Minnesota Select Volleyball Club

Each month during the club season, Minnesota Select coaches choose a handful of players to recognize as “Players of the Month.”  Players are recognized for outstanding demonstration of the concepts and expectations of Minnesota Select and their particular team.  

April 2008

Madison Sauer (13-1)
Mad has been competing well for our team and demonstrated a strong ability to take strategy and enact it during games in the last tournament.  She can hit shots when called and come through for the team in placing serves as well.  She has put in a lot of extra time on passing to make her a primary passer for our team serve receive, brings a lot of unity to the team and has good relationships with her teammates. 

Delany Rohan (13-1)
Delany has been a great OH for us this season.   In the qualifier we moved her with only two practices' notice into a setter/rs/6-2 role and not only did she welcome it, she gave over 100%.  She put in extra time to diagram and study the rotations, defense and positioning the night before the tournament and had a GREAT attitude throughout the tournament as she always does.  Delaney does a great job with consistency and placement as an OH and does a great job committing to the ball as a setter.  We have seen a great increase in defensive play over the last month and she has worked hard on her passing technique as well.  Delaney does a great job caring for her teammates and has a calming and relaxing presence on the floor when the team hits stressful situations/competitions.

Lexi Wong (15-1)
Lexi is one of the hardest working players in any gym.  She commits 100% to everything she does.  Whether the team is working on serving, passing, hitting, blocking, etc...she is working to get better every moment.  She also knows how to really enjoy what she does and has fun while working hard.  Lexi has been a huge energy giver to the team throughout the season.  Her positive energy is contagious and really helps to keep a smile on everybody's face.  Lexi has stepped up and played where the team needed her without complaints.  She has played 3 different positions for the team throughout the season - wow!  She works hard at at any position and really just wants to be on the court contributing to the team's success.  Lexi plays a big role for this team - on the court and off the court - physically, mentally and emotionally.  She is a solid player, a spark plug for the team and a fantastic person. 

Kelcy Smith (15-2)
15-2’s had another successful month of Volleyball. The team went 6-0 in a Ralia tournament.  And this weekend we went 6-3 in the Northern Lights Qualifier, placing 28^th out of 104 teams.
Kelcy Smith helped lead the team to success and is Player of the Month for April.  Kelcy is a talented player and is developing strong volleyball skills.  Passing is her most improved skill, and because of it, the team has had great success.
In the Ralia Tournament she played in 10 games. She served at 96%, had 9 aces, 18 kills, hitting efficiency of .120, passed at a 1.54, 19 digs, and 3 blocks.  During the Northern Lights Qualifier she played 18 games.  She served at 94%, had 6 aces, 33 kills, hitting efficiency of .066, 5 blocks, 52 digs, and passed at a 2.03. I was very impressed with her passing this weekend.  And because of it, we played very well as a team.

Karley Killian (15-3)
Keeping in mind our team motto - "Serve Tough, Tough D", it is easy to understand how Karley is one of our players of the month for April. At the Northern Lights Qualifier, Karley registered 11 aces with her jump serve and 7 blocks against tough competition. She has definitely stepped up her competitive level, expanding her game with a variety of shots as a middle hitter and continually working hard during practice to increase her defensive skills. 
Karley has grown tremendously since the beginning of the season and has become a solid middle blocker always open to refining her skills and accepting coaches input. We look forward to Karley helping the 15-3's complete a great season and congratulate her on the Player of the Month award. 

Hannah Terhaar (15-3)
One of the attributes a coach appreciates in a player is their desire to continually improve their game, even though they may experience some setbacks during the season. We have always appreciated Hannah's determination in pushing through and getting back on track. Hannah starting off the season as our offensive leader on the stats sheet. Her consistent outside play and serving helped the team in achieving an 18-7 record through the Ralia Power league and Presidents Day Festival.  Over the past few weeks, Hannah ran into some challenges in technique and struggled in her offense and serve. Instead of getting down on herself, Hannah asked for coaching help and turned in great performances at both the Ralia Tournament and the Northern Lights Qualifier. Congrats Hannah and keep up the good work.     

Alyssa Miller (16-3)
Alyssa Miller has done an outstanding job motivating her team through her playing and been a role model for being a team player.  Her individual effort was exceptional during our games at the Northern Lights Qualifier.

Taylor Marr (16-3)
Taylor Marr has worked extremely hard and shown incredible amounts of improvement as a middle.  She has become a strong force and asset to our team.  Her hitting and kill percentage is somewhere around 75% and her dedication to the game is shown through her playing and efforts. 

Rachel Pekarek (17-2)
Rachel Pekarek has been a consistent player for the 17-2s. She has helped the team to many successes with her reliable ball control. Her unique ability to hit a great back row attack that seems to have come from the front row, as well as her “unbelievable” cut shot (honestly, each time she does we think “how did she do that!”) has pulled our team through some tight spots. She is the type of player that leads through example and inspires her teammates to keep pushing through. Our team has been working on communication on the court and recently Rachel has stepped up and took charge of many plays that may have been lost earlier in the season, congratulations on your improvements Rachel keep up the great work.

Lisa Beacher (17-2)
Lisa Beacher is an extremely hard working player, she is often the last kid into the huddle at practice, as she is finishing picking up balls for the team. This past month Lisa has been asked to play many roles for the 17-2s team, each of which she has embraced and excelled at. When asked to play defense through the back row she gives her all with great discipline and comes up with many great saves, when asked to play front row offense, she responds with a great balance of hard hits and smartly placed shots, finally if Lisa is sitting the bench for a game, she continues her leadership through support and encouragement of her teammates. She has also worked hard to develop an extremely effective jump float. Great work Lisa and congratulations.

Katie Ness (18-2)
Katie Ness has made a significant impact in the back row for us. Her defense has steadily improved and she has been a solid serve receive passer all year long. She is able to effectively read and defend against top hitters. Katie brings energy and enthusiasm to the court every practice and match. She is both a physical and vocal leader on the court and someone we can always count on to raise the level of play. Keep up the good work!
 

March 2008

Mikaela Purnell (12-1)
The player of the month for the 12-1's is Mikaela Purnell.  Mikaela has been a strong player on the 12-1's this whole season, but this past month she really picked it up a notch.  Her passing and serve receive is always consistent, we pretty much count on her to pass nails.  In our last tournament her serve was a weapon earning us many easy points.  She  can also be counted on to step into the setter position and run our offense.  Good job Mikaela, keep up the hard work! 

Erin Miller (14-1)
Congratulations to Erin Miller from the 14-1 team.  Erin comes to practice each day ready to work hard and get better. She is a vocal leader on and off the court and an encourager to her teammates.  Erin also does a tremendous job being ‘coachable.’  She seems to consistently and constantly seek feedback during training.  She asks questions when she doesn’t understand and just generally pursues improvement thoughtfully.  Erin’s thoughtful approach and well-rounded skill abilities also allow her to be utilized as both a middle hitter and a right-side hitter.  Thanks Erin for a great first half of the season!  Keep up the great work!

Natalie Gaio (15-2)
15-2’s had an excellent month in March.  We went 6-0 for matches and won 14 out of 16 games. The team’s dedication to each other, hard work, and skills always make choosing player of the month so difficult.  This month’s player of the month is Natalie Gaio.
Natalie is a rock for this team.  She’s so steady and always does her job as a middle hitter well.  For the month of March she played 15 out of 16 games.  She had 14 kills, 4 errors, hitting efficiency of .217.  She went 52/56 from the serving line with 9 aces and a serving percentage of 92.8.  She had 6 solo and 4 blocking assists.  She averaged .666 blocks per game. She does it all, hits, blocks, serves, and digs.  She does all the skills well and always wants to get better. 
She is a very self-motivated athlete and never takes a day off.  In fact, the first time Velocity tested her, she was upset she didn’t improve significantly.  The next time she did testing she improved her vertical by 3 inches! Natalie is such a vital part of this team. Her play and dedication in practice reflects this.  Great job Natalie!

Alyssa Johnson (15-3)
In all sports, coaches call upon that one athlete to support the team in different roles and positions. Since the beginning of the season, we have had such a need on our team and the go to athlete has jumped in without question and supported the team in different situations. She plays leftside, opposite and defense and brings a desire to learn more about the strategy of the game than just how to hit the ball harder. 
She was one of our first team captains because of her innate leadership qualities and her ability to help her teammates when we need points. This player pushes herself to hone her passing and attacking skills and continues to ask about how she can get better in all aspects of her game. You may hear her teammates refer to her as "the  blade" as her spike from the right side cuts through the defense. Congratulations go the Alyssa Johnson, as the March Player of the Month.   

Kim Anderson (16-2)
Kim has been doing a great job all year. She's our teams best passer. We've actually designed our passing system around her ability to pass. She's always ready to go and never gets down or rattled if she misplays a ball. Kim is our Libero and her defensive skills is one reason, I feel, that the 16-2's team has been so successful. I wouldn't trade her for any other libero in the club.

Melissa Backes (16-2)
Melissa is new to MN Select this year. She's learned a lot since the first day of practice. She has proven to be a very strong all around player. She's coachable and tries to execute the skills that Karl and I want her to learn. She's been a big factor in our success this year as well. She's a hard worker and one of our 'go to' players. She's also demonstrated an excellent passing and defensive capability making Karl and I very pleased that we selected her.

Allie Knutsen (17-1)
Allie has grown tremendously in the past year.  She is working hard to do something that is very difficult - change people's perception of her.  She is working hard to be a leader and positive influence on this team.  It isn't always easy, but she is willing to take constructive criticism and work to do better next time.  On the court, her serve receive is great and her defensive effort is much improved.  Allie was a rock for this team all weekend in Indianapolis, and was a major reason the 17-1s made it to Gold.  We are so proud of you, Allie!

Ellie Duffy, Taylor Fieldsted and Jess Menden (18-1)
The MN Select 18-1 team achieved an unprecedented success for a MN Select team in March.  Through its third place finish in the Mizuno Hoosier Mideast Qualifier in Indianapolis, March 14-16, the 18-1 captured the first Open Division bid to Nationals in club history!  Though this was truly a team achievement, three players provided unique leadership towards this accomplishment.  Ellie Duffy has been a tremendous leader by example and has extended unwavering dedication to volleyball, MN Select, and her team.  Taylor Fieldstad has been a steadying force with her on-court play and her off-court ability to win others over.  Finally, Jess Menden has done a tremendous job quarterbacking the team and providing unusual competitive focus.  Congratulations to these three on their selection as players of the month this month and the whole 18-1 team on their accomplishment!
 

February 2008

Megan Pekarek (12-1)
The player of the month for  the 12-1 team is Megan Pekarek.  The 12-1 relies heavily on Megan's consistent play. She leads with her impressive setting ability.  She has quick feet to the ball and she can turn a mediocre pass into a nice set, making her hitters look good.  She is one of the teams strongest servers and passers and in a tight situation she can be relied on to put the ball away.  Megan is easy to coach and a pleasure to coach.  She works hard and is a positive influence on her fellow teammates.  Keep up the great job Megan! 

Taylor Goar (13-1)
Taylor Goar has really put in the work ethic in serving and hitting in the past month.  She has improved greatly in her float serve and in hitting 1's - mostly because of a better understanding of her ball-body relationship.  Taylor has always led the team with lots of enthusiasm on the court and is a great vocal leader.  The most exciting area of growth in Taylor over the past couple of events is her poise and control in pressure situations.  She has demonstrated an increased level of maturity on the court and really came through for the team in the President's Day Tournament serving tough and aggressive enough to earn aces with the game on the line.  Great job Taylor!

Jordan Schoolmeesters (14-2)
Jordan Schoolmeesters is the 14-2’s February Player of the Month. Jordan leaves more skin on the floor than any other player on the team; which is to say, Jordan loves to play defense. There are a couple of Jordan’s teammates who also are willing to go to the ground to challenge every ball on defense, but Jordan breaks the tie by getting more balls up and in play. Jordan is a great teammate who gets along well with all the girls on the team. Congrats Jordan!

Anna Snell (15-1)
Anna has transformed her volleyball game from a front row player into a backrow specialist in a very short time period.  It's not very common to have a middle hitter move to a defensive specialist position.   Anna's consistency and confidence have sky-rocketed since the start of the season. She has definitely become more comfortable in her role.  She continues to work hard at her passing skills as well as her defensive skills, and, her serve is lethal to the opponents backrow.  Anna is a rock in the backrow with her serving, serve receive and defense.  She also brings an emotional strength to her team through her calm, supportive and competitive demeanor.  Thanks for all you do for your team, Anna!

Mikayla Greely (15-2)
Choosing a Player of the Month for 15-2's is a very difficult decision. Every player works hard, supports each other, is a skilled athlete, and is coachable.  After our 3rd place finish for President's Day, one player really took over during games.  Mikayla Greely is Player of the Month because of her outstanding play during President's Day. 
We played 9 matches and 18 games.  Mikayla didn't play in only one of the games. She was sitting during the 2nd game against CVC 15-1 and CVC made a run against us.  At 24-23 I subbed her in the front row and pointed to her to get the set.  Mikayla comes through the pressure situation and bangs the ball for the win.  Overall, Mikayla had 21 aces, 96 digs, 42 kills, 10 hitting errors, and 95 attempts.  She had no hitting erros in 11 of the 17 games she played.  Her efficiency was .336 for the tournament.  Her dedication in practice shows in her play.  Her defense, passing, and attacking has improved.  She is becoming one of the terminators on this team.

Lauren Stufft (15-3)
Athletes exhibit leadership through various means. It is not always demonstrated by the loudest, most energetic or demonstrative player. It may not always be the player who you depend on to get the next point.  We have a player on our team that has accepted the challenge of stepping into a bigger role and helping lead the team through her actions on and off the court. She has become appropriately vocal in helping her teammates on serve receive and defense, providing a positive attitude in timeouts especially when we need points and pushes herself to learn more about volleyball strategies. Her actions during matches makes our job as coaches a little easier.  She becomes more adept at "owning the backcourt" with each practice and match with a controlled and balanced approach. This player is always open and receptive to new concepts in serving, digging and defensive tactics.  Leadership comes in many forms and our "Quarterback of the Backcourt" is a definitely a leader. Congratulations to Lauren Stufft on Player of the Month.

Kelsey Simmons (16-1)
Kelsey has come a long way since the beginning of the season and has been a steady contributor for us through the month of February.  She has worked extremely hard in practice and it paid off with a great President's day tournament.  She has been continually challenged by her coaches to take on a greater vocal responsibility on the court and has responded to become a great example for her teammates.  Kelsey has done an amazing job accepting any role that is thrust upon her and attacking it with care, focused effort and attention to detail.  She has been asked to play all 3 defensive positions as well as set when the need has arisen, and has done so without complaint.  Her willingness to do whatever she needs to do for her team and truly accept her role has made her a joy to coach and a model teammate.   Great Job Simmons!

January 2008

Sydney Hilley (12-1)
Sydney Hilley is the 12-1's player of the month.  Sydney is the youngest and smallest player on the team, but she plays with the biggest heart.  She gives 100% effort at every practice and tournament.  She is the first in line for a new drill and the first back after water breaks.  She is always asking questions on how she can improve her game and she is willing to take that extra step to improve.  She can step in and play hitter or setter on the court and  is always working on both aspects of her game.  Keep up the good work Sydney, your hard work and positive attitude are very much appreciated and respected. 

Teegan Wohlers (13-1)
Teegan has greatly impressed us since she was selected for our 13-'s team.  Her confidence has skyrocketed since the first week of practice with our team and it shows in her passing and defense.  Teegan consistently passes so well we can run all three hitters and most importantly, our 1's in the middle.  She consistently and assertively plays her role beyond our expectations.  She always remembers where to go in serve recieve and on defense and has demonstrated an ability to adapt and play in position for middle and outside hitters in the back row with minimal guidance.  Teegan puts in extra time off the court to make sure she is capable and ready for game time.  In short, Teegan is a great example of hard work, consistency, humility, and discipline.  We are excited to see her grow in leadership this season!   

Anna Wilhelmy (14-2)
Anna Wilhelmy is the 14-2’s player of the month. Anna has a very steady, solid all-around game. She was the team leader in serving this past power league weekend, making 24 of 26 serves for 92%. Anna is a good passer on serve receive. She is a good team player, who gets along well with her teammates and who leads by example. Congratulations Anna and keep up the good work!

Kayla Jedele (15-2)
Kayla Jedele is player of the month for January.  Kayla has demonstrated so many qualities coaches love.  Kayla is a wonderful young lady who sets a 6-2 for the team.  She is a coachable player, positive, a team leader, and has a strong work ethic. She attends Wednesday evening sessions for Setter, Monday evenings for hitter, and some Friday evenings too to work on her passing/defense. 
Our first power league she had 15 aces, 22 set assists, 5 kills, and nine digs.  A strong showing in our first outing.  Our second power league she had 4 aces, 20 assists, 2 blocks, and 9 digs.  The remarkable part is she missed our first match and we played without any setters and lost.  Kayla shows up in the middle of our first game in the second match and her presence alone uplifted the team. She then lead them to winning the next two matches.
Kayla's ability as a setter, her personality on and off the court, her work ethic, and commitment to making the team better is why she is Player of the Month.

Ashley Ness (15-3)
As one can imagine, having 9 out of 10 players new to Mn Select, representing six different high schools can be exhilarating while challenging when it comes to identifying team leaders. Many components of leadership, including  openness to new concepts, responsiveness to coaches input and overall enthusiasm are very important, especially at this early point of the season. Ashley has brought a "team first" attitude to the 15-3's in her practice work ethic, competitive match play and overall approach. She consistently supports her teammates during drills in practice and power league matches with not only words of encouragement but by example in demonstrating the Mn Select work ethic - "always play hard until the whistle blows and never give up".  I look forward to having Ashley as one of our enthusiasm leaders throughout the season. Ashley is a great asset to have on our team and a pleasure to coach.    

Rachel Wiinanen (18-2)
Rachel is a hard worker and a very versatile player. She is willing to do everything we ask of her and then some. Rachel has worked hard on improving her backrow skills in order to become a primary passer for us. Offensively, Rachel can play anywhere in the front row and be successful. She is dedicated and committed to our team although she also finds time to play HS basketball. Rachel is a leader on the floor and someone we will often look to this season to help us reach our goals.