Ava Falduto likes to dream big, and she has a knack for turning those dreams into reality.

Falduto became the first player from IC Catholic to play for her country when she helped the U.S. team win the FIVB U19 World Championship tournament, which was held Aug. 1-11 in Osijek, Croatia. She was one of five players from that team who then competed Aug. 15-27 at the U21 tournament in Leon, Mexico, where the U.S. finished sixth.

“It was definitely an honor,” Falduto said. “I’ve always dreamed of this growing up. I remember watching the last world championships, and I was like, ‘I want to get there one day.’

“Finally getting to be in this position is just a complete honor, and I’m so grateful to have this opportunity. It’s just been absolutely crazy these past few months.”

Falduto, a 5-foot-7 senior who has committed to play at Penn State as a libero, was one of 20 players invited to the national training center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. That group also included fellow Elmhurst resident Abby Vander Wal, a 6-3 junior outside hitter at Timothy Christian who has committed to Texas.

The longtime friends both made the 12-player roster for the U19 tournament, where Vander Wal had 15 kills in a 20-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-10 win against Turkey in the match for gold.

Just making the roster is a huge achievement.

“There are a lot of players across the country who have dreams of doing that,” IC Catholic coach Nancy Kerrigan said. “You look at the roster size and then you look at the number of liberos that have that opportunity, and it’s one or two out of thousands. So to call it special is maybe kind of an understatement.”

Falduto had never gone abroad until this summer. She said the nearly six weeks she spent out of town offered an eye-opening experience.

“I definitely grew a lot as a player and a person,” she said. “I learned a lot from a lot of different coaches and just playing with a lot of different people and incredible players from around the world.

“Playing against that competition is like nothing compared to anything I have ever experienced. That was really cool.”

But Falduto’s personal growth wasn’t limited to her sport.

“I definitely learned a lot about myself off the court,” she said. “Being away from home for that long of a time was definitely difficult, but I think I learned time management, and keeping in touch with people from home really helped too.”

Falduto didn’t get any time to rest after returning home but has resumed her high level of play, although not as a libero.

Falduto plays outside hitter for IC Catholic, and she does it well. She had 477 kills and 311 digs last season to lead the Knights to a 33-2 record and second-place finish in Class 2A. That included a memorable 18-kill performance against Chicago Christian in a supersectional, when she played through a high fever due to food poisoning.

“She’s just an incredible hitter and can hit from the front and back row,” said IC Catholic senior setter Lucy Russ, who has played with Falduto since they were in fifth grade. “She can hit a lot of different balls. We both started playing varsity freshman year, so that’s when it got to the point where I realized she can play anywhere.”

The position switches don’t seem to bother Falduto. The Knights (15-2) have been tough to beat since she returned to the lineup.

“I’m still kind of adjusting after being a libero for the past three months and then not really hitting a ball over my head,” Falduto said. “It’s definitely an adjustment, but it’s also really fun, and it’s really fun to have Lucy as my setter. She puts up money balls all day.”

Falduto and many of her relatives have been money players for IC Catholic. Her father, John, played football for the Knights, and her three older siblings all were star athletes there. Falduto’s sister Kaitlyn played volleyball and softball. Her brother Andrew won three state championships in football, and another brother, Johnny, played for two of those championship teams.

“It’s definitely cool seeing my family do well,” Falduto said. “I grew up around IC sports, and I got to play my freshman year with my cousin Sophie, so that was a cool experience. It kind of got my feet wet.”

Which is why Falduto is driven to achieve another dream: leading the Knights to a state title.

“The goal is always to win and to grow, and I think this year we have a really good shot of making it back where we were last year,” she said. “But I think taking it home is obviously the goal.

“College is the same thing. I want to win a national championship, and I think Penn State has a legacy that no one can top. The coaches there are incredible, and we have all the tools that will get us there.”

Those are lofty goals, but it would be unwise to bet against Falduto, who has a 4.96 GPA and is smart enough to know how much work it will take to achieve them.

“She understands what she has to do to get there,” Kerrigan said. “She’s already proved that in targeting and setting her goals and sights on that national team opportunity, and now she has her foot in the door there.

“She is obviously very good at matching her goals with the work that’s needed. That’s why I think the sky is the limit for her at Penn State.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.