Round 1 - Mead Raiders Player Relationships Foundation of Team

Above photo contributed with credit to Jim Halbmaier. TEAM: MEAD RAIDERS CLASS: 2018 - D2, 2019 - C2, 2020 - D1 LOCATION: East Central Nebraska in Saunders County NSAA TEAM ENROLLMENT (female, grades 9-11): 32 CONFERENCE: East Central Nebraska COACH: Keshia Havelka We start the 2020 Nebraska Prep Dig Team Series off in the Stivrins Regional with a matchup between C2 Mead and D1 Overton in the first round. To hear more about your favorite team, hop over to our Twitter feed @nebhsvolleyball to vote them to the second round until 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19! Mead keeps jumping from class to class and continues to persevere! Finding out late last summer, the Raiders bumped up to Class C2 in 2019 with only 14 players on their roster after playing D2 in 2018. Although a completely different class, Mead finished with a 23-2 record and 7th in NSAA wildcard points. Comments on the 2019 season from 10th-year head coach Keshia Havelka, “We were able to win 20 straight (losing only 4 sets) before falling to Malcolm in the fifth, 14-16, in the ECNC Conference Finals. We then won 3 more to get to the district final but lost in 4 to Wisner Pilger. We had a special group of girls that really peaked last season. Our senior leadership was outstanding (Abby Miller and Delaney Patocka - Peru State recruit and sister of 2022 libero Demmy Patocka) and really pushed the team to never settle for less than perfect.” After being district runner up the last two years, Mead last competed at state in 2017. With the goal of winning their district in 2020, the players and coaches show that their relationships with each other are the foundation of their team. For starters, Coach Havelka surrounds herself with family. Her dad is the assistant coach, mom the bookkeeper, and her husband coaches most of these multi-sport athletes in basketball. [caption id="attachment_93582" align="aligncenter" width="800"] 2019 Mead Raiders. Photo credit to Jim Halbmaier.[/caption] As the Raiders move to Class D1 for the 2020 season the following letter winners return: ⇒[player_tooltip player_id="82618" first="Rebecca" last="Halbmaier"] | 2021 | 5’9 Middle (Lefty) | Uncommitted and looking at the NAIA level (think Midland, NWU, Simpson) <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9630720/5e27c6747bddf41abcb28514">HUDL Highlights</a> Club: Mead Juniors 2019 Awards: All-Conference 2nd Team, All-State, and All-Area Honorable Mentions, 3-year starter 2019 Stats: Kills/Set, Total, Hitting Percentage: 2.8. 208, .285 Rebecca comments on connections with teammates, “I personally have a really strong bond with our setter, Emily Quinn, and our outside, Bri Lemke. Emily is one of the hardest workers I know and there is nothing like getting a kill and seeing her face. She’s the first one I go to for high fives! Bri is one of the funniest people I know and every time we are together I laugh my head off. My favorite rotation is when Bri and I are in the front row together. We have a really good connection on the court and we always hype each other up!” On growing as a player, “Since my freshman year I have definitely grown as an athlete mentally and physically. I’ve gained a lot of confidence at the net and have been able to become a leader on and off the court. I went from being somebody who was so scared to make mistakes that I held back and got really upset with myself, to now using those mistakes as motivation and demanding the ball so that I can make up for my mistakes. I have always been a middle throughout high school. When coach first put me in that spot I was a little nervous being left-handed but I’ve adapted to it just fine and it has now become just as natural to me as the right side.” ⇒[player_tooltip player_id="58792" first="Brianna" last="Lemke"] | 2022 | 6’0 Outside | Uncommitted and looking! <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2DkRav">HUDL Highlights</a> Club: NebraskaOne 16 Black 2019 Awards: All-Conference 1st Team, All-Areas 2nd Teams, All-State Honorable Mentions, 2-year starter, 6 rotation player 2019 Stats: Kills/Set, Total, Hitting Percentage: 3.1, 231, .228 Digs/Set, Total: 2.8, 207 Receptions/Set, Total: 3.3, 244 Bri wants fans to know, “We will never give up no matter the circumstance we may be in. We will always give 110% every single step of the way in practice and in games." ⇒Emily Quinn | 2022 | 5’5 Setter Coach Havelke Comments: Extremely quick and athletic Club: Mead Juniors 2019 Awards: All-Area 1st Team, All-State Honorable Mentions, 2-year starter 2019 Stats: Serving Percentage: 91.5 Digs/Set, Total: 2.1, 159 Assists/Set, Total: 9.2, 693 Emily remarks on teammates, “We all get along really well and are best friends. It’s always fun to have the freshman come in and grow closer with them. I think our team is really good at building each other up and not allowing one another to give up.” ⇒Emily Oldenburg | 2022 | 6’0 Middle Club: Mead Juniors Per Coach Havelke: Emily came in halfway through the season to replace an ACL injury middle and solidified her role on the team as the middle blocker. She only started playing volleyball 2 years ago. She has tons of raw athletic ability and is learning the game at a fast pace. Emily on her team, “We are a family team. We do everything together and share every moment together in season and out. On the court, we push each other to be great and we build strength off of each other. We share the love on the court, it’s a necessity to be a team. The Raiders will always be my family even out of high school. Mead Raiders volleyball is our life.” ⇒Demmy Patocka | 2022 | 5’4 Libero Club: Mead Juniors 2019 Stats: Serving Percentage: 91.5 Digs/Set, Total: 3.9, 296 Receptions/Set, Total: 4.5, 338 Per Demmy, “My team is the hardest working group of girls I have ever met. We live and breathe volleyball and are a family to one another. We can have fun, but when it’s crunch time, we always get serious. I love my team and would do anything for them.” ⇒Lexi Johnson | 2021 | 5’9 Middle Blocker/Right Side Club: Mead Juniors Lexi went down halfway through last season with an ACL injury but is back and ready for her senior season. Lexi shares a possible team slogan, “Blood sweat and tears! My team puts their all into everything we do. We leave it all on the court!!” ⇒Lauren Holloway | 2021 | 5’5 Defensive Specialist/Serving Specialist Club: Mead Juniors “My team is the hardest working group of girls I have ever met. We live and breathe volleyball and are a family to one another. We can have fun, but when it’s crunch time, we always get serious. I love my team and would do anything for them.” Want more information on the Mead Raiders including their most hated conditioning drill or coaches’ thoughts on 2020? Vote for them on Twitter @nebhsvolleyball to push them to round 2!