Volleyball becomes a family matter
Area players on Northern Lights club team finish second at nationals
Apple Valley’s Taylor Voss, No. 12, helped the Northern Lights 17-1 finisih runner-up at nationals. Photo by Rick Orndorf
by Andy Rogers
Thisweek Newspapers
Sports sometimes start as a family activity and other times they evolve into one.
Apple Valley’s Taylor Voss has both going for her on the volleyball court.
She helped the Northern Lights 17-1, an all-star volleyball club team, place second at the Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships in Reno, Nev., on July 1.
At the beginning of the tournament, Northern Lights 17-1 didn’t look like a team capable of finishing second.
“We were just playing bad,” Voss said.
Northern Lights didn’t play for five days prior to the tournament, so it took a while to get back in rhythm.
“I definitely knew we could play better than that,” teammate Katie Habeck of Farmington said.
Northern Lights lost its first two games, but the girls turned their play around to win the next four games and qualify for the final against the Michigan Elites.
“I think we all worked really well together,” Habeck said.
Voss and Habeck were named to the all-tournament team along with teammate Lisa Atkinson from Northfield.
“I was really surprised,” Voss said. “That was a really big honor.”
The 15-1 team also finished second at Nationals.
Family rivalry
Throughout the year, Northern Lights 17-1 has grown as a family, which members cite as a big reason for the turnaround.
“We really got along on and off the court, which really helped,” Voss aid.
Many of the girls will see each other again this fall during the high school season. Only this time they will be on the other side of the net.
Teammates from Apple Valley such as Melissa Racz and Voss, along with Eastview’s Ashley Murtha, will be rivals this September.
“Those are probably the most fun games,” Voss said. “I like playing them, but at the same time it’s weird.”
Habeck said playing with the club team gives her a chance to meet girls from other parts of Minnesota.
“It’s fun,” Habeck said. “We laugh through the net the entire time.”
Nationals was the end of the season for Northern Lights. Most girls plan on playing with the program their senior years.
Sibling rivalry
One person who will be on the Apple Valley team with Voss is her sister Rachel, who also received an all-American award this summer at the AAU Nationals in June in Orlando, Fla., with the Northern Lights 15-2 team.
She plays the libero position, an often unheralded defensive specialist.
“It’s a really high honor,” Rachel Voss said. “Usually hitters get recognized.”
Her team finished runner-up at the tournament.
Taylor will be an incoming senior and Rachel a sophomore.
“It’s kind of weird to play together,” Taylor said.
Both agreed that it’s a little too much time together.
“It’s really intimidating,” Rachel said. “It feels like you have a lot to live up to at times. She’s kind of my inspiration for when I play and how I want to make myself.”
Her teammate Paige Patterson from Eagan was also named an all-American.
Andy Rogers is at
andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com.
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