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Athlete of the week
BY ROBERT DOWNS
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
LARAMIE CARLSON / STATESMAN
Vicky Braegelmann helped her team win last weekend.
There have been many amazing athletes in UMD history, and most of them have performed without public recognition.
These athletes represent our university, however we know very little about them personally. Every week, I'm going in-depth with some of UMD's finest to bring out more than just a name and a number.
Vicky Braegelmann is a key success factor for the UMD Volleyball team and it is obvious by looking at her accomplishments. She was named the Division II Co National Player of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2006.
In addition to being a three-time AVCA All-American, she was also named Most Valuable Player of the North Central Conference for the second consecutive year in a row.
Last year, Braegelmann finished the season with 118 games played and 560 kills for an average of 4.75 kills per game, which were all career highs, according to the UMD Web site.
This year, Braegelmann has returned for her senior season and is hoping to lead her team into another final four run. Helping lead the Bulldogs to a No. 3 national rating, she has posted double digit kill totals in 11 games, with four games totaling 20 or more kills. The team's success is due to the numerous experienced leaders, according to Braegelmann.
"I think we have a lot of experience and leadership on the court," she said. "Now that we're seniors, I think that kind of drives us."
With a 14-1 record, the Bulldogs seem destined to match, if not surpass, their "Elite Eight" appearance in 2006. Another main success factor, according to Braegelmann, is their relationship with Head Coach Jim Boos.
"I think we all have a good relationship with [Boos]. He's a great coach, and he just drives for perfection from all of us," she said. "He demands a lot from us and we demand a lot from him."
Boos also feels lucky to have Braegelmann on the team as he has openly named her one of the "greatest players in UMD history." "I chose [UMD] because of Jim," Braegelmann said. "I went to a camp when he was at NDSU and I liked his coaching style, and when he transferred to UMD, I knew that this was where I wanted to go."
On a personal level, Braegelmann is an Accounting and Finance major. "Some people have asked me about professional volleyball and I'm not really interested," she said. "I'll get a job and play [recreational] volleyball and play in tournaments around Duluth."
