For three years, Olivia Shaw was a valuable player for the Montgomery County High School volleyball team, helping the Wildcats to three Eastern Missouri Conference championships, earning all-district honors twice and receiving an all-conference award.

That success has carried over to the High Performance select volleyball squad in St. Louis. Shaw helped the HP White team qualify for the USA Volleyball Nationals, which was scheduled to be played from July 3-6 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. It is the first time the program’s White team advanced to the national tournament.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Shaw said.

The HP White team clinched a berth to the Windy City by finishing fourth in the Gateway Bid Event in May. The team is coached by Jeff Behrmann, Emmarose Neibert and Ken Thoele and has players from schools such as Eureka, Washington, Visitation and Fox High School in Arnold.

“I was kind of hoping it would be a little more interesting place because it was in Las Vegas last year,” Shaw said. “We already played in Chicago this year for a tournament. Chicago is not a bad place to be. We always have so much fun out of town when we’re all together.”

Shaw has been playing in the HP program for three years. This year, she leads the White team in kills and blocks. Shaw said her time with the HP team for the last several months will prepare her for the 2023 high school volleyball season with the Wildcats. Last year, she led MCHS in kills (270) and blocks (51) and helped her team reach the district championship match.

“We just went to a camp down in Rolla for school ball,” Shaw said. “I can notice a difference that I was hitting harder and I was more aware of the court because I play on that club team. It’s better than not doing anything. My coaches want the best of me and they work with me and they give me pointers on how to get better. It’s so helpful.”

HP has three different teams. It also has Royal and Orange squads.

“Royal is the highest level,” Shaw said. “It basically has all D-I athletes. They’re all six foot. Orange and White are about similar. They say Orange is better than White, but we beat Orange. The group of girls we have right now is a really solid group of girls. We work really well together and we know each other on the court. It helps a lot.”

Founded in 2008, HP is one of the top select programs in the country and fields boys and girls teams from age 10-18. It has a total of 22 teams qualify for nationals, which is the second highest behind a select program in Atlanta, Ga.

Shaw played with the team during the winter and spring.

“We play a lot,” Shaw said. “We’ll play 4-5 games a day and we’re dead by the end of it. Then, we’ll go back and do it again the next day.”

Shaw’s strong play with HP attracted college volleyball coaches from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Arizona. Recently, Shaw made recent visits to Utah State University Eastern and Westminster College in Salt Lake City.

“It’s been interesting to watch her as a parent,” said John Shaw, Olivia’s father. “But it’s also pretty cool to see all the options and opportunities that can open doors for her future through athletics. For Olivia, it’s a little bit overwhelming sorting through all the options and trying to decide what’s best for her personally.”

If Shaw plays in college, she will continue a career that began in middle school.

“Honestly, when I was in sixth grade, I was like, ‘I don’t want to play volleyball. My sisters play volleyball.’ I was not going to be like them. I’ll play basketball,” said Shaw, who also plays basketball at MCHS. “In seventh grade, I was like, ‘OK, I’ll guess I start playing volleyball.’”