Impact Of A Scholarship: Kelsey Hrebenach
Kyle Miller, Maryland Media Relations
10/28/2021
As a DMV native and her dad being a Maryland alumnus, Kelsey Hrebenach wanted to be nowhere else but College Park.
As an avid volleyball player growing up, when her skills allowed her to play at the collegiate level, Hrebenach jumped at the chance to play for the school that she had always dreamed of.
“It was a no-brainer to come play for Maryland,” she said. “I always wanted to come play for Maryland.”
Hrebenach committed to Maryland early at the age of 16, and even though she received scholarships from other schools and was honored to have options, there was no comparison. It had to be Maryland, “My heart was always set,” as she put it.
I am extremely thankful for the amazing opportunity to have played volleyball here. Those donors [who helped pay for my scholarship] helped create amazing connections, and I still to this day see them as friends. I am very thankful to the donors, and I hope one day to give back to someone else, to give them the experience I had.Kelsey Hrebenach
Hrebenach grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, and starred for Heritage High School, leading the Pride to the Virginia AAA Cedar Run District title and Northwest Region title as a junior. Then her following year in high school, she led the Pride to second place in the AA Dulles District, solidifying a spot on the Dulles All-District second team.
Hrebenach was named to the 2011-12 Under Armour All-America Watch List and voted as a 2011 Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year finalist for her efforts.
As a freshman at Maryland, Hrebenach came on strong during the last month of the season, tallying all her 43 kills over the last ten matches of the year. She averaged a team-high 0.43 service aces per set and finished with 35 total blocks.
One of her favorite memories on the court in her entire career came in her freshman season, and it was against the Terps bitter rival and old ACC foe, Duke.
“I remember beating Duke at home on senior night as a freshman,” she said “It just felt amazing to get a piece of that win right off the bat in my career.”
The following year, Hrebenach teamed up with Adreené Elliott and Ashlyn MacGregor to form one of the most formidable blocking groups in the conference. She finished the season second on the team with 1.08 blocks per set (103 total), was fourth on the team with 15 service aces, and also tallied 100 kills.
As a Junior, Hrebenach was part of the Maryland move from the ACC to the Big Ten. Her first two years in the ACC and her last two in the Big Ten. She appeared in 61 sets and notched 32 kills, ten digs, and 26 blocks.
Traveling to all the different places and college towns is a major perk of being a collegiate athlete, and it was one of Hrebenach’s favorite things to do as a Terp. Whether it was long bus rides or flights across the country, these trips allowed the volleyball team to bond even more.
Because of the move to the Big Ten, the Terps would travel a little longer and to colder climates. One of the best memories Hrebenach has is a trip to Iowa City because of the culture shock it gave to some of her warm-weather teammates.
“I remember it was snowing in October, and the team had a first-time experience and freaked out. It was so cool to see their faces,” Hrebenach said.
Hrebenach entered her senior year as an entrenched star on the team, with her experience allowing her to be one of the program’s leaders. However, a season-ending injury would derail her season, and ultimately her career.
Even with the injury, Hrebenach stayed upbeat. Her four years at Maryland prepared her for the challenges that life would throw at her, and it’s these experiences that made her stronger in the long run.
“You learn a lot from being a student-athlete, whether it’s facing academic or physical challenges, such as an injury,” she said.
Rehabbing an injury is difficult, but it was even more difficult for Hrebenach not to be on the court with her teammates. During her absence, Hrebenach did everything she could to be there for his teammates and was willing to take on any role to do so.
“Just being around the court, with all my teammates and coaches, people just want to watch you play and be a help in any way they can,” she said. “I remember it being a random Tuesday afternoon practice, and donors would come in and just enjoy watching us play and see how we are getting better as athletes, but people as well.”
Maryland made me the best human being I could be.Kelsey Hrebenach
She loved her life as a student-athlete with great academics and an amazing time playing the sport she loved. Hrebenach went on to graduate with a communications degree.
“Maryland made me the best human being I could be,” she said.
Hrebenach works out of Laurel, Maryland, with Select Event, a rental resource company specializing in special event planning. Hrebenach is a project manager and works with tenting in different areas.
Her job takes her all around the Mid-Atlantic, with some events even bringing her back to her old stomping grounds.
“It’s very cool how everything has come full circle, and I find myself doing work here in College Park,” she said.
Hrebenach also spends her time as a volleyball coach with her old team, the Virginia Elite Volleyball Club. When she played, Hrebenach helped the club win back-to-back Chesapeake Region titles in 2010 and 2011.
Being a coach allows her to reflect on all the positive experiences that the game of volleyball gave to her, especially the memories and relationships that she formed with her teammates.
“We became family,” Hrebenach said. “We all went through the same highs and lows together, and there was nothing better than being able to go into battle with them. They are some of the best friends I’ll ever meet.”
Now, as a successful Program Manager and Event Sales Consultant, Hrebenach can look back and reflect on how grateful she was to be allowed to play under an athletic scholarship.
For her, the Maryland donors made a significant difference in her life, and it’s why she’s always made her gratitude felt.
“The donors invest into you as a person and a player,” Hrebenach said. “They want to know who you are and really become a helping hand. I will always stop and say hi to the donors and be sure always to thank them.”
With her career taking off, Hrebenach more than ever sees the worth of being on scholarship. As she continues to climb the corporate ladder and with her love of Maryland athletics never waning, she hopes to one day give back as much as she can.
“I am extremely thankful for the amazing opportunity to have played volleyball here,” Hrebenach said. “Those donors [who helped pay for my scholarship] helped create amazing connections, and I still to this day see them as friends. I am very thankful to the donors, and I hope one day to give back to someone else, to give them the experience I had.”
