Dan Stickradt
Sports Scene
Dan.Stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
When she entered Notre Dame Preparatory as a freshman, Kathleen Carlson had dreams of success on the volleyball court. She never expected those dreams would culminate with such a storybook of awards.
Carlson, a 5-foot-11 senior outside hitter, added to her impressive resume Nov. 17 when she was named Michigan’s Miss Volleyball for the 2014 season by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball with Valparaiso Coaches Association, emerging from a heap of eight talented candidates.
“I never thought that this would be possible, “ smiled Carlson, who became Notre Dame’s second Miss Volleyball winner. Molly Coldren was the honoree in 2007.
Carlson received 177 votes, ahead of runner up Katie Placek of Traverse City West (116 votes). Bedford’s Nicole Rightnowar (110), North Branch’s Laura Wilson (91), and Mercy’s Jenna Lerg (91) rounded out the top five in the balloting.
Carlson cracked the starting lineup late in her freshman campaign and was all-state first team Class B as both a sophomore and junior. The talented Carlson also earned all-America honors from MaxPreps.com last season along with numerous other postseason accolades.
Carlson recently signed her letter of intent with Valparaiso University after being recruited by several other Division I schools, including the University of Notre Dame, Western Michigan University, George Washington University, and Duke University, among others.
“She’s even a better person than she is a volleyball player,” admitted veteran Notre Dame Prep volleyball coach, softball coach, and athletic director Betty Wroubel. “She’s such a humble kid, a great person. You never see her down on the volleyball court, always positive. She leads by example.
“Kathleen is so fluid out there,” continued Wroubel. “She does everything out there so well. She can hit from the middle, from the right side, from the left side; she can serve, play defense…she does it all as a volleyball player. She’s the complete package for a high school volleyball player.”
Carlson, who currently carries a 4.37 GPA with advanced classes, played basketball and ran track her first two years at Notre Dame Preparatory before settling on volleyball the past two school years. She follows in the steps of her mom, Tanya Carlson, who was an all-state volleyball player in the winter 1988 and 1989 seasons at Oakland Catholic High School (now Notre Dame Prep).
During Carlson’s freshman season, she was one of four ninth-graders on Notre Dame’s varsity team that reached the reached the regional final. Her sophomore year, the Irish won a regional crown and advanced to the state quarterfinal round.
Last season, Carlson led Notre Dame Prep to its first Class B state title since 2007, and this year she led her team to a stellar 57-6 record and a berth in the Class B Final Four, where it lost to eventual state champion North Branch.
“It’s been a great adventure. It’s been an amazing four years,” said Carlson, who also plays for the Legacy at the club level, of her high school volleyball experience .
It all started with a dream. And Kathleen Carlson is living that dream…from the viewpoint of the state’s top-rated prep volleyball player.