The Becker Bulldog volleyball team returns this year with some new players and a new coach who is spending the early weeks of the season getting to know the players and program.

At the helm this year for Becker will be Jess Vealetzek, and although this is her first varsity coaching job, she has 16 years of experience leading teams across several organizations and divisions.

“It is safe to say that volleyball runs in my blood as I grew up in a family that played volleyball all their lives, Vealetzek says. “My parents have both played volleyball for over 30 years. My mom had been a high-level player, coach, and referee for years and has taught me everything she knows about the sport.” 

Megan Hoppe will serve as the JV coach this year and one of the focuses of the coaches will be developing the skills of the players, but also their overall character.

“I believe that just like a player, a coach should always do everything they can to continue learning more about the sport,” Vealetzek says. “I look forward to working with young athletes and helping them to grow as athletes and individuals, on and off the court, for many years to come!” 

The Bulldogs will have tri-captains this year who will be looked upon for leadership and setting a positive example.

Seniors Evelyn Kreft and Lillian Berger, along with junior Maya Wenner, each bring experience that will be key as the Bulldogs learn a new system.

“My expectation of them during this season is to lead by example in every aspect of practice, competition, and off the court,” Vealetzek says. “I expect that they will embody the values that we will be working to instill in every player involved in the volleyball program.”

When it comes to goals for the team, the coach says that continuous improvement will be the focus and the wins and losses will be determined by that growth over the season.

“My biggest goal comes from the concept that I took from the book Atomic Habits; our goal for the season is to improve by at least 1% every time we step onto the court for practice or competition,” says the coach. “By focusing on the process and putting the highest amount of effort into the foundational skills of volleyball, we will continue to build upon that foundation and whether the improvement is large or small, we will celebrate that improvement and strive to move forward, even if it is only 1% at a time.“

In terms of the competition the Bulldogs will face, Vealetzek believes Monticello will be a tough opponent in the M8 Conference.

“Their team this season consists of almost every player that competed in the 2021 State Tournament,” Vealetzek says. “Having coached a large number of those athletes and knowing that they have an excellent coaching staff, I expect that they will be an exceptional team.”

The Bulldogs will be implementing some new offensive sets, but the coach isn’t quite ready to reveal exactly what that will look like on the court.

“We will be working on a number of new technical and tactical strategies throughout the season and without specifically detailing what the plan will be, I can say that we will be working hard to be much more focused on intent and specific strategies tailored to our competition,” says Vealetzek. “Our strategy will continue to evolve and will change depending on our opponent.”

In her first few weeks on the job, the coach has been impressed overall by her new team.

“Becker High School has an amazing group of athletes that make up the volleyball program and the potential is there for them to accomplish great things this season and in the future,” she says. “We are in the process of redefining our culture and building a stronger foundation and that’s a lot to take on over the course of one season. I am looking forward to seeing where we go and bringing the school and community with us on the journey.”