Before each home match, the Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) volleyball team circles up to pray in the locker room, and on their way out, each girl jumps to hit the door frame. For Jenna Hanes, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, it’s more of a skip than a jump.

But regardless, it’s working.

Cathedral Catholic is 26-0 and ranked No. 1 in the latest Just Women’s Sports volleyball team rankings. This past weekend, the San Diego team won the Durango Fall Classic, one of the most competitive national tournaments in the country, and in seven matches, the Dons didn’t drop a set, ultimately besting reigning state champion Marymount.

Coach Juliana Conn has three middle blockers, and in previous tournaments she rotated them. But when they got to the DFC, Conn had a feeling that Hanes belonged on the court.

And she was right.

Hanes was crowned tournament MVP, and along the way she earned JWS Player of the Week honors. Since winning the DFC, Hanes and the rest of the Cathedral Catholic team have continued to roll, with a road sweep against La Jolla on Tuesday and another against Point Loma on Thursday.

“The competition brought the best out of her,” Conn said. “She was really on a mission to stop them blocking-wise. I think everything came together for her. We’re playing a big, high-profile tournament for high school, and it was her time to shine. I don’t think she had a mistake.”

The Dons knew going into the finals of the DFC that Marymount would be a tough match, but they made it a clean sweep, winning 25-20, 25-17.

“The last point, everyone running in and celebrating, that was one of my favorite moments,” Hanes said. “It was super cool being named MVP in one of the best tournaments in the nation. So many people played great. It could’ve gone to any of them.”

This season, the majority of the girls on the Cathedral Catholic team are seniors, including the third-ranked recruit nationally, Julia Blyashov. Hanes, a junior, is new to the program but has played with most of the girls in club volleyball.

“When I came in as a transfer, they were all super encouraging and nice and welcoming,” Hanes said. “They keep practice at such a high level. I get to learn from them firsthand and improve my game from that.”

Hanes started playing volleyball when she was in the third grade. Her mom, Kara Hanes, is a former member of the U.S. women’s national team and was an All-American at UCLA. Naturally, Kara introduced her daughter to the sport, and it was love at first sight.

In fifth grade, Jenna began playing club volleyball, and in eighth grade, she set her sights on playing college volleyball.

In 2024, she’ll do just that — Jenna made a verbal commitment in July to play volleyball at the University of Michigan.

From the moment she stepped onto the Ann Arbor campus, she immediately felt at home.

“It just seemed like my type of place,” Hanes said.

Jenna hopes to one day follow in her mom’s footsteps and play for Team USA, but in the meantime, she’ll enjoy the rest of her high school career at Cathedral Catholic, forming unbreakable bonds along the way.

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

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Durango Fall Classic All Tournament Team

Chloe Chicoine has played volleyball in a lot of gymnasiums. From the United States to Mexico, the second-ranked recruit in the nation has traveled the continent in pursuit of her dreams, but the gym she’ll miss the most is the one close to home — at McCutcheon High School in Lafayette, Ind.

The 5-foot-10 outside hitter has racked up quite the reputation in her home state. With Chicoine leading the offense in her senior season, the Mavericks are 13-1, and in two sweeps this week against Western Boone and Harrison, Chicoine amassed 34 kills, 18 digs and five aces, earning JWS Player of the Week honors.

Chicoine leads the team in kills with 227, averaging 6.0 kills per set. She’s also hitting .448 on the year and is second on her team with 21 aces and 125 digs.

This year, she says she’s improved not only her hitting but also her passing.

“It’s always been good, but I think I’ve taken it to the next level,” Chicoine said.

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McCutcheon's Chloe Chicoine dives for the ball during a match against Hamilton Southeastern on Aug. 13. (The Indianapolis Star via USA TODAY NETWORK)

Chicoine was named Gatorade Indiana Volleyball Player of the Year last season after leading the Mavericks to their first state title victory. As a junior, she recorded 440 kills, 196 digs and 20 aces.

“I was super surprised and excited,” Chicoine said about receiving the honor. “It was a lot of firsts for our high school.”

Then, in June, Chicoine helped guide the U.S. women’s U21 national team to a gold-medal finish at the Pan American Cup in front of a huge crowd in Baja Sur, Mexico. It was the second time the U.S. has won the title, and Chicoine was named Best Spiker of the tournament. Prior to that, she didn’t think she’d even make the team.

“I was 17 going in,” Chicoine said. “I went into the tryout with the expectation not to make it.”

She didn’t just make the team — she earned a starting spot, playing alongside players she’s watched play college volleyball. She even roomed with a player from Purdue, Raven Colvin, with whom she will team up again next year when Chicoine officially becomes a Boilermaker.

Purdue has been integral to Chicoine’s development as a volleyball player. When she started volleyball in the second grade, she attended a clinic held by a Purdue coach. Around age 10, she attended her first Purdue women’s volleyball match with her mother, Jessica Holloway, who played volleyball at Northwestern.

“When I told them I was going to Purdue, they cried,” Chicoine said. “They were super excited because they can come watch me.”

Purdue’s campus in West Lafayette is only a 15 minute drive from home, but for now, Chicoine is focused on finishing her senior year at McCutcheon, with hopes of winning back-to-back state championships.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without my amazing teammates, friends, and coaches,” Chicoine said. “I’ve gotten pretty lucky, and I hope we can make it to state this year and win it all again.”

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

Columbus, Texas, is a small town on the Colorado River just an hour and a half west of Houston, and it’s a sports-driven community. Like many rural Texas towns, Columbus loves football. But with the help of Ally Tribe, Columbus is roaring with excitement for volleyball.

“We nearly fill our stands,” Tribe said. “We have a lot of people who come and watch. Everyone’s kind of like, ‘Let’s go see what Columbus is about.’”

In the last week, the Columbus High School volleyball team won the Battle of the Brazos tournament, sweeping five opponents, including St. John’s in the title game, and it’s especially impressive considering the Cardinals were one of two Class 3A teams in the tournament. Tribe was named tournament MVP, amassing 88 kills over 16 sets. And during Tuesday’s match against Smithville, she picked up 17 more kills, earning JWS Player of the Week honors along the way.

“She will always lead our team with kills,” said Columbus coach Kayley Johns, whose team is 24-3 on the year. “She plays all the way around. We will set her in the back row. She led every game in kills, but she’s right up there with our libero in digs.”

So far this season, the 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter has recorded 366 kills with a .405 hitting percentage. She’s also racked up 169 digs, the second highest on the team, and 29 aces, just four shy of the team lead.

“They 100 percent know she’s the best player on the team,” Johns said. “They love it. When she gives them the credit, they’re giving it back to her. She’s a huge asset to us. Like I said, she’s so positive. She loves her teammates so much, it makes them love her even more.”

As a way to create team chemistry, the Cardinals have one pregame go-to — a motivational quote.

“I love them,” Tribe said. “Coach Johns is such a quote person. My mom is such a quote person. It definitely gets you motivated and pumped for a game.”

For Tribe, there’s one quote that’s always on her mind: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

She’s set several ambitious goals to complete. With 1,245 career kills, she hopes to get close to 2,000 by the end of this season. Not to mention, she’s chomping at the bit to get back to the state championship after losing in the semifinals last year. Perhaps the biggest of them all — she wants to play Division I volleyball, and with a community of 4,000 supporting her, it’s well within her grasp.

“Everybody has so much love for each other,” Tribe said.

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

Inside Conroe High School’s gymnasium in Conroe, Texas, Ariana Brown makes her presence known, and the brand new member of the Tigers is already earning her stripes with 53 sets under her belt this season.

Brown is a 5-foot-11 outside hitter with a formidable arm — she’s earned the nickname “Texas Hammer” from her hometown crowd — and she can’t help but smile.

After all, the senior leads the team in kills with 278, including 34 on Thursday alone when the Tigers won three matches to extend their record to 25-0 on the year. In all, Brown racked up 83 kills over the week, an impressive span that’s earned her Just Women’s Sports Player of the Week honors.

While Brown is new to Conroe High, she’s no stranger to success. As a junior at Klein, she led the team with 481 kills and 67 aces, securing a second team spot on the All-Greater Houston postseason list. During the summer, she left to join Conroe, a 45-minute drive from home, in part to play under the guidance of her mother, coach Charvette Brown.

“From Day 1, they welcomed her with open arms,” coach Brown said. “They embraced her joining the program. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

During her first match with Conroe, Ariana dazzled. She tallied 22 kills in the 3-0 win over Lufkin, including her 1,000th career kill, and while that feat was impressive, Ariana isn’t done. With two months left in the season, she wants to reach 1,600 career kills.

She’s currently outperforming her previous seasons, including an impressive sophomore season where she led Klein to the state championship. With her leadership and technical skill set, Ariana has propelled the Tigers to a historic first — an unprecedented start that has them positioned as the top-ranked team in Class 6A.

“We needed that spark,” coach Brown said. “When she came, it almost made the other players say, ‘We can do this.’ She’s upped their level of play.”

All the while, Ariana is basking in the joy of newfound camaraderie — a family at Conroe. She says it’s the key to the team’s success.

“Our slogan for this year is, ‘One team, one mission,’” Ariana said. “We’re all just together. It’s just always good energy.”

In May, Ariana committed to continue her playing career at the University of Louisiana Monroe, where she plans to study nursing.

“I want to be in a field where I can help people,” Ariana said. “I like taking care of people.”

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

Keagan Rothrock was 6 years old when she started pitching. And she admittedly wasn’t very good.

“I could not throw strikes,” Rothrock said. “I went to lessons a lot.”

But a lot has changed in 11 years.

Rothrock now boasts an impressive resume as a dual threat both in the circle and in the batter’s box. During her 2022 high school season at Roncalli (Ind.), she recorded a 0.70 ERA and a .529 batting average, earning Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year honors along the way.

It was one for the history books as the Royals shattered records in extra-base hits, total bases, slugging percentage and errorless games. They’ve won 46 consecutive games, one shy of tying the state’s record, and with Rothrock in the pitcher’s circle, the Royals became back-to-back Class 4A state champions.

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The Roncalli softball team hoists the trophy after winning a Class 4A sectional final on May 25. (The Indianapolis Star via USA TODAY NETWORK)

“It was a really good feeling knowing all of our hard work paid off in the end. It was really rewarding,” Rothrock said.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Rothrock secured the victory. She faced her last batter in what she calls a longer at-bat — five pitches. Rothrock’s first two pitches were strikes. Her third pitch — a rise ball — was a little too out of the zone. The batter fouled off the next pitch. With the count at 1-2, Rothrock delivered a fifth and final pitch. The batter swung and missed, and the Royals were once again state champs.

Roncalli fans were jubilant, as Rothrock threw off her mask and glove with a swarm of Royals enveloping her.

“She’s a fierce competitor,” Roncalli coach David Lauck said. “… The effort she puts in to be great is recognized by her teammates. She’s our hardest worker, our best player, our best leader.”

Rothrock has also shined on the international stage as well. As a member of the USA Softball U-18 Women’s National Team, Rothrock competed in the 2021 Junior Pan American Games and World Baseball Softball Confederation Women’s Softball World Cup, where she helped Team USA win a pair of gold medals. She amassed 37 strikeouts and allowed just one hit while recording an impressive 0.00 ERA throughout the two tournaments.

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Keagan Rothrock competes last year for the USA Softball U-18 Women's National Team. (Photo courtesy of USA Softball)

In the offseason, she worked to improve her batting. She led Roncalli with 14 home runs, a 366 percent increase from the year before, and she recorded 55 RBIs.

In the circle, she compiled a 28-0 record with eight no-hitters and five perfect games, but despite her eye-popping numbers on the field, Rothrock was still surprised by the award.

“It still surprises me every time I get something. I know there’s a ton of players who could get it,” she said.

Before the state championship game, Rothrock came to practice dressed for photos. As she walked up to the field, she saw big cameras everywhere and a crowd of familiar faces in the stands. The team practiced as usual, until Lauck stopped practice. Photographers made their way onto the field. Lined up for photos, Lauck delivered the good news, his voice booming over the loudspeaker.

“Keagan is not only an Indiana player of the year, she’s been named the Gatorade Player of the Year,” he said.

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Keagan Rothrock accepts the trophy for Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year. (Photy courtesy of Gatorade)

Roncalli sits 15 minutes from downtown Indianapolis. In a city known for passionate sports fans, the school’s softball team draws a crowd.

Rothrock and her teammates have become local celebrities of sorts. At the end of their games, they go out to meet the young fans. With softballs and phones in hand, the girls approach to get an autograph or picture.

“She’s kind of turned our community upside down,” Lauck said. “She’s available. She’s got open arms and a genuine personality that fans gravitate to.”

It started in 2021. After the 2020 season was canceled, the community began to buzz about the upcoming season.

“There was a lot of talk around Roncalli softball,” she said.

After fans started showing up in masses, it didn’t take long for the team to embrace their hometown fame.

“I love talking to all the little girls,” Rothrock said. “Just to be able to brighten their day, I had role models when I was younger. It’s nice to give back.”

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Roncalli pitcher Keagan Rothrock is greeted by catcher Anne Marie Meek after a strikeout on May 25 in a Class 4A sectional final. (The Indianapolis Star via USA TODAY NETWORK)

Rothrock picked up her first softball as a toddler. At age 3, she started playing tee-ball.

“Me and my mom would joke around in the backyard, she’d have me pitch,” Rothrock said.

Rothrock’s mother Laura pitched at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, and under Laura’s guidance, Keagan has been able to grow and perfect the craft.

At age 7, she joined her first travel team, aptly named the Indiana Gators. Soon, Rothrock will be a Florida Gator, a commitment she made in seventh grade.

“I’ve wanted to be a Gator forever. That was the initial reason. Once we got into the recruiting process, all of it was just awesome,” she said. “They’re one of the top schools in the country for education as well.”

School is also important to Rothrock. With a 4.06 GPA, Rothrock plans to pursue pre-med at Florida, with her sights set on becoming a pediatrician.

On and off the field, Rothrock is committed to succeeding. When she steps into the Gainesville locker room, she’ll be surrounded by familiar faces, having played with all but one of the girls in the 2023 class.

“She’ll have a lot of eyes when she steps onto campus,” Lauck said. “But I do feel like she’s excited, and I hope she’s a little nervous, too. That leads to her preparation. She just continues to prepare mentally, physically and spiritually.”

Lucky for Lauck, Rothrock has one final year with the Royals, and she plans to cherish every moment.

“[Memories] are going to last forever,” Rothrock said. “Not everybody gets to experience that.”

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

Standing on the pitch in Michigan State’s Demartin Stadium, Williamston (Mich.) junior forward Breyer Fenech didn’t hesitate. She didn’t even think about it.

“Go White. Go Green!” the Williamston crowd roared.

With 1:20 left on the clock in Saturday’s Division 3 state championship game, Fenech sprinted 40 yards to kick the game-winning goal, and in the blink of an eye, she lifted the Hornets to a 3-2 victory over Unity Christian, earning her JWS Player of the Week honors.

“It was a weird feeling,” Fenech said. “You know you just won the game. It was a lot to take in.”

Fenech recorded eight goals on the season, the third most on her team, to go along with 10 assists. With her dynamic style of play, she helped the Hornets finish the season with a 17-2-1 record.

She traditionally plays center forward, but in the state championship game, she rotated into the midfield, a position she played only one other time this season. While it intensified an already stressful situation, she tried not to psych herself out.

“She should have the nickname ‘Clutch,’” coach Steve Horn said. “She just scores big goals. She sets up big goals.”

In addition to her prowess on the soccer pitch, Fenech is a force to be reckoned with on the lacrosse field as well. During the lacrosse season, which runs concurrent to soccer, the midfielder led the team with 38 goals, 11 more than the next highest scorer.

Fenech began playing soccer in first grade, and a few years later, she discovered a love for lacrosse. Since then, she’s played both sports.

“I just loved playing. I wasn’t driven by, ‘I need to be the best,’” she said. “This is what I do for stress relief.”

Fenech has always dreamed of playing college lacrosse. Years ago, she made it a goal, and in the fall of 2023, she’ll do just that. Fenech has committed to play at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

When she steps onto the UMBC campus, she’ll officially say goodbye to soccer. But for now, she’ll enjoy the time she has left — a dual athlete, basking in her state championship win.

On Saturday, Yorktown’s (Va.) Aminata Davis put on her white jersey, ready to become a state champion. With two braids in her hair, the junior defender strutted onto the pitch with a quiet confidence.

For nearly 70 minutes, the Yorktown Patriots and the Kellam Knights were evenly matched vying for the Class 6 state crown, but with 12 minutes remaining, Davis ended the scoreless drought. Standing near midfield, it was perfect timing. As Kellam tried to clear the attack, Davis got the ball, and after one touch, she had a perfect view of the goal.

“If you have an opportunity 30 yards out, take the shot,” coach Hannah Davis said.

From 33 yards out, Aminata Davis sent the ball soaring over the right shoulder of the Kellam keeper, and the crowd erupted as the ball hit the back of the net. She was swarmed by her teammates in celebration.

Aminata Davis’ performance led Yorktown to a 1-0 state championship victory, earning her JWS Player of the Week honors.

With Aminata Davis as a strong defensive and offensive weapon, the team finished with a 22-1-1 record. The Patriots gave up only eight goals all season. On the attacking front, she recorded five goals and four assists.

“She kind of has this sixth sense of where she’s supposed to be on the field,” Hannah Davis said. “She does a great job of pushing forward on offense.”

A leader on and off the pitch, Aminata Davis enjoys working with kids. In her free time, she helps them improve their soccer skills and volunteers at her mother’s preschool.

She dreams of becoming a pediatrician. At a young age, she became enthralled by medical dramas like “House.”

“I’m surprised my parents let me keep watching,” she said as she laughed.

She’s been hooked on science ever since. Last summer, she volunteered at the Center for American Indian Health at Johns Hopkins University. She helped distribute a book for Indigenous children about COVID-19, “Our Smallest Warriors, Our Strongest Medicine: Overcoming COVID-19.”

“I’m part Native American, so I enjoyed seeing all of the locations that the book was going,” Aminata Davis said.

Next fall, she’ll join the Brown University soccer team and begin her journey toward becoming a doctor, trading in one white uniform for another.

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

33, 34, 35 — they’re just numbers, Audrey Smith says.

On Saturday, the Fort Zumwalt South (Mo.) soccer standout etched them into the record books, finishing with the most goals in program history at 35. Smith notched a hat trick and marched the Bulldogs to a 5-3 state championship victory, earning JWS Player of the Week honors along the way.

In the Class 3 state championship against Glendale, Smith struck first. In the 15th minute, the sophomore forward netted goal No. 33 on a long pass from goalkeeper Sarah Bozeman. She turned her body at the right moment, and with an explosive first step, she took off. Around 15 yards out, she shot the ball in the lower left corner.

“She has a fantastic touch on the ball,” Fort Zumwalt South coach Leanne Sanders said. “She can not only score goals, but she creates a lot of goal-scoring opportunities. She’s really crafty on the ball. Nothing she does is overly complicated.”

Smith’s stats in this year’s championship are identical to last year’s, with three goals and one assist. She’s proud of her accomplishments but says she can’t do it without her teammates.

“Everyone’s on our backs. And now we’re the champions again,” Smith said.

For Smith, mentality is key to maintaining a calm composure. Before each game, Smith repeats a phrase: The only pressure you have is the one you put on yourself.

She’s also one for superstition. She’s got three lucky ponytails she wears the day before. On game day, she puts her cleats on before her shin guards. It goes right foot, then left foot. And sometime before kickoff, she’s got to do her signature handshakes with her teammates.

When she’s on the field, she hears a familiar voice over the PA speaker — her geometry teacher. She’s a natural problem-solver who loves finding answers.

“It’s the closest to soccer with the dimensions,” she said. “I just love math.”

Like all rising juniors, Smith will be eligible to be contacted by college coaches on June 15. She’s not sure what will come next, but she knows wherever she ends up will be the right choice for her.

“Wherever the education has what I want to be when I’m older and a good soccer team, that’s where I’ll probably end up,” Smith said.

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

When Metea Valley’s (Aurora, Ill.) Tyra King steps onto the pitch, she’s surrounded by family. From her sister in the backfield to her parents in the stands, soccer is a family affair.

On Tuesday night, the King family took the two-hour trip down I-55 for a supersectional showdown against Edwardsville.

Heading into the game, the junior forward was nervous. But in the 25th minute, she settled those nerves and gave the Mustangs room to breathe. Receiving a pass from teammate Leanne Barrett, she dribbled her way into the box.

“I was actually going to take another touch,” King said.

With an Edwardsville defender tugging on her jersey, she knew she had to shoot. So she fixed her eyes on the goalie and arced the ball into the back of the net.

King’s goal helped Metea Valley secure a 2-0 victory and clinch the program’s first trip to the state semifinals, earning her JWS Player of the Week honors.

King’s 19 goals this season lead the way for the Mustangs, who enter Friday’s match with a 20-2-1 record. She’s averaging nearly a goal per game, and while she doesn’t obsess over stats, she knows her impressive tally makes her a threat to opposing defenses.

“They look at your stats. They start to man mark and double mark you,” King said. “Sometimes I couldn’t score because of it.”

Still, King manages to find a way.

Coach Chris Whaley is impressed with King’s work ethic and leadership. He says she’s really opened up this season as she leads the team by example.

“The girls definitely look to her to make things happen,” Whaley said. “Early on, we saw how much she loves playing high school soccer and how much it means to her.”

For King, it means playing alongside her classmates and her older sister, Justyce. This is the last year they’ll play together, and while they may be on different sides of the field, their bond is unconditional.

King and the Mustangs will take the field again Friday against Lincoln-Way Central as they continue their quest toward becoming state champions.

Nika Anschuetz is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @nlanschuetz.

While pregame pump-up music can run the gamut, from hip-hop to rock to country, Reagan Kotschau’s choice marks her as a player for all seasons.

The junior midfielder at Broomfield High (Colo.) turns to the Cody Johnson’s “Hat Made of Mistletoe,” a track off his 2021 Christmas album, to center herself before games. At 118 beats per minute, the uptempo country song reverberates through her Nissan Rogue, signaling that she’s ready to play.

Don’t question what works, and for Kotschau, the song worked its magic this week.

In the 5A state quarterfinals against Rock Canyon (Littleton), Kotschau placed the ball on the line for a penalty kick. The score was tied 1-1 with nine minutes left in overtime. As she backed up, she took a couple deep breaths.

“I got this,” Kotschau said. “I just need to get it past one person.”

With her right foot, she threaded the ball past the Rock Canyon goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

A sea of blue flooded the field. Kotschau’s go-ahead goal sent the Eagles to the semifinals and earned her JWS Player of the Week honors.

In Thursday’s semifinals, Kotschau’s leadership resounded across the pitch. With confidence and poise, she made key plays to help propel the Eagles to a 2-1 overtime win against Columbine. They’ll head to the state final Wednesday for a chance at back-to-back titles.

Kotschau is the leading scorer for Broomfield, recording 13 goals this season for an average of 1.6 per game. The midfielder also racked up six assists, averaging 0.8 per game.

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Kotschau (right) is committed to Washington State University. (Courtesy of Tony Harbour)

Coach Jim Davidson relies on Kotschau’s play-making ability. The Eagles play her high in the midfield, giving Kotschau ample opportunity to score.

“Everybody knows Reagan is an outstanding player, and I’m sure other teams are match-prepping their game plan around her,” Davidson said. “She continues to find ways to be dynamic.”

Kotschau’s family fostered a love for soccer. Her parents played soccer at George Mason University in Virginia. As a child, she watched her father, Ritchie Kotschau, play in the MLS.

At age 3, she began to chart a path of her own, eventually finding a home in the middle of the field.

“When I was playing forward, I couldn’t defend. I’d just kind of have to watch when the ball gets too far back,” Kotschau said. “In the midfield, you’re involved in everything. You get to be creative going forward or you get to help your team defending.”

Kotschau is committed to Washington State University. A year from now, she and her family will make the thousand-mile trip to Pullman, Washington, so she can continue her journey — a drive that should provide plenty of opportunities to play her favorite pump-up song.