The co-captain of the New Providence girls’ volleyball team and versatile track athlete Elaine House has been named the New Providence Athlete of the Week.

Not only is she a key aspect to the Pioneers’ 6-4 record with impressive wins over Cranford, Johnson, and rival Summit, she leads the volleyball team in virtually every category. Her 21 service aces, 60 kills, 173 assists, and 25 digs prove her importance to the team.

However, her impressive numbers aren’t 100 percent indicative of how valuable she is to the team.

“Elaine is very important to our team,” head coach Marla Malinauskas said. “She is one of our captains and she is able to motivate herself and the team to play well.”

“She also encourages her teammates to push themselves to win.”

Her stats prove she is a fantastic volleyball player, but she is also an avid participant in the school’s character education program, as well as running for the winter and spring cross-country teams for the high school.
It is evident that Elaine has been a hard worker and a leader on and off the court.

“It means a lot to be the captain,” House said. “I’ve been working hard and that’s been a goal for me for a long time.”

Although the volleyball team is well over halfway done with the season, that doesn’t mean House is satisfied with where they are.

“We definitely want to finish with a winning record,” she said. “The seniors are working really hard to make our last year the best it can possibly be. Also, individually, I want to improve on playing in the back row and seeing open spots on the court to serve to.”

Despite her success in volleyball in high school, Elaine will not play at the top level in college. She does, however, hope to play in an intramural league and “continue to play on a team and meet new people.”
Make sure to catch the Pioneers on Thursday at Johnson High School. The team returns home on October 18 when they host Dayton.