Meet & Greet C-1 State Volleyball: St. Paul Wildcats

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">#2 seed St. Paul (32-0) <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a mainstay at the state tournament the last few years with appearances in 2016, 2018 (3rd place), and 2019 (runner-up), the Wildcats motto this season is “Not Done Yet.” In 2019 St. Paul turned into the Cinderella team by not dropping a set until the state tournament only to come up short in the finals against Lincoln Lutheran. As competitive as these players are, there is no more pretty fairy tale ending as they are on a mission with a vengeance to finish the season on top. Coach Matt Koehn-Fairbanks comments, “We are thrilled to be back at State for the third year in a row. We are mostly just excited to have an opportunity to still be playing. Despite our 32-0 record, this has been a very challenging season for us (as with many teams). Starting setter [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] suffered a knee injury in practice and sat out three matches but fortunately has been able to play through the pain and continue to lead us. Three-year starting middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id="78632" first="Teegan" last="Hansel"] missed our district final match with some non-Covid medical issues and we hope to have her back for the state tournament. Our other players really had to step up while these two were out and I am so proud of the way they did so. We have eight seniors that all play in our rotation of 10, so we are a veteran team. We don’t necessarily have a team of superstars but they all play their roles extremely well and play well together. That makes this a fun team to coach and we are going to take things one game at a time in Lincoln.” And veteran they are! Senior Paige Lukasiewicz (2021, 5’4, Libero, UNK Commit) holds down the back row and looks to be the leader on the court. As the starting libero since her freshman year, she definitely knows where to be and when to be there. She leads the team with 4.8 digs/set this season. Six-rotation player Josie Jakubowski (2021, 5’10, OH) leads the team with 3.9 kills/set while hitting .305, second with 3.2 digs, and is a mainstay in serve receive. When times are tight, look for Josie as the go-to player that can step up her level of play quickly. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] (2022, 6’0, Setter) dishes out 9.9 assists/set and proves to be a threat in the front row with 1.3 k/s on .369, as a setter! Her strength and competitiveness are a must-see at the state tournament. Add in [player_tooltip player_id="82707" first="Noel" last="Roan"] (2021, 5’1, DS), [player_tooltip player_id="78648" first="Ashlyn" last="Lukasiewicz"] (2021, 5’10, OH), [player_tooltip player_id="78633" first="Abby" last="Elstermeier"] (2021, 5’10), [player_tooltip player_id="78669" first="Jenna" last="Jakubowski"] (2023, 5’9, OH), [player_tooltip player_id="82706" first="Camryn" last="Morgan"] (2021, 5’8, DS), [player_tooltip player_id="78632" first="Teegan" last="Hansel"] (2021, 5’8) and Carley Dixson (2021) to round off the team and WOW…. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #222222; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">College coaches take note that Josie and Olivia are uncommitted!!! <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The competitive spirit will be high in Lincoln this week! But, really, it all comes down to these young ladies being great stewards of the sport and we appreciate them for that. Volleyball proves to be a big part of their life, but read on and you might learn a little more about these athletes. Their ever-thinking minds are amazing! <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s meet the team: <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What were your initial thoughts after you won match point in districts? <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Montanna Morgan - We are going to state Mikayla Mrkvicka - Yay!!! Our team goal is coming true [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] - I get to go to state with my best friends and play for our amazing community [player_tooltip player_id="82707" first="Noel" last="Roan"] - We did it! <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Madison Hirschman - We are going to state again!!! <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maya Becker - All our work over the season has paid off and now we are on our way to state for the third time in a row. [player_tooltip player_id="78633" first="Abby" last="Elstermeier"] - One more chance <hr /> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the most exciting part of state volleyball that you are looking forward to? Montanna Morgan - Playing with a big crowd and all the big points and cheering and winning. Mikayla Mrkvicka - Hanging out with my team and get to feel the energy [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] - Achieving our team goals "Not done yet" Paige Lukasiewicz - Hanging out with my teammates [player_tooltip player_id="82707" first="Noel" last="Roan"] - I’m looking forward to having tough competition and to see the progress that my team makes. Madison Hirschman - The food Maya Becker - The environment and feeling it gives and getting to spend time with my team <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[player_tooltip player_id="78648" first="Ashlyn" last="Lukasiewicz"] - Spending time with my teammates [player_tooltip player_id="78633" first="Abby" last="Elstermeier"] - Just being able to be there <hr /> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What does your community do to support your team going to state? Montanna Morgan - We get some money and they decorate our bus and we get a bunch of food and stuff and they make signs and honk at us on main street as we leave. Mikayla Mrkvicka - Our fans are the best out there. They do everything for us [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] - Bus send off/ always being at every game Paige Lukasiewicz - Decorate our bus, give us goody-bags, and give us an escort out of town [player_tooltip player_id="82707" first="Noel" last="Roan"] - Our community comes to a ton of our games and supports us all of the time. When we leave for state everyone usually lines up along main street and cheers as we get escorted of of town. Madison Hirschman - Decorate bus, parade, pep rally Maya Becker - They always decorate our locker room and lockers and we have a pep rally before we leave. Our whole town supports us so much and it means a lot <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[player_tooltip player_id="78648" first="Ashlyn" last="Lukasiewicz"] - They line up on main street and cheer us on as we leave to go to Lincoln [player_tooltip player_id="78633" first="Abby" last="Elstermeier"] - they always cheer us on <hr /> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With teams only allotted a certain amount of tickets, who do you want to make sure gets one of those tickets and why? Montanna Morgan - My mom because she comes to every game and cheers. Mikayla Mrkvicka - My family, so they can come support. And Student body. [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] - Parents and student body Paige Lukasiewicz - My parents and grandparents because they’ve been supporting me ever since I was little [player_tooltip player_id="82707" first="Noel" last="Roan"] - I want to make sure that my uncle Greg Roan gets a ticket because he has been very supportive of me and my siblings since my father’s passing at the beginning of this season. Madison Hirschman - my mom, sister, and aunt <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maya Becker - Definitely my family but also some of our biggest supports come from the student body and I hope they all can get tickets so they can help keep our energy up <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[player_tooltip player_id="78648" first="Ashlyn" last="Lukasiewicz"] - My family because they go to every game and always support me [player_tooltip player_id="78633" first="Abby" last="Elstermeier"] - my parents and my aunt <hr /> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the best advice anyone has given you in volleyball? Be sure to include who gave you the advice. Montanna Morgan - That you can’t put a lot of pressure on yourself because then that forces you to mess up- Coach Koehn. Mikayla Mrkvicka - My coach Mr. Koehn. He always tells us to trust our progress and we have the ability to do amazing things if we are confident with ourselves. [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] - Anything Mr. Koehn gives advice about Paige Lukasiewicz - "Trust in your skills" -Mr. Koehn [player_tooltip player_id="82707" first="Noel" last="Roan"] - Whenever we have a tough game ahead of us, Mr. Koehn always tells us to just trust our skills and go out there and have fun with each other. Madison Hirschman - Keep on trying. -Mr. Koehn Maya Becker - Take every opportunity you can get -Shawn Koehn-Fairbanks <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[player_tooltip player_id="78648" first="Ashlyn" last="Lukasiewicz"] - "Just go out and have fun" -Brenda Glunz [player_tooltip player_id="78633" first="Abby" last="Elstermeier"] - Just stop thinking and go for it.- coach Brenda Glunz <hr /> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any advice you would give to young girls on how to have a great volleyball experience in high school? Montanna Morgan - Don’t worry about impressing the coaches, use practice time wisely and stay after if you need to, don’t do anything bad that could get you in trouble- you then put your team at a disadvantage. Mikayla Mrkvicka - Trust your process and everything will come in line. [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] - It goes by fast, don’t take anything for granted Paige Lukasiewicz - Have fun with your teammates on the court [player_tooltip player_id="82707" first="Noel" last="Roan"] - Just play your game and trust in your teammates and in yourself. Madison Hirschman - Have fun and don’t cause drama. Maya Becker - Take every opportunity you can get because you never know when your season will end and always give it your all <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[player_tooltip player_id="78648" first="Ashlyn" last="Lukasiewicz"] - Enjoy every moment you have because it goes by fast [player_tooltip player_id="78633" first="Abby" last="Elstermeier"] - work hard and listen to your coaches <hr /> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Give us one positive comment about one player on your team. It can be the goofiest player or just someone that deserves a shoutout. Montanna Morgan - Noel doesn’t get a lot of credit for what she does, she is one of the best defensive players in the state. Mikayla Mrkvicka - [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"]. She is our team energy. She pumps us all up and makes sure everyone is ready to play [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] - Josie Jakubowski and Paige Lukasiewicz, shoutout for leading our team Paige Lukasiewicz - Carley deserves a shoutout because she has a dirty serve [player_tooltip player_id="82707" first="Noel" last="Roan"] - [player_tooltip player_id="82706" first="Camryn" last="Morgan"] has been outstanding this year with not only her skills, but also by being flexible and being the setter when we need her and by having to play all the way around when we’re short a player. Madison Hirschman - Josie Jakubowski- made sure everything is fair and most caring <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maya Becker - [player_tooltip player_id="78660" first="Carley" last="Dixon"] always has a smile on her face and always gives the most positive feedback. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her not happy. [player_tooltip player_id="78633" first="Abby" last="Elstermeier"] - [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] is always working hard to make the whole team better. <hr /> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your favorite inspirational quote or make one up and take the credit for it! Montanna Morgan - Great things never come from your comfort zones. Mikayla Mrkvicka - It Doesn’t Matter who starts strong. It matters who finishes strong [player_tooltip player_id="82707" first="Noel" last="Roan"] - Believe you can and just go for it! Madison Hirschman - Just keep going. -Madison <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maya Becker - “You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits.” - Michael Phelps <hr /> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You make up the question and answer it here. Be creative!!! Montanna Morgan - Favorite memory- after winning a big point or winning the game or after a big play, the celebration after and jumping up and yelling. Mikayla Mrkvicka - Us getting to experience the feeling of state together [player_tooltip player_id="37562" first="Olivia" last="Poppert"] - What’s my favorite food? Spaghetti Paige Lukasiewicz - What’s your favorite color of jersey to wear? Black <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Madison Hirschman - What is a favorite hobby you do? Show cattle <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[player_tooltip player_id="78648" first="Ashlyn" last="Lukasiewicz"] - What is your favorite tournament food? Noel’s moms’ caramel popcorn GOOD LUCK AT STATE ST. PAUL WILDCATS!!