Oregon Elementary School Paraprofessional Robin Keane took her volleyball officiating to a new level last weekend, following in the footsteps of her mother.

Keane, 45, of Mt. Morris, was one of eight floor umpires selected to officiate at the IHSA State Volleyball Finals at Illinois State University from Nov. 14-15.

She is the daughter of Crete LeFevre, a longtime sports official in northwestern Illinois, and fulfilled one of her career goals last weekend when she was the R2 (floor umpire) for the 1A and 2A semifinal and final matches.

“It was very exciting. The volleyball matches were full of lots of rallies,” Keane said after the two-day tournament. “I got to meet a lot of other officials. You are working with other top level officials that you’ve never met. R2 is the floor umpire. You have to do the substitutions and check the score in addition to officiating the match.”

Sixteen officials are assigned to the state finals - eight floor officials and eight line judges. Keane had worked the state finals before as a line judge, but 2025 marked the first time she was one of the officials with a whistle.

Keane was on the floor for the first match of the tournament, a Friday 9 a.m. semifinal match between Stockton and Norris City/N.C.-Omaha -Enfield. Stockton won that match in three close sets: 17-25, 25-23, and 25-13.

She also was the R2 umpire for the 1A championship where Stockton fell to Cissna Park (Coop), the 2A semifinal between Riverdale and Columbia and the 2A third-place match between Riverdale and Rockford Christian.

Seeing teams she had umpired for during the regular season made the state experience a little less stressful for Keane.

“I was glad I got to see teams I was familiar with – teams from home,” Keane said.

But the state gig was extra special for Keane, who was marking a return to the state finals floor 18 years after her mom had officiated there in 2007. LeFevre also officiated at the state finals in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

Keane started officiating with her mom in 2002 after graduating from Rockford College (now Rockford University), where she played volleyball from 1998 to 2002. Her college playing days followed four years at Oregon High School, 1994-98, where she also played basketball.

“My mom and I have partnered together for 22 years. It was nice that she was able to come down with me to this year’s state finals,” said Keane.

LeFevre now concentrates on junior high and JV games, but still had plenty of advice for her daughter.

“Oh yeah, she gave me lots of advice. Stay calm, take each play at a time, don’t worry about the whole match,” said Keane. “She said I looked fine, but I was nervous. She was very excited that she was able to come down and see me. It was great we were able to go together this year.

“The atmosphere is very exciting with the band and the crowd. It’s a great experience,” said Keane.

And the weekend also had a bit of a “trend-setter” feel since the 2025 tournament was the first time officials could choose to wear blue or white shirts and use headsets that allow them to immediately communicate during the match.

“This was the first year at state for wearing the headsets which was big for me since I don’t really like technology that much. Someone said we were trend setters – the first to wear blue and use headsets at state,” said Keane.

Working at the state finals isn’t just calling the matches.

“After each match the officials take part in a debriefing session where they review calls and actions. People don’t realize there is a very detailed process,” Keane said.

To be selected to the state tournament, an official must consistently be rated among the very best officials in the state of Illinois, Oregon School District officials posted on social media.

“Robin’s calm demeanor, unwavering positivity, and team-first attitude as a paraprofessional also contribute to her success as an official. We appreciate your dedication to our students in Oregon and student athletes everywhere,” the post said.