A successful collegiate volleyball career almost never started for 2012 Oconto Falls High School graduate Katelyn Malcheski.
Malcheski planned to focus solely on academics, pursuing a biology degree, when she enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, according to UWO volleyball coach Brian Schaefer.
“She wasn’t 100 percent sure that she would play volleyball,” Schaefer said.
A chance encounter with a former Bay Conference rival changed Malcheski’s mind.
“During the summer of 2012, she ran into Mandy Trautman of Seymour somewhere and decided to give it a go,” Schaefer said.
Three years later, Malcheski has emerged as a leader on the court as an outside hitter and remains committed to her classes off the court.
“She really embraces being a student athlete and will graduate in 3 1/2 years,” Schaefer said. “That speaks volumes for a student-athlete.”
Malcheski received honorable mention all-conference honors in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as a freshman. For the past two seasons, she has been a first-team all-conference selection.
Additionally, she was named to the first-team All-Midwest Region team this year and honorable mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
“I am just getting to be a better player and learned how to work harder in the offseason,” Malcheski said.
She was the workhorse for Schaefer’s squad, logging the most sets (142) and points (531) in the WIAC. Her .272 hitting percentage ranked eighth in the WIAC.
Schaefer noted Malcheski is not the most vocal player.
“She is more of a quiet leader and leads by example,” he said. “She puts in work in the weight room and works really hard and is driven.
“She really has taken the offensive lead on our team, and last year she really took her front-row play to the next level. Her development is one of the reasons why we have been so great.”
The Titans finished third in the WIAC with a 5-3 record last season and were 31-8 overall.
“The team relies on me to put the ball in play, and I have learned to be a better leader, more vocal and more talkative,” Malcheski said.
As she looks toward her senior season, Malcheski will be joined by former OFHS teammate Carly Lemke, who is transferring from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Lemke redshirted her initial season and will have all four years of collegiate eligibility remaining.
“I am excited about it, and she has something to add to the team,” Malcheski said.
Malcheski said her final game for Oconto Falls, against Tomahawk, was among the more memorable of her high school career.
In the WIAA Division 2 state semifinal loss, she compiled 21 kills — third in WIAA state tournament history — and a team-leading five attacks.
She ranks among the top five in Oconto Falls history in two statistical categories: first in a single-season attack kills (687) and third in career service aces (205). She was an honorable mention all-state selection as a senior.
