"Setting" Big Goals
St. Kate’s volleyball starts the season off strong
By Meredith Toussaint
The St. Kate’s volleyball team has already won 12 games this season, and they have started off their year with a lot of excitement and growth as a group. So far this season, they have played against the defending national champions, and teams ranked #13, #15 and #17 in the nation. They also recently won against Bethel University for the first time since 2010.
However, the most important thing to them is not necessarily the numbers on the scoreboard, but their chance to work together and do something they care about.
The volleyball team this year has four seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and eight freshmen. Head coach Todd Nelson noted that they have a very young team, but that he has been “really happy with their progression, especially with such a difficult schedule.” He said their goal for this year is to qualify for the conference competition, and he believes that they are in a good position to do so.
In addition to their successes so far this season, they have also had the opportunity to grow closer as a team and build community with each other. Lexie Petrick ‘25 (Business Administration) said that some of her favorite memories from being on the volleyball team are not from games or practices, but from team bonding events.
Each grade level on the team organizes a night to spend time together and get to know each other better, and this is something that means a lot to all of them. Petrick said the team has a tradition of saying they are all their “sisters’ keepers,” and this means, “We all have each other’s backs, and we’re all going to be there for each other,” even outside of the Butler Center.
Nelson also noted the kinship between the members of his team and how this is beneficial to them not only on the court but also in other aspects of their lives on campus. While being in a sport in college is a major time commitment, the time constraints of practices, strength training and competitions actually help team members learn how to manage their time well, and they have their teammates to help with any difficulties they encounter. Nelson said he is “always impressed with how they manage athletics, academics, work and study. We ask a lot of them, but they always handle it well.”
The volleyball team discusses playing strategies. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Dugan.
Another point both Nelson and Petrick brought up is that volleyball is the ultimate team sport. Both played other sports throughout their childhood, but ultimately chose to focus on volleyball because of the connections they gained with the people around them. “There’s something about the athleticism involved in volleyball, and the communication and teamwork required,” Nelson said. Volleyball is one sport that is impossible to play by yourself, and this is exactly what makes it meaningful for the coaches and players here. As Petrick said, “You have to have a lot of trust in your teammates.” This trust and dependence on each other comes off the court with them as well.
The future is looking bright for the volleyball team here this season, and the coaches and teammates are happy to be a part of it. In Nelson’s words, “I love our group. People get to see the matches, but they don’t always know the amount of work, passion and time they all put into it to become the best they can be, or the camaraderie that’s developed.” As they work toward their goal of participating in conference, there are many games yet to come this semester.
