One of his players, Kacie Hausfeld, put the tournament into perspective for him.
“Kacie tugged at my sleeve and said, ‘It’s not over yet, coach.’ Even if she was a little distraught she never showed it,” Garcia said.
The team did qualify for the national tournament that year.
Kacie and her father, Tom Hausfeld, died Thursday, April 1, when their plane crashed at the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport. The father and daughter are survived by wife and mother, Lori Hausfeld of Springboro, and their daugther and sister, Ali.
Kacie was a junior at the University of Dayton and a starter on the women’s volleyball team. Garcia said people questioned whether the 5’9” athlete would play ball at the college level, even after she led the Alter High School Knights to a state championship in 2006. Kacie persevered.
Former UD volleyball coach Tim Horsmon recruited Kacie and coached her for one year.
“She was a good volleyball player, but she was a better person,” Horsmon said. “Kacie was just beautiful inside and out. A great kid. She worked hard, smart, great teammate, great kid to coach. She just had everything going for her.”
The Flyers played together most recently at the Munciana Spring Invite last weekend, sweeping Indianapolis, Purdue, Michigan State and Indiana. UD volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield said the team will not play in the spring season tournament scheduled Saturday, April 10, in Indianapolis. The Flyers are expected to resume play at a home tournament April 17.
“We’re feeling our way through this,” Sheffield said. “We’re going to have to give (our players) a safe haven.”
Sheffield said he spent more time with Kacie than any other player on his squad, because she was the setter, the team anchor. It took time for him to see her light-heartedness, her humor, the fun-loving side, because she was so focused on the court.
“You don’t see the smile in the gym. While on the court there was a drive,” Sheffield said.
The coach called Kacie’s career at UD a fairy tale.
She came to the volleyball team as a walk-on. When UD’s All-American setter Erin Schroeder went down with a season-ending ACL tear, Kacie stepped off the bench.
“The hometown girl walks on and leads the team. She has had a level of success here that very few people have had anywhere,” Sheffield said.
On Monday, April 5, the University of Dayton will hold a 9 p.m. memorial service at the Thomas J. Frericks Center to remember the Hausfelds. The service is for the campus community only. It is not open to the public.
Work ethic, love of life a family trait
Many say Kacie’s strong work ethic, her love of life is a reflection of her family.
“To me, when you look at Tom and you look at Kacie — the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. It was on the tree,” Garcia said. “The fingerprints and spirit of this family will be with us forever because of the kind of people they were.”
Sadly, this tragedy is about a daughter and a father and how many lives he touched as well, Sheffield said.
“There is a story to be told of a guy who has had unbelievable success in business at 50. He was living his passion — racing cars, flying. He was philanthropic and did all kinds of fundraising,” Sheffield said.
Tom grew up in Minster in Auglaize County. He and his brothers helped out at the family business, Linie Hausfeld Motor Sales.
He pitched for the baseball team and played guard for the basketball team at Minster High School, recalled Fred Sommer, a former teammate.
“Growing up, we were always together,” Sommer said Saturday, April 3.
Both were left-handed pitchers. Hausfeld was a guard, Sommer a center and leading scorer on the varsity basketball team.
“He was second. He said I shot too much,” Sommer said.
Sommer and Hausfeld shared a love for cars and washed them on weekends at the Hausfeld business.
Hausfeld introduced Sommer to his wife, Sherry.
“He had a date with her before I did. Yeah, we were pretty close,” Sommer said.
Although at different schools, Tom’s wife, Lori, and Sherry were both cheerleaders, who knew each other since junior high.
After college, Hausfeld moved back to Minster and the two families grew close again.
Hausfeld moved to the Dayton area after he and his brothers, Doug and Brad, built up Auto Disposal Systems, a business they sold about two years ago, friends said.
Sommer and Hausfeld renewed their friendship in recent years as Hausfeld returned to Minster to check on his parents.
“It just shocked me when I heard the news,” Sommer said. “I still cant believe it. He’s such a serious guy, He was always safety first. He was a leader.”
Family known for caring ways
Family friend Mary DeMange, whose daughter Carrie played volleyball with Kacie’s sister, Ali, at Alter High School and Duke University, said words cannot describe the closeness of the family and their caring ways.
“They were always thinking of others, wanted to give back and did so in many ways,” DeMange said. “Tom was a very devout Catholic and very proud of that heritage, so I know all of the prayers of so many people that both he and Kacie have touched will, hopefully, be a solace for Lori and Ali.”
Hausfeld volunteered at St. Henry where he served on the parish council and worked on the construction committee for the church’s athletic center. At Alter High School, he served on the board of trustees and the financial board.
“Tom did so much behind the scenes in terms of his generosity. He didn’t do it for show, or to be recognized. He did it to make a difference,” said Paul Coudron, a family friend and member of the parish.
The Rev. Lawrence “Stretch” Mierenfeld, pastor of Incarnation Catholic Church and former pastor at St. Henry, said Tom Hausfeld was always willing to give his time and talents to the community.
“We’re just devastated for the family and what they are going through,” Mierenfeld said.
“They were two young, vibrant people one moment and gone the next. We need to treasure the people important in our lives. We only have them for a short time.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2362 or josmith@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Staff writers Mark Gokavi and Lawrence Budd contributed to this story.
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