It’s no secret to anyone who has watched Crown Point sophomore Hayden Klimowicz play this season that she has elevated her game.
Making the leap to the varsity team as a freshman was a challenge for her, according to her Crown Point coach Alison Duncan. But as Klimowicz’s second season nears its end, the 5-foot-5 defensive specialist has found her footing.
Look no further than the Class 4A LaPorte Regional championship match against Duneland Athletic Conference rival Chesterton on Oct. 25.
“I got really motivated during the fourth set after I started to feel mad,” Klimowicz said. “It came out of pure anger. The past couple of sets, they’d been toying with us, and we were toying with them, and I was like, ‘No, this isn’t how it should be. We should be the ones to come out on top.’ So I let it all out in the fourth set, and it helped us get the win.”
Klimowicz’s serving run, along with her 17 digs, helped the Bulldogs rally to win 19-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-18, 15-11 and extend their postseason. Crown Point (30-3) will play Penn (24-6) in the Rochester Semistate semifinals at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Stepping up in high-pressure moments is a tall order for an underclassman, but Duncan said Klimowicz thrives when she’s challenged. That’s valuable on a team with players like senior outside hitter Elle Schara, a Purdue commit, and senior libero Bella Del Real, a Southern Illinois commit.
“A lot of teams target her because she’s younger,” Duncan said. “Instead of sending the ball to Bella or Elle, they go after Hayden until they realize she’s a really good defensive player. She’s scrappy, she moves well, she covers hitters. Teams usually try to test her before they realize these things.”
Klimowicz describes herself as “fearless,” and her approach backs that up.
“I will go after any ball,” she said. “If that means going into the stands or running into a wall, I’ll do whatever I need to for a point.”
Teammates and coaches describe Klimowicz as “caring, supportive and thoughtful” off the court. She said those traits have been the key to building her confidence and chemistry with older teammates.
One of those connections has become a close friendship. Del Real, a third-year varsity player and a team captain whose on-court responsibilities are similar to Klimowicz’s, is one of her biggest supporters. Their relationship resembles a “big sister-little sister bond,” according to Duncan.
Del Real goes a step further.
“She’s someone I could always go to, no matter what,” Del Real said. “She was always there, ready to be a good friend, and you just don’t find many people like that. She would check up on me and talk to me about any problems I was having. She became my comfort person and one of my best friends.”
Klimowicz said the same about Del Real.
“Bella has always been that person for me,” Klimowicz said. “If I feel like I want to just sit on the floor, stop the game and be done, she picks me up and says, ‘No, we’re not doing that. You’ve got this.’ She’s constantly reminding me that I really am a good player, that I’ve earned everything that’s come my way and that I’ll always be better than I think I am.
“She’s not just my comfort person on the court, but off the court too. I know I could tell her anything and she would never judge me for it.”
As Del Real’s high school career winds down, she’s excited to see what Klimowicz does next.
“She’s already an amazing player, but I know she can improve so much more,” Del Real said. “Just as she’s looked up to me, others are going to start looking up to her. I can’t wait for her time to come.”
Duncan said that’s a matter of when, not if.
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“Sometimes for defensive players, it’s really difficult to get recruited,” Duncan said. “It’s easy for them to get overlooked. But I know Hayden is going to find a home.
“She’s doing all the right things as a younger athlete. She’s working on her communication skills and her physical presence on the court. I think it’s just a matter of when it happens and what school she decides to go to.”
Before she reaches that point, Klimowicz still has plenty left to accomplish at Crown Point. Among her goals is a new career high in digs — she needs three more to surpass the 277 she recorded last season— and winning a state title for Duncan.
Klimowicz wants to get a driver’s license too. Regarding that goal, she tried to settle one debate before it could begin.
“I’m 100% a better driver than Bella,” she said.
Noah Poser is a freelance reporter.