Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week: Richmond-Burton’s Elissa Furlan

Name: Elissa Furlan

School: Richmond-Burton, sr.

Sport: Volleyball

Why she was selected: Furlan helped lead the Rockets to a perfect 7-0 week. R-B started off the week with sweeps against Antioch 25-20, 27-25 and Woodstock 25-8, 25-15. The Rockets then won all five of their matches at the Grayslake Central Ram Slam Tournament, defeating host Grayslake Central 25-20, 27-26 in the final (tournament rules capped set points at 27).

Against Antioch, Furlan had 10 kills to lead the Rockets’ attack and against Woodstock she had nine kills and four aces. The Rockets, who won the Kishwaukee River Conference championship last season with a perfect 10-0 record, have started the season 12-0 and have yet to drop a set.

For her performance, Furlan, who will play next year at NCAA Division I Wright State, was selected as the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with Northwest Herald sports editor Alex Kantecki:

What’s been the key to your team’s 10-0 start?

Furlan: This group of girls has a very strong bond on and off the court and we all work really well together. We take practice seriously and we believe every rep matters.

What do you remember most about winning the Grayslake Central Tournament?

Furlan: The thing I remember most about winning the Ram Slam was the energy we had on the court and the bench. We looked at every match like it was the championship. We went in with a game plan and we stuck to it.

What’s it like having your sister on the team? And what’s it like having three sets of sisters on the same team?

Furlan: It has been really fun to have Mia on the team with me for my senior year. It is fun getting to compete against her at practice, even though she is always reminding me that she’s taller than me. Having three sets of sisters has helped create good chemistry on and off the court. It really gives us a sense of being a family-like team.

What sport that you don’t compete in would you be good at?

Furlan: I think I would be pretty good at field hockey. I played floor hockey for seven years and I think those skills would translate over well.

If you could get in a time machine, what athletic even would you go to see?

Furlan: I would love to go back in time and watch my dad play football in college.

Where would you most like to go on vacation?

Furlan: I would really like to go anywhere in the Caribbean because I love the ocean.

What is your favorite class?

Furlan: My favorite class this year is mass communication. It’s a dual credit course and I am planning to major in communication in college, so it’s giving me a good idea of what I can expect.

What scares you?

Furlan: I have an extreme fear of heights, along with the fear that Dunkin’ Donuts will go out of business and I won’t get my pregame iced coffees anymore.

What do you hope people say about you when you’re not there?

Furlan: I hope that people say that I’m a positive person who is outgoing and easy to talk to.

What teammate inspires you the most?

Furlan: I have two people for this answer. First is my club volleyball teammate Kiana Shields. She was a huge part of my support system this past volleyball season. Going through the recruiting process can be stressful at times and she was always there to listen to me and support me. She has the most positive outlook on life. The second is my past R-B teammate Maggie Uhwat. Her and I still talk a lot and it’s been inspiring to see her transition to playing at Central Michigan. She’s been telling me about her experience so far and it makes me more comfortable for my transition to college next year,