Stewartville high school is in the middle of a long offseason, but not really — at least not for incoming senior Emily Rinken. See, Rinken is always on.
Bearing number 18, Rinken stands out on the court in more ways than her solid-colored libero uniform lets on. The incoming senior from Stewartville holds herself high at only 5’4’’, and she’s got big dreams on and off the court. She expects just as much out of herself as her team does.
Rinken is ranked as the No. 40 top prospect in Minnesota, and colleges are hungry to recruit her. In the 2016 season she led the Tigers in digs with 64. The runner-up to Rinken had 42. She received her first team All-State award last season.
Rinken looks forward to continuing her volleyball career with Luther, Gustavus or Wartburg, but she’s leaning toward Luther. She wants to carry out her passion for volleyball while maintaining balance between school and her social life, she said. Rinken dreams of becoming a nurse.
In the meantime, she’s on. It’s always game time for Rinken, even in the offseason.
“I am looking to improve my digging percentage as well as ace serving,” Rinken said.
She knows what she wants and she’s going to take her teammates with her — hopefully into playoffs and beyond.
