The volleyball player from Chicago is going to Germany this summer and hoping to see some of her former teammates—from Norway.
Yep, welcome to the world of Jessica Andrasko, 37, who actually lives and works in suburban Bolingbrook and is going to Cologne, Germany, in July for Gay Games VIII. She is playing volleyball with a team of Chicagoans, known as Momentum; the squad includes Kate Hahn, Joy Lesnick, Tegan Kinane, Sasha Tkach, Angela Northrop and others.
"I am so excited to go back overseas to play volleyball," said Andrasko, who played four years of Division I volleyball at Bowling Green State University before graduating in 1995. She then played pro volleyball in Norway, coached at the University of Toledo and Valparaiso University, and still plays competitively in various leagues in the city and suburbs.
This will be her third Games—Chicago in 2006 and her lone medal-winning event, a bronze in Amsterdam in 1998.
And she has played competitive volleyball for the past 28 years.
"Our team is working hard to fundraise for this trip and we set up a website with player profiles, upcoming events and online donations at www.momentumvb.com," Andrasko said. "I am the only child, grandchild and niece on my mother's side of the family, and was raised to play sports in my family. I will be thinking about my grandpa [ while in Cologne ] ; he recently passed away and was my biggest fan and supporter and never missed a game of mine in high school or college."
Jess, as she's commonly called, is a science teacher at Bolingbrook High School. She has been dating Lisa for almost two years, and Lisa might be golfing at the Games.
Jessica Andrasko facts:
—High school: Sweet Home in New York; Class of 1991
—College: Bowling Green State University ( 1995 ) ; 1st Masters, University of Toledo ( 1997 ) ; 2nd Masters, Chicago State University ( 2005 )
—Chicago Force: Played two years for the women's tackle football team
—Goals for the Gay Games: "To bring home a gold medal"
—Strength of your volleyball game: "Hitting and passing"
—Volleyball position: Outside hitter
—Sports fever: Was a varsity volleyball, basketball and softball player in high school for all four years, All-State in all three sports. Recruited for volleyball and basketball in college, but decided to play volleyball on scholarship at Bowling Green State.
—Home sweet home: "I moved to the Chicago area and started teaching and became a high school volleyball coach. I continue to run volleyball camps and clinics for middle school and high school [ students ] , and adults."
—Spike this: "For the past 10 years, I have been playing various CMSA sports, including volleyball, beach volleyball, flag football, dodgeball, softball, as well as competitive basketball and volleyball in the suburbs as well as being on a travelling tournament softball team. I also have been golfing quite a bit with my girlfriend."
—Other sports to see in Cologne?: Basketball, beach volleyball, flag football and softball
—How the 2010 Games will compare with 2006 in Chicago: "Hopefully there will be more teams since in Chicago there were only four teams competing."
—Favorite pro sports: Football and baseball
—Favorite pro athlete: Billie Jean King
—Favorite pro team: Pittsburgh Steelers
—Hobbies: Golfing, bowling, bags, playing Wii, hanging out with my girlfriend, our dog and friends.
—Favorite TV show ( s ) : Fringe, Bones, The Mentalist, CSI, Damages
—Favorite movie ( s ) : Avatar, any Tim Burton movies and Johnny Depp movies
—Little-known skill: "I make stained-glass pieces."
