The last time Katelyn Malcheski and Carly Lemke were on the court together in high school was Nov. 4, 2011.
In the 2011 WIAA Division 2 state semifinals, the two Oconto Falls High School stars couldn’t quite propel their team to the championship match. Malcheski tallied a team-high 21 kills and Lemke added 17 in a heartbreaking, five-game loss to Tomahawk.
Now, four years later, they are back together on the court. And they are doing damage once again.
Both are starters on the successful University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh volleyball team. Malcheski, a 2012 Oconto Falls graduate, is a senior leader and the team’s top hitter, and Lemke, a 2014 Oconto Falls graduate, is a redshirt freshman making a name for herself as a strong middle blocker.
The pair loves the opportunity to play alongside one another.
“She’s the player I remember from high school,” Lemke said. “She’s still that go-to, strong, powerful hitter. She’s a great leader on the team – she was a captain when I was a sophomore. Now she’s the captain of our college team.”
“It’s great to have her in Oshkosh,” Malcheski said. “I’m really glad she is enjoying it here.”
After Lemke spent one season a year ago at Division II St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, Malcheski was instrumental in helping Lemke land with the UW-Oshkosh program.
“I think she’s one of the main reasons how I got to Oshkosh to play,” said Lemke, who redshirted last season. “I was a little lost and decided I wanted to transfer from St. Cloud State; it wasn’t the fit for me. I decided really late, and (Katelyn’s) mom gave the coach my contact information, and he was recruiting me earlier, too. I thought, oh, maybe Oshkosh will be the right fit. I talked to Katelyn to see how she liked it here just to get the inside scoop, and she had nothing but good things to say about Oshkosh and the team.”
Now the two are frequently on the court at the same time. It’s remarkable two of UW-Oshkosh’s six starters played at Oconto Falls.
“Our volleyball team was very successful when I was in high school, and that was a great experience,” Lemke said. “We trained hard every day. Volleyball is something that Oconto Falls had going for them and still does. I think it says a lot of Oconto Falls for such a small school to produce two college volleyball players playing here at Oshkosh and having our team so successful. It’s cool to come from a small community and then be able to play together at the college level.”
UW-Oshkosh coach Brian Schaefer has had success recruiting players from smaller high schools around the Midwest.
“We kind of like the fact that we get two-sport or three-sport athletes from high schools,” Schaefer said. “Katelyn and Carly weren’t stars on their club team. And I know they both played other sports, and that’s OK.”
Leaving as one of the best
It’s been great four-year run for Malcheski as a outside hitter.
She sits at No. 4 on the all-time kills list in UW-Oshkosh history with 1,535 with the season coming to an end Saturday in a loss to UW-La Crosse in the WIAC conference tournament.
“Being fourth in kills all time is great, but I definitely will remember the team goals more — like being (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) champs this year,” Malcheski said. “That’s something I will remember and tell people in the future.”
As a freshman, she was named all-conference honorable mention, a feat rarely accomplished by a first-year player. The next two seasons, Malcheski earned first-team all-conference honors. During her junior year, she was placed on the all-Midwest Region team.
Malcheski has improved every year on the court. She tallied 268 kills as a freshman and 363 the following year. As a junior, Malcheski averaged 3.35 kills per set and finished with 476. This season, she has 408.
Schaefer said this season Malcheski added off-speed shots to her repertoire. Tips and roll shots have kept opposing teams off balanced on the other side of the net.
However, Malcheski can always rely on her powerful spike.
“Multiple coaches after playing against her have come up to me and said, ‘Boy, she really hits hard.’ … There’s definitely a different sound the ball makes when she hits it,” Schaefer said. “If it’s one of those plays where we get a really good dig and the whole world knows she’s getting the ball, chances are she’ll still be able to do something with it.
“It’s one of those things were everyone says, ‘OK, Katelyn’s going to get the ball. Let’s see what happens.’ She’s definitely that person we rely on.”
Schaefer started using Malcheski as a decoy in some situations later this season. Since the Titans’ right-side attackers have gotten stronger and the middles have stepped up, that takes a lot of pressure off Malcheski.
“I think I’ve always been pretty used to being a go-to person on a team,” Malcheski said. “Even in high school, I got set a lot so it wasn’t much different coming into that situation in college. I like the challenge.”
Just finding her groove
After seeing limited time at middle blocker at the beginning of the season, Lemke didn’t give up. She wanted to crack the starting lineup and help her team.
One month into the season, coach Schaefer couldn’t keep her out of every match. She beat out reigning all-conference recipient junior Brooke Brinkman for the starting nod.
“Carly always worked hard in every single drill and that’s honestly why she’s starting,” Schaefer said. “She never took a practice off. I’m not just talking about blocking drills, I’m talking about defense and serving and all the other things that middles don’t really do that often.”
Lemke’s blocking ability is what separated her from her teammates. It’s something she’s always trying to improve on.
Lemke, who was a part of two state qualifying teams at Oconto Falls, was a middle blocker in high school, just like at UW-Oshkosh. However, in college, Lemke is relied on for her defense than having to be a big-time hitter like with the Panthers.
It’s a role that Lemke’s adjusted to well. She has amassed 55 blocks and 230 kills for UW-Oshkosh, which earned a share of the WIAC championship this season, is ranked No. 21 in the latest Division III coaches poll. The Titans are 26-9 after falling in the semifinals and third-place matches of the postseason conference tournament over the weekend.
“It’s a little different, but I love the role I have on the team,” Lemke said. “I really focus on blocking and getting my hands on every ball that I can touch. Not having so much pressure on me, but still being part of the team. And when the ball does come to me knowing that I need to do my part and put it down or at least get the other team out of system. Also, I’m there for the other hitters like Katelyn.”
UW-Oshkosh had a shot to earn a spot in the NCAA Division III Championship field, but the losses over the weekend didn’t help. The Titans did not qualify for the 64-team tournament announced Monday.
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