Valparaiso junior setter Monroe Olsen wanted to get a scholarship to Notre Dame so badly that she went above and beyond to get recognized by coach Jim McLaughlin.
McLaughlin got his first look at Olsen when she was playing nationals with her club team, but it wasn’t until she attended the team’s volleyball camp that he finally asked if she wanted to be a member of the Fighting Irish.
“They just switched coaches this past year,” said Olsen, who has been getting numerous Division I offers since her freshman season. “It was different from any other recruiting process. They weren’t looking for a setter for my year so I was going after them.
“Their assistant coach had come see me a couple times, but the head coach didn’t come around until nationals. So I went (out) on a limb and waited to decide, and when I finally got to their camp, I was able to work with their recruits and I felt like I played with them forever. Coach told me, ‘I knew you were a good player but I had to see if it could work together.’
“I’m so excited to play for Notre Dame.”
Drive and determination has always been a part of Olsen’s character.
And she doesn’t like losing.
That’s why she still gets sick to her stomach when she thinks about the end of Valparaiso’s run in the state tournament last season.
Olsen has 118 assists, 62 kills, 47 digs and 26 aces for Valparaiso (10-0). The Vikings are ranked No. 11 in Class 4A according to the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association poll and No. 22 in the country according to MaxPreps.com.
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But that’s all secondary to her desire to put her team in the same position as last season, when the Vikings won the program’s second-ever regional title and were up 2-0 on the 2013 defending Class 4A state runner-up Carmel before losing the next three games and the match.
“I still think about that,” Olsen said. “But if I wasn’t there and I didn’t go through the loss, I wouldn’t know what I’m working for. So now that we’ve been in that situation and we know we can get there, we know what to do. Being bitter from the semistate loss last year should give us a little extra drive to get there again.
“We’ve all talked about getting back there. We’re all on the same page. We have a good shot. Making it to semistate last year for the first time in 20-some years was so amazing, so going down to state and winning it would be something to remember for a long time.”
Valparaiso coach Katie Lenard said Olsen is mature beyond her years, which has been a huge factor in leading this team.
“Monroe is a great all-around player,” Lenard said. “I think she has one of the best serves in the area, if not the state. Her presence is also intimidating. I think her knowledge of the game is a huge strength, as well.”
Valparaiso travels to Lake Central for its first big conference test of the season. The winner will take sole possession of first place in the Duneland Athletic Conference.
Ryan Haskell is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TOP 10
Last week’s ranking in parentheses
1. Valparaiso (1)
2. Lake Central (2)
3. Munster (3)
4. Bishop Noll (4)
5. Crown Point (5)
6. Andrean (7)
7. Morgan Twp. (NR)
8. Michigan City (NR)
9. Washington Twp. (10)
10. South Central (NR)
Player of the Week: Senior middle hitter Emma DeYoung recorded 17 kills in the championship round Saturday at the Wildcat Invitational as host Hanover Central swept the inaugural event with four wins. The Wildcats beat Marquette and Whiting in the final two matches for the title.