincent: Was a sophomore brought up for the state tournament. Lives in Chicago and works for Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.
• Shannon (Sapp) Killion: Moving to Princeton four days before her freshman year, Shannon found a new home with the Tigresses. She taught biology and coached volleyball for three years. She lives in Morton with her husband, Jason. Their daughter, Kyra, will play softball at Grinnell College where her aunt, Courtney, played volleyball. Their son, Kyle, will be a junior at U of I.
• Jennifer (Segerstrom) Blake: A sophomore call-up for state. She is a PT specializes in geriatric and pediatric rehabilitation. Lives in Jefferson City, Mo., with her husband Scott, and two children, Ethan, who will be a senior in high school, and Abby, a junior.
• Kerry (Sluis) Bryson: Was a senior starter on the state squad. Lives in Ottawa with her husband, Pat (PHS ‘86), and daughter Peyton, a freshman, and son Colt, a seventh grader, both active in sports. She has worked as an attorney for the Office of the State Appellate Defender for 21 years. Her current title is deputy state appellate defender.
• Marnie Swanson: Was a junior reserve on the team and still played recreational volleyball well into her 20s. Lives in Princeton, and works for the Housing Authority for LaSalle County in Ottawa.
• Stephanie (Windt) Batiste: Was a junior reserve on the state squad. Has been married to her “best friend,” Brent, for 24 years and lives in DeKalb. They have four children, Abby (21), Hannah (19), Hope (16) and Jake (14). They are directors of the NIU’s Athletes in Action, the sports outreach division for Campus Crusade for Christ.
• Marla (Wood) Sachs: Was a junior reserve in 1990. She lives in Orlando with her husband, Jeffrey, two children, Michael (8) and Harper Grace (5), and their 2-year-old puppy, Leah. She is a Florida State University graduate, and with a degree in communications and business and has enjoyed a career in marketing and advertising. She likes spending her free time with her family on the Florida beaches and driving around in their ‘68 convertible Camaro.
And the coaches
• Rita Placek: Retired after the 1998 season after 25 years as head coach, compiling a 493-176-12 record with five NCIC championships, 16 regionals, nine sectionals, three state appearances. She is the grandmother of five kids.
• Kaye Pearson: Retired in 2013 after teaching/career at Logan Junior High, now in real estate.
• Eric Tinley: Spent 29 years on the PHS volleyball staff (1989-2017). Still teaches at PHS.