Eagles senior puts on a Schow

The long arms of Estancia High senior Olivia Schow work to her advantage.

In volleyball, the 6-foot middle blocker is able to get to almost anything an opponent could throw at her. In water polo those arms mean she is able to be an effective defender, reaching over a player for steals without fouling.

But, for more than a year now, Schow’s arms have needed to be used for something else: holding a needle for insulin injections.

Schow was diagnosed with type-one diabetes in December 2006.

“I went to Mexico over Christmas, and I got back and I ended up getting sick,” Schow said. “My brother got sick on the way home from Mexico, he started puking on the plane, and I got sick when we got back. I guess when you get sick and you have diabetes, everything goes out of control. I felt dehydrated; I had been drinking a lot of water, and I started getting really sick and hallucinating. My parents took me to the hospital and I had diabetic ketoacidosis.”

Ketoacidosis occurs when there is little or no insulin in their body. Schow, who said she has no family history of diabetes, spent two nights in the intensive-care unit before being released on New Year’s Eve.

Now, Schow has to inject insulin before most meals to keep her blood sugar at a normal level. She counts her carbohydrates and goes in for testing every couple of months.

“I’m able to tell if I get too low [with my blood sugar level], because then I’ll start shaking and I’ll just eat something,” Schow said. “Or, if I get too high, I’ll just give myself a little extra insulin. It’s pretty easy if you’re aware of what you’re eating.”

Schow refuses to let diabetes define her.

It helps that she is active, since exercise lowers one’s blood-sugar level. Schow has been playing varsity volleyball for the Eagles for three years after picking up the sport at the end of her freshman year. Last fall, she was a first-team All-Orange Coast League selection, leading Estancia in service aces and blocks and finishing second in kills.

Coach Jim Huffman said although he and his coaching staff knew about the diabetes, he didn’t notice any change in Schow’s play.

“We tried to be aware and see if she looked like she was lethargic,” Huffman said. “Everybody had their eye open, but I didn’t notice any change in her game. She made it through volleyball quite well ... She just seems to be the kind of person who can handle it.”

Schow, who plays for the Fountain Valley-based TCA club volleyball team, has a future in the sport. She’ll be attending Bates College in Maine in the fall and playing volleyball for the Division III-level Bobcats.

Water polo, though? The sport was somewhat foreign to Schow before Coach Jennifer Perry brought up the idea. Schow is a student in Perry’s AP Government and AP Macroeconomics classes at Estancia.

They’re two of five advanced placement classes that Schow, who has over a 4.0 GPA and is vying for valedictorian honors at Estancia, is taking.

A big time commitment for classes, but the Eagles’ water polo team needed bodies. Perry knew Schow could swim, because Perry was a lifeguard when Schow used to swim at Los Caballeros Racquet and Sports Club in Fountain Valley. Still, Schow had some reservations, although her younger brother, Preston, is a freshman water polo player for Mater Dei.

“I hadn’t really done any contact sports,” Schow said. “I tried basketball for two days one time and didn’t really like it. [Water polo] was really different, just the way the game is structured. It’s really different from anything I had done before.”

Still, she decided to give it a try. She began playing the sport in late November on the junior varsity level.

“There’s so many rules,” she said. “Starting out, I was just kind of like, ‘Put your hand in the air. Swim and try to get to the ball.’ That was pretty much it. But once you play a few games, it’s easy to pick up.

“Now I actually know what’s going on, so that’s good,” Schow added with a laugh.

But Schow was one of the JV team’s leading goal scorers. She soon advanced to varsity and she’s been a key reserve for the Eagles, who play at cross-town rival Costa Mesa on Wednesday in both teams’ regular-season finale.

Meagan Kunert, the only other senior on Estancia, said she was excited when Schow decided to join the team. The two players knew each other through classes.

“I knew she was a good swimmer,” Kunert said. “And, when we saw her play, she had so much talent. Her shot is amazing for just starting; she’s got a really hard shot. And with her swimming skills, she can keep up with the varsity girls. And her blocking, she just sticks her arm up into the air. Just like she’s a wall in volleyball, she’s a wall in water polo, too.”

Perry said Schow, who is a driver for the Eagles and occasionally plays set defense, fits in really well with the team.

“She gets along with everyone, and it seems like she’s having a lot of fun,” Perry said. “The rest of the team is generally pretty young, but her maturity adds a lot to the team ... She just has really, really long arms, which is great. She can guard and, without fouling somebody, she can reach over and get steals. That’s a great advantage for a defensive player.”

Schow may not continue playing water polo after this year. But it’s another thing in her life that she’s taken in stride, just like the diabetes.

“You’re asking a lot for a 17-year-old to take that on,” Huffman said. “Being 17 is just enough. But she’s pretty disciplined. I’m not surprised she’s doing well [in water polo]. She’s kind of fearless. Add that to her athletic ability, and she’s extremely coach-able.”

Kunert said the Eagles are definitely glad that Schow is now a part of the team.

“Last year when she came back to school, I remember her having to give herself shots,” Kunert said. “I’m a little bit uncomfortable around that. But we’re all really proud of her for overcoming that, and she’s still an amazing athlete. It’s incredible.

“She’s one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet in your life.”

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.