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Entering high school, gymnastics was the only sport Kayla Duenkel had ever competed in. But after her freshman year in 2022, she discovered a new passion.

Duenkel and her mom, Sue Duenkel, were in the Chicago airport traveling home from spring break when they encountered hundreds of volleyball players traveling home from a tournament. One of them was Duenkel’s elementary school classmate.

“They were just talking about how much fun they were having,” Duenkel said. “And I was thinking, maybe volleyball is something I could try.”

Sue remembers the volleyball team recommending Duenkel take up the sport. Soon after, she did.

Duenkel’s gymnast skills, including her jumping ability, translated naturally to the volleyball court. With limited volleyball experience under her belt, she relied on those skills to find success early on. After a decorated career at Bishop Grimes High School, in which she led the Cobras to a 16-2 record in her senior season, Duenkel has committed to play volleyball at Cedar Crest College.

In elementary school, Duenkel started gymnastics to have fun and do somersaults. But by her freshman year, her schedule had escalated to three-hour practices, five times a week. Duenkel wanted a change.

During the fall of her freshman year, Duenkel dislocated her elbow while practicing her gymnastics routine. Her rehab time was an opportunity to reflect on if she was truly passionate about gymnastics.

In the fall of 2022, Duenkel walked into then-Bishop Grimes volleyball head coach Kayla Purcell’s classroom. She told Purcell she was interested in joining the volleyball team, even though she’d never played the sport.

Purcell recommended Duenkel attend camps and open gyms to start building her skillset.

Kayla Duenkel is committed to continue her volleyball career at Cedar Crest College following her graduation from Bishop Grimes High School. Photo courtesy of Kayla Duenkel

With no volleyball experience, Duenkel was placed on the junior varsity team to begin the season. Bishop Grimes JV head coach Jim Tuck instantly noticed her jumping ability, calling it “out of this world.” For years, Duenkel had jumped with ankle weights on the balance beam. Now, uninhibited by weights, her leaping ability made her a strong middle blocker for Bishop Grimes.

Three weeks into the season, Purcell wanted to add a player to varsity. Tuck suggested Duenkel, who had played just four junior varsity games at the time, be promoted.

Before a JV game against LaFayette, Tuck told Duenkel she would be dressing with varsity. After the game ended, Duenkel ran to the locker room to switch her jersey, but expected not to play.

But, four minutes into the game, Bishop Grimes’ starting libero exited the game after a ball hit to the face. Purcell called on Duenkel to replace her.

Though Duenkel felt confident in her ability, she was “terrified.” Tuck calmed her down in the moment, reminding her that it was the same game, just with different players.

Duenkel shined in her debut.

“As soon as I got out there, everyone was just so kind to me,” Duenkel said. “If I just touched the ball, they were all jumping up and down, cheering, screaming for me… That calmed me down.”

Bishop Grimes lost to LaFayette 3-0, but Duenkel cemented herself as a budding star. Despite being the youngest on the team, she became a starter for the rest of the season. Over the ensuing summer, she attended college camps over the summer and returned for her junior season as the only starter from the prior year.

Duenkel’s drive to develop further spurred her to join KODA Volleyball Club for the winter and spring of her junior year. Her improved abilities propelled Bishop Grimes to a 16-2 record her senior year — an eight-win improvement from the previous season.

Though Dunkel and Bishop Grimes shined, the campaign wasn’t a full love story. As Tuck taped Duenkel’s ankle before the Cobras’ sectional semifinal game against Bishop Ludde, he told her she wouldn’t be starting since she’d missed multiple practices for a Taylor Swift concert. When she entered the game, Bishop Grimes was trailing.

On her first play, Duenkel ripped a shot in front of the 10-foot line. The momentum shifted Bishop Grimes’ way, eventually winning 3-1. The Cobras, however, fell to LaFayette for the third consecutive year in five sets in the section championship.

When Duenkel started playing volleyball, she thought she would play it for the rest of high school and then be done. But once she began playing, she realized it could go beyond high school.

She’ll continue her career at Cedar Crest just three years after she started playing volleyball.

Published on December 9, 2024 at 12:37 am