Role models have never been in short supply for Carmel’s Ashley Schlabowske.
She played with Grace Sullivan (Bucknell), Jordan Wood (Duke) and Mia Gillis (Wisconsin-Whitewater) during her first three varsity seasons.
But one person has stood out: Ashley Schlabowske’s older brother Luke, a 2021 Grayslake North graduate who plays lacrosse at Illinois Wesleyan.
“My brother is really competitive, and he’s always been a really hard worker,” Ashley Schlabowske said. “I’ve always looked up to him. His success always has given me a lot of motivation. I’ve always wanted to do good because of him.”
Ashley Schlabowske, a Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit, has been doing very well for the Corsairs (3-3) this season. Before their win against Lake Forest on Thursday, the 5-foot-8 senior guard was averaging 17.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 3.8 deflections, and she was shooting 48.1% from 3-point range.
Luke Schlabowske isn’t surprised.
“I’ve always told Ashley that the key to success is going to be the work you put in when no one is watching,” he said. “It sounds cliche, but Ashley really took it to heart. I’ve always tried to guide her and help her whenever it came to sports. Ashley has always had that drive to win.”
Ashley Schlabowske etched her name in Carmel lore during her sophomore season. She made three free throws with 1.8 seconds left to beat highly ranked Benet late in the regular season, and she sank three free throws in the final 28.1 seconds to seal Carmel’s win against Nazareth in the Class 3A state championship game. It was the program’s first state title.
But Ashley Schlabowske entered this season with a chip on her shoulder. She took 60,000 shots during the offseason to prepare to become the primary scorer for the Corsairs.
“Seeing other people have so much success motivated me,” she said. “I wanted to be the best version of myself. I’ve always worked hard, but I’ve never really been noticed. I don’t have all these posts or articles, but seeing Jordan and Mia and everyone else in college from past teams succeed showed me I can do that too.
“I’m not really tall, but I put in the work, got stronger and put up a lot of shots, especially for my senior year. I knew this could be my year.”
Ashley Schlabowske, a second-year captain and third-year starter, showcased her expanded game against Buffalo Grove on Nov. 18. She scored 36 points, a program record, on 16-for-26 shooting over 24 minutes. She also had three assists, five steals and six deflections.
“I had no idea about the points during the game,” she said. “I knew I was scoring a lot, but they didn’t have our number on their board. My teammates were looking for me, passing the ball to me. The (record) was a goal I wrote down in my notes that I really wanted to do this year.”
Carmel coach Ben Berg said Ashley Schlabowske is the unquestionable leader and go-to player for the team this season.
“I talked to her about increasing her shot attempts per game,” Berg said. “I knew we needed other people to score, losing so much scoring from the seniors last year. I’m very excited for her because she put all the time in. All that effort is paying off.”
Luke Schlabowske has noticed.
“Ashley is a different player since her junior year,” he said. “I’ve always known she was special, but she has been playing at a whole new level.
“I’ve seen glimpses of how hard she really works. I always hear her telling our parents that she’s off to go shoot or off to another training session.”
Ashley Schlabowske, a solid on-ball defender with quick feet and hands, said she’s also showing a different side of her personality.
“With everyone leaving, I knew I had to take charge of the team, not only on the court but reaching out to my teammates, especially the freshmen,” she said.
She’s determined to leave her mark at Carmel.
“I don’t want to have any regrets when I leave high school,” she said. “I want people to remember me as hardworking and aggressive and a player who would do anything for the team.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.