Cardinals lift off again in 2024

HIBBING—When he got the job two years ago, Minnesota North-Hibbing volleyball coach Travis Vake was set to hit the ground running.

Only Vake got the job too late to do any recruiting, so he was given a year to get the program back off the ground.

Vake put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but it has all paid off as the Cardinals return to the court for the 2024 season.

Needless to say, it was an interesting two years for Vake.

“It was something new,” Vake said. I had never dived into the college pool, and when they hired me, I didn’t have a lot of time to recruit. It’s not easy to make yourself visible, so I’m appreciative that the college gave me a year to recruit.

“I have 10 solid girls coming in. I’m excited to have volleyball back in Hibbing. We’ll be competitive. It’ll be an exciting time.”

Recruiting wasn’t easy, but Vake was able to field the team.

“Three girls showed up for specific programs, two showed up on my doorstep, and I recruited on my own through various channels,” Vake said.

Vake picked up Amaya Fontaine (libero); Jaicee Koehler (middle); Chloe Piekarski; Harmony Aikey, Izzy Baasi; Kallie Richards; Lyra Luebbert; Kenzie McIntyre; Daisy Andrews; and Madeline Kallberg, who is a transfer from Minnesota North-Mesabi Range.

“I like how they give 100-percent effort,” Vake said. “The expectation is give your all, play with pride and represent the school. It’s a short season, but they are on time, they show up for practice, they work hard and they communicate well.

“Those are the basic things you need to be successful in volleyball. There’s a lot of talent, and we’re slowly putting it together. Once we get more experience with each other, we’ll be in good shape. We’ll be fun to watch.”

Offensively, Vake will run a 5-1 offense, and he’s hoping to attack from all over the floor.

“We’ll go as far as our outsides and middles take us,” Vake said. “We have strong outside hitters, and two good middles, one who is good offensively and one who is good defensively.

“They complement each other well. I have high expectations for them. We have multiple outside hitters, with the ability to rotate and play on opposite sides.”

The quarterback of the team, so to speak, will be Kallberg, who is the setter.

“She’s the centerpiece, the heartbeat of the team,” Vake said. “We’re lucky to have Maddy. The girls are getting comfortable with her. Her ability to set is impeccable. There’s times when her sets aren’t perfect, but the majority of them are good.

“She knows where to put the ball, so our hitters have to adjust. She’s an excellent setter that can also hit out of the front row.

Defensively, Fontaine will be the anchor on that side of the ball.

“I’m thrilled to have Amaya as a libero,” Vake said. “I’ve seen her first hand. She brings energy to the floor. The girls feed off of that. We talk about communication and no balls dropping between us.

“We need to take that extra step. They’ve bought into that.”

The Cardinals’ block and serve receive will also play pivotal roles this season.

“If you have the ability to block or at least interfere with it, having that presence makes it that much easier on your defense,” Vake said. “Serve receive is by far the most important thing for us.

“We’re not filled with defensive specialists. We don’t have the ability to sub in, so all of our hitters have to pass the ball. That will be the most important key to our success. If we can serve receive and get the ball to Maddy, we’ll be OK. They have to be up for the task.”

Helping out Vake will be Emma (Jaynes) Keeler, who played college volleyball at the Division II level.

“I’m glad she agreed to be my assistant coach,” Vake said. “She’s been around the game her whole life. She’s taught so much to the girls, and they love her. She’s teaching me about volleyball, things I might not have known.

“She’s been phenomenal.”