Volleyball official gets rare opportunity to watch from stands during daughter’s state tournament run at Southeastern

NORMAL, Ill. — Christine Stephens got to watch most of her daughter’s volleyball matches this fall, but not in the way most moms do.

Arguably the best high school volleyball official in West-Central Illinois, Stephens is in gymnasiums many nights during the fall. When her freshman daughter, Amanda, takes the floor for the Augusta Southeastern volleyball team, Christine often is not in the crowd.

“I’ve probably watched every game on video when I get home,” she said.

“I’m very thankful that we have a live stream, because she gets to watch several of the matches,” Amanda said after Friday’s 25-16, 25-23 victory over Springfield Lutheran in the Class 1A state semifinal match at Redbird Arena. “I have five siblings who she’s very busy with, but she does find time for me to watch.”

Stephens also had several chances to watch her daughter from a rare vantage point. She officiated “nine or 10” matches that her daughter played in.

‘I don’t think Amanda even notices when I’m out there’

“I don’t think Amanda even notices when I’m out there,” Christine said. 

“First of all, she’s a great official,” Amanda said. “She watches the game very closely since she’s an official, and she gives me tips after the game on how to get better and how to improve, which I really like.”

Local coaches don’t seem to mind when mom is officiating her daughter’s matches. When asked about Christine officiating a Southeastern game in Augusta earlier this season, one opposing local principal quipped, “I wouldn’t want any other official out there. She’s that good.”

Christine played volleyball at Mother McAuley High School in Chicago and at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She also coached high school volleyball for three years at Quincy Notre Dame, guiding the Lady Raiders to the Class A state tournament in 2003. She stepped away from coaching in 2005 after the birth of her oldest child, Danny, and later began officiating.

Remaining neutral during her daughter’s games hasn’t been a problem for Christine. That doesn’t mean the former player and coach doesn’t have thoughts about her daughter’s play during a match.

Christine has played, coached in state tournament

“Sometimes I want to say something, but I keep it under my breath,” Christine said with a grin. “And since (officials) have to wear masks, sometimes I can kind of say it but no one can seem my lips move to hear me.”

Christine put away her officiating uniform to don a Southeastern sweatshirt on Friday and sit in the stands with her husband, Jeremy, and her children.

“This is a really proud moment,” she said. “It’s a lot less stressful to be a mom, for sure, less than as a coach or a player. Today, it’s like everything has come full circle. I played here, then I coached here, and now I’m watching my daughter here.”

Amanda had 14 kills in Friday’s semifinal and leads the team with 385 kills this season. She doesn’t hesitate to ask her mom for help.

“We do talk about volleyball quite a bit,” she said. “After most matches, I ask for her advice. I’ll text her and ask, ‘How can I do better? How can I improve? What can I do to get better?’”